Free Irritable by Joanne Locker Page B

pretended to ignore her, but both were hoping they
didn't have to deal with the irate female. Kelsey stomped off ahead of
them and looked for Officer Lucia's desk. She spotted it immediately and the
pretty young woman looked up at her with a questioning smile. "May I help
you?" she asked in a pleasant tone of voice.
    "I am
here to speak to Chief Blankenship, and I do not want to hear any excuses as to
why he can't see me right now. My time is as valuable to me as his is to
him. Do what you have to do, but I expect to be seen in a timely manner."
    Chief
Blankenship is in a meeting right now, ma'am. If you would give me your
name...?"
    "You
do not need my name just so the all-important man can decide if I am important
enough to waste his precious time talking to me. I do not believe he is
in a meeting either. Now which office is his?" Kelsey looked around, and
finally settled on the most likely one. Before she could take a couple of
steps, Officer Lucia was standing in front of her, the friendly smile wiped off
her face.
    "The
Chief is in a meeting, ma'am. If you wish to see him, you will have to
give me your name so I can inform him you are here, and then you will take a
seat and wait until he is free."
    "Get
out of my way!" Kelsey said in indignation.
    "Ma'am,
I am not going to tell you again," the other woman warned. "We have
procedures to follow in this office."
    "What
is the problem out here?" a deep voice called out, and Kelsey whirled to find
her nemesis standing there, looking at her in a combination of exasperation and
amusement!
    "You!"
she screeched, startled to see her neighbor standing there. He had indeed
been in a meeting. She recognized the Mayor and Assistant Mayor from
seeing their pictures in the paper. They made their way to the elevator,
obviously in a hurry to get to their next scheduled appointment for the day.
    "You're
late by at least an hour, Pebbles," Cleve stated as he looked at his
watch.
    "Pebbles?"
Kelsey looked at him, wondering if he'd taken leave of his senses.
    "Pebbles
Flintstone. You wear your hair like hers," Cleave grinned when her green
eyes filled with fire, and then he said, "I expected you here at seven o'clock
on the dot."
    "You
certainly didn't expect me to actually BELIEVE you were telling me the truth
about being a cop, did you?" Kelsey demanded furiously. "Of course, MOST
cops are bullies, so I should have known."
    "And
most redheads have hell's own temper," Cleve retaliated, aware that his
detectives were taking a keen interest in the show they were putting on.
"Come with me, young lady, and we'll talk about this in private." He
would love to have that talk with her lying face-down across his lap while he
was applying his hand to her saucy bottom!
    "I
don't have anything to say to you that I cannot say in front of everyone here,"
Kelsey informed him, turning her chin up in pure stubbornness. "You stole
the electrical cord for my stereo, and you made threats against my
person. I want to file charges." She felt a momentary sense of
satisfaction as his dark eyes widened in disbelief. She would show him
that he couldn't hide behind his badge and threaten innocent women.
    "I did
not steal the power cord to your stereo, young lady. It is between the
screen door and the front door of your condo, and as for making threats against
your person... I promised to spank you if you went out of your way to irritate me
again last night, and since I appropriated your stereo cord until this morning,
I made that virtually impossible."
    "You
put your hands on my person!" Kelsey accused in outrage and indignation.
    "I
picked you up and sat you down out of my way. Were you harmed in any
way?" he asked, already knowing the answer... provided she told the truth.
    "No,
but you can't touch someone without their consent!" Kelsey heard a few
snickers from the onlookers.
    "Listen,
Pebbles, this argument is pointless. You are not injured. Your
power cord is on your own property, and the only reason you came