On His Naughty List Page 2

  “And what, pray tell, are you planning to go undercover as?” Commissioner McMillian snipped.

  Andy’s hands opened and closed tight while he stared at the nerve twitching in the mayor’s neck. “My plan is to work the Eden Roc lobby as Santa Claus.”

  “Jesus. Will you be bringing any elves with you?” the commissioner joked, rolling his eyes.

  Mayor Manella slammed the desk with the flat of his hand. “This is no laughing matter, gentlemen—we need results, damn it. You have all the resources of the department, yet after two months, this is all you can come up with? Jesus Christ. I get phone calls daily from women saying they don’t feel safe in the city. I have an election coming up next year, and I can’t have this bullshit sitting on my shoulders!”

  As Andy stood to his full 6′2″ height, he did his best to appear resolute while attempting to shake off the negative comments. “Mr. Mayor, with all due respect, we’re working on this case around the clock, and you can be sure my team and I are doing everything we can to find this monster.”

  The mayor’s face reddened and he pointed his finger. “If you don’t catch this maniac, you aren’t going to have a job, let alone a team!” Without as much as a goodbye, he pivoted and stormed out of the room.

  Andy’s eyes lifted to the ceiling as the door slammed. “I don’t think that could’ve gone better.”

  Commissioner McMillian paced, palming his damp forehead. “In case all of that wasn’t clear to you, the mayor has the authority to make major changes around here. And I think that all of us would prefer to keep our jobs. Am I right on that one, Lieutenant?”

  Andy kneaded a knot in his neck and sat back down, waiting for the commissioner to finish tearing him a new asshole. But his superior’s next sentence was unexpected.

  “I think we need a fresh set of eyes on this case.”

  Flying out of his seat, Andy approached him head on. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

  “Calm down. Calm down. I’m not thinking of replacing you, but I would like to add another person to your squad.”

  “What are you going to do? Hire a watchdog from the FBI to look over my shoulder, so he can report my every move to you?”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about. Maybe we need a different perspective, a viewpoint from someone who could give you another professional opinion.” The commissioner reached across his desk, picked up his phone, and pressed a button. “Jeannie, please send in Detective Scott.”

  Andy looked at the door as it opened and watched an attractive woman with short dark hair and striking blue eyes stop in front of him to extend her hand. “Hi, I’m Ashley Scott, nice to meet you, Lieutenant.”

  Chapter Three

  Andrew Geraci opened the heavy glass doors that led into the detective support area, and the new hire on the case followed close behind. “Could I have everyone’s attention for just a moment?” Waiting patiently for the group’s consideration, he loudly cleared this throat. “I’d like to introduce a new member of our task force. Detective Ashley Scott from the NYPD has been assigned to assist in our investigation, so when each of you have a minute, please introduce yourself. Okay, that’s it. That’s all I have.” Everyone in the room nodded, mostly ignoring the pronouncement, then immediately lowered their heads to continue where they left off.

  Turning toward him, she raised an eyebrow. “That introduction put them on the edge of their seats.”

  “Don’t take it personally. My team has been working in shifts around the clock and all of them are extremely tired, so they’re probably not in the mood to be social. Especially since it will take an extra effort to bring someone new up to speed.”

  “Is that how you feel, Lieutenant Geraci?”

  “Call me Andy. I’m not one for formalities,” he said quietly, ignoring her question.

  “But I was under the impression that your friends call you Drew…”

  As he looked away, his tone softened. “Only one friend did.”

  “I’m really sorry. I heard you lost Detective Bloom last year.”

  He inhaled a deep breath and turned to meet her eyes.

  “Some of my friends call me Ashe…” She swallowed, her throat dry as the desert. “Despite what you may think, I wasn’t assigned here to create tension or leapfrog your authority. I’m hoping to be of real value to you and the team.”

  “There’s no room for ego on this case. All any of us wants is to catch this serial rapist before he strikes again. He generally takes a break in between attacks, but we know it’s only a matter of time before the assaults begin again.”

  She hesitated for a moment. “I’ll do everything I can to help. In case you didn’t know, the commissioner was kind enough to give me a copy of all the reports, so I’m caught up on everything so far. Well, that is except for your thoughts. Is there anything you want to share?”

  He looked around the large squad room quickly, but before he answered, she leaned in close. “I have a theory, in case you’re interested. Off the record, of course.”

  “Maybe we should talk somewhere private.” After Andy motioned for her to follow him, they stepped out of the room and headed for the headquarters exit. “There’s a deli right around the corner.”

  Walking quickly down the street in silence, they entered the small restaurant and sat at a corner table. A young, attractive woman scurried over. “The usual, Lieutenant?”

