Free Color of Justice by Gary Hardwick

giving him shit just for being close to his woman. But now he would wait it out.
    He spent some time going over Fiona’s preliminary report. Then he decided to go to bed. He said good night to Vinny and Clarence and hit the sack at ten-thirty. He and Erik had to run down a lead tomorrow, and the boss would want to know right away if they’d made any progress.
    Danny tried to sleep but it didn’t come for a long time. And when he finally drifted off it was restless, filled with images of the Bakers being murdered, the killer taping up their wounds as they bloated and bled to death in ungodly pain. Then he was awakened by a noise in the room.
    â€œWhat time is it?” Danny said, searching for the clock.
    â€œSorry. It’s one A.M .,” she said. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
    Vinny took off her top and wiggled out of her jeans. Danny took in her form and was aware thatthey had not been intimate in a long while. School was putting a damper on that, too.
    â€œYou know what class is kicking my ass?” asked Vinny. “Criminal law. Can you imagine that? A cop who can’t hang in that subject. All the shit us cops think we know about law, it’s just that, shit.” She took off her bra.
    Vinny slipped on a T-shirt and got into bed. He moved closer to her and slipped his hand under her shirt. In the age before law school, Vinny’s hand would have been moving, too, but tonight nothing happened. He felt her hand move to his and gently tap it.
    â€œI’m tired, Danny. I’m all stressed out.”
    â€œYou know what’s good for that?” said Danny. “Sex.”
    â€œStop it.”
    Danny persisted in the foreplay, partly because he was a man but mostly because their sex life had taken a backseat to her new life and that pissed him off. He kept it up until she pushed away from him.
    â€œCome on, Danny. Life ain’t about sex, you know.” Her words were a little sharp.
    â€œYes, it is,” said Danny, and he saw her face take on an “explain that shit” look. “People make love because it feels good, and because they care for each other. It’s human, Vinny. It’s easy to say a man just wants to get his rocks off, like it’s some selfish shit, but you know it’s more than that with me.”
    Vinny shifted in the bed and for a second,Danny thought she was going to get up and walk out, but she didn’t.
    â€œAll you ever talk about is school,” Danny continued. He didn’t see any reason not to go for the whole ball of wax now. “And I care because it’s you.” He was quiet for a moment, then, “I caught a murder today, but all I can think about is us.”
    Vinny was silent and he got ready for it. They’d never really argued about her school endeavors. They’d only had tense discussions, which usually ended with them apologizing and going to sleep. But he had thrown down a challenge just now, one she couldn’t simply ignore.
    â€œI’m glad to find out how important sex is to you.” She propped herself up on one elbow. “I wouldn’t want your heart to give out because you didn’t get some tonight.”
    â€œTruth is truth.” He smiled at her, knowing that she had already changed her mind. The only thing better than getting it was winning it, he thought.
    â€œWho got killed?” she asked.
    â€œSome rich people. They had big connections, so everybody’s got their drawers in a bunch.”
    â€œHow did they die?”
    â€œShot with a small-caliber gun and the wounds were taped up so that they bled internally.”
    â€œDamn,” said Vinny. “Any leads?”
    â€œNone, so far, but you know what I always say. Everybody dies for a reason. Now, we just have to find it.”
    He felt her move closer and drape one of her legs over his hip. She kissed his shoulder, and despite the fact that he was still pissed off, he got excited.