Free Dark Dreams by Michael Genelin Page B

and Peter realized they were still staring. Both tried to bring themselves back to business. Jana’s heartbeat was so loud, she thought that he must hear it. She felt the urgent need to reach out and touch his face and repressed the impulse with difficulty.
    “I—,” he began, then stopped.
    “I think,” Jana began, and also stopped.
    They started to laugh.
    “We should talk . . . about the law,” he mumbled.
    “Yes, we should,” she responded. She thought about it for a moment. “What law?”
    “Cupid’s,” he suggested.
    “I didn’t know he made laws,” she murmured.
    “Oh, yes,” he got out. “And they can’t be broken.”
    “Well,” she finally responded, “we’re both in law enforcement, and it would look bad if we broke any laws.”
    “Absolutely!”
    “How about the other law?” she wondered. “You know, the one we came to discuss?”
    “Hard to care about it right now.”
    Jana felt the same way.
    The door to the meeting room opened; the Red Devil peered out.
    “Time to talk to the committee members.”
    Peter and Jana nodded and walked past Sila Covac into the conference room.
    “And keep your minds on the meeting,” she snarled as they went in. “Or you’ll deal with me later!” She hitched herself up to her full height and followed them in.
    The meeting went well, despite Jana and Peter having to try hard to keep their hands to themselves and focus on the bill. After it was over, they walked down the stairs together and left the building, going to the lot where Jana had parked her car. She offered Peter a lift. To her disappointment, he declined, explaining that he had business at the office. Dry-mouthed, Jana left wondering what she had done to drive him away. Was he married and doing the honorable thing before they became so besotted they’d both regret what would unquestionably have happened?
    As Peter left, Jana saw a limousine drive off. She recognized the passenger, which brought a chill to her. Almost in a daze, she got in her car and followed him. The limousine drove to a large house in the suburbs. Jana parked nearby, turned off her cell phone, and watched the house gradually fill with people arriving for a dinner party.
    Kamin, the man who had ravaged Sofia inside the limousine, had returned to Slovakia and was in that house. Three hours later the guests began leaving, couple by couple, and the lights were turned off. When the house was dark and Kamin hadn’t left with the guests, Jana knew she had found his home. Now she could leave. He’d be there when she came back.
    Kamin had evaded justice before. Jana wouldn’t let him get away again.

Chapter 10
    J ana sat in the tub thinking about Kamin’s return until the water became frigid, her skin wrinkled from its long immersion in the water. She put Kamin out of her mind. The diamond was the issue she had to deal with now.
    Slowly toweling herself off, Jana mulled over the few facts she knew. The diamond could have been placed where it was by anyone. Jana usually left her doors unlocked. If she’d locked them, anyone wanting to get inside would force the lock. It would only take an instant. Or they would go to the rear and punch out a glass window and be inside just as quickly. Besides, everyone in the neighborhood knew that Jana was a police commander. Thieves were stupid, but not so stupid that they’d break into a police officer’s house.
    No, not a thief. What kind of thief would leave this kind of present behind him? Whoever had left the diamond knew that Jana lived there. And they’d hung the diamond up for her to see for a reason.
    Jana picked up the diamond, then walked into her bedroom, deciding to wear one of her uniforms. The evening’s social activities would have to be put on hold. She had to be a police officer for a while longer. Jana finished dressing and called Trokan’s cell phone.
    Trokan complained he had been sent out to a market by his wife, to pick up groceries. A demeaning job for a