  He nodded.

  “And something for your friend?”

  “Unsweetened iced tea for me, please,” Ashley replied politely, and turned to watch the waitress seductively sashay away. “You’re obviously a regular and quite popular with the wait-staff.”

  “I used to be much more popular in my younger days… before my hair started changing color.”

  They both laughed, and the waitress returned with a steamy mug of coffee and a tall glass of iced tea. “There’s sweetener on the table, and just yell if you want something else, Andy.”

  “Will do, Chloe.”

  “Are you two friends?” Ashley asked, tucking her short dark hair behind her ears.

  “If you’re asking if we date, the answer would be no—she’s more of an acquaintance. Quite frankly, this case hasn’t left me much time to socialize.” Andy obviously tried to hide his grin as he reached for the metal creamer. “You’re not trying to profile me, are you?”

  A sly smile lifted the corner of her lips. “I just want to acclimate to this town and get a feel for my surroundings. It’s always good to know a little about the people I work with.”

  “There are plenty of New Yorkers that have relocated to Miami, so you should fit in nicely.” He poured a steady stream of half and half into his coffee and watched the clouds form before stirring the creamy mixture. “And it seems you know quite a bit about me already.”

  Her eyes lowered. “I really was sorry to hear about your girlfriend.”

  “Lauren Bloom was not only part of my homicide team, she was my best friend,” he said, his voice lowering, “and I guess you already know she was killed trying to be a hero. She found it difficult to follow rules.”

  “They say that time heals, but…”

  “It’s been a year since she’s been gone, and I’m trying to move on with my life. This certainly isn’t glamorous work, but it does keep me busy.”

  “Well, I’m hoping to be of some help to you on this case. There’s no doubt our perpetrator’s a sociopath with certain tendencies, but the type of women he’s targeting seems to be random. What’s unclear to me is why his attacks are occurring in such a short radius. Has anyone been able to positively ID him from a lineup, yet?”

  Andy studied her intense expression. “We haven’t been able to get that far. We’ve been told he wears a black hooded mask and fatigue-type pants with a gray T-shirt. He’s been identified as a white male, about five feet eleven with brown eyes and seems to be dressed the same every time. The army logo imprinted across his
chest has us all thinking he might’ve been in the military at some point. Brilliant profiling so far, right?”

  Her shoulders raised as she inhaled deeply, mulling over the information. “With all things considered, don’t you think our man is almost too good at what he does? With absolutely no evidence left behind at any of the crime scenes, it’s as if he knows what we’d be looking for. He hasn’t left any DNA behind. Not a fingerprint or a hair for us to examine. I’m starting to think he might be an expert in law enforcement.”

  He blew the steam off his large white mug. “Since he’s targeting women in a small area, my team is currently under the impression that he’s either living or working close to Miami.”

  She arched an eyebrow and smiled.

  “What? Too simple an observation for you?”

  “Not at all. Sometimes the simplest explanation is exactly what we should be looking at.” She angled her head toward him and sighed. “If the perp is in our own backyard, do you think it’s possible he’s a part of your sex crimes unit?”

  Andy gave her a hard stare. “You already have someone in mind, don’t you? Is that what this is all about? Were you assigned to the team to investigate one of our own?”

  Her lips thinned, obviously not wanting to say anything else that would rub him the wrong way.

  “Who’s responsible for this lunacy?”

  Ashley held up her hand in protest. “Okay, okay, the commissioner had me doing some profiling on your squad for a couple of weeks now, and there is a possibility that it could be someone you’re working with. In all honesty, I attached a low percentage to that probability, but he insisted that I pursue it anyway. Leave no stone unturned, right?”

  Andy’s face reddened with anger. “Why wasn’t I briefed on this before?”

  “What do you think I’m doing now?” Her demeanor was calm as she casually tilted the plastic straw to her mouth.

  “Let’s cut to the chase. It’s obvious that you have someone in mind. So, out with it, please.”

  Ashley pushed her full glass to the side. “After reading all the reports, there are a couple of men on your team that I’d like to speak with. I’m sure you’re aware that a few of them have a previous career in the military.”

  Andy sat back in his chair and looked at her incredulously. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

  “Nope. I’m dead serious.”

  * * *

  Returning to the taskforce room, Ashley pondered the stern expression she’d seen on Andy’s face. She knew he didn’t agree with the suspicions she harbored about some of the men in his unit, but hoped he wouldn’t dismiss her theory entirely. Craving a large cup of steaming coffee after dropping the bombshell on the hard-nosed lieutenant, she traveled through the bullpen to the break room. Rounding the corner, the first detective on Andy’s team that she spotted was a handsome, muscular, sandy-haired, clean-shaven man standing in front of the coffee station. Gathering her composure, she walked over to him, cleared her throat, and offered her hand in a professional gesture.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Ashley Scott.”

  “I’m Dan Neilly. I wasn’t here for the big intro, but you know how word gets around in a place like this.” He put his paper cup down and extended his hand.

  Her sigh of exasperation was deep as they shook hands. “You didn’t miss much. Unfortunately, my presence wasn’t met with a high level of excitement.”

  “In this unit, you won’t see too many smiling faces, but trust me, we’re happy to have all the help we can get. And if the information we’ve received on your background is correct, everyone here should be happier than a pig in mud that you’re here to help us. This guy we’re dealin’ with is ruthless, and I’m gettin’ this terrible feeling that he’s laughing behind our backs.”

  Ashley reached for the half-filled pot of coffee and poured herself a cup. “I’ve been studying him for a couple of weeks, so when you have some time, I’d love to exchange some thoughts on the case.”

  Andy entered the room with a smile on his face. “Ah, I see you’ve met Detective Neilly.”

  “Indeed, we have, Lieutenant. And our new team member and I were just about to make a date to compare notes.” Dan turned to Ashley and tipped his head to the side. “Are you free for dinner tonight?”

  “Ahh, well, that date might have to wait until tomorrow,” Andy interrupted good-naturedly, “because Detective Scott and I already have a meeting scheduled for this evening.”

  “Well, then, if you two will excuse me, I have a couple of leads to follow up on,” Dan said, mirroring his partner’s grin before he pivoted on his heels to leave the room.

  Andy peered over at Ashley. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”

  “The opportunity presented itself, so I took advantage of it.” With a quick motion, she swerved her head to ensure no one else was listening. “And Detective Neilly seemed interested in meeting with me, so I certainly wasn’t about to turn him down. Who knows, maybe when I get to know him better, I’ll be able to cross him off our suspect list. I’d think you’d like that, right?” She tapped her short fingernail on the paper cup. “Where’s he from, originally? He’s got a pretty heavy Southern accent.”

  “He was born and raised in Savannah. Why? What are you thinking?” Andy asked, his eyes peering at her suspiciously.

  “Right now, everyone in this department is a suspect,” she said, meeting his gaze. “And just for the record, I found him almost a little too charismatic. Sociopaths can be quite charmin’, you know.”

  An amused smile played at the corner of Andy’s lips. “You certainly do have an active imagination. I’ll give you that.”

  * * *

  “Thanks for coming to meet me for dinner since it was such short notice,” Andy said, sitting down across from her at the table.

  Ashley nervously straightened her utensils, attempting to avoid his intense stare. “Thanks for the invitation.”

  “So nice to see you again, Lieutenant Geraci. Should I bring your usual?” the approaching waiter interrupted.

  “Thank you for remembering, John, and my coworker will have…”

  “I’d like a glass of Pinot. Thanks.”

  As the man scurried off, Andy placed a napkin in his lap before leveling his golden-brown eyes at Ashley. “I’m really glad to have you as part of our team. I hear you have a good antenna for people, and your professional knowledge is essential to the case right now.”

  She nodded as the waiter returned from the bar and placed their drinks in front of them.

  Andy lifted his glass in a toast. “Here’s to your expertise.” After touching glasses, they each took a sip. “This place has a great wine cellar, but the food is only slightly above average,” he advised in a hushed tone, inclining his head toward her. “So, now that you’ve seen the team, do you have any thoughts?”

  “From the reports I’ve read, it seems our perp has a Southern accent.”

  Andy folded his hands and cleared his throat. “As you know, when working on a homicide case, the victim doesn’t live to tell the tale of what an assailant looked or sounded like. But in every one of these attacks, each woman gave the same physical description and agreed that he had a strong drawl. You’d think that information would be helpful, but so far we have nothing else to go on.” He tipped his head and took a sip of his drink. “Were you about to share something else, Detective?”

  “Like I’ve mentioned before, Dan Neilly has quite a strong accent.”

  “Uh-huh, and so do many other people who live in South Florida. Why are you so determined to point a finger at someone on my squad?”

  She straightened her back without an ounce of regard to his stern tone. “Does Detective Neilly also have a military background?”

  “Yes, he’s an army man. Matter of fact, he was a hero in the Iraq war. But many people who’ve had a career in the military do gravitate to law enforcement.”

  She lifted
her glass and pursed her lips. “Look, you’ve probably known him a long time, but…”

  He swirled the remaining amount of Jack Daniel’s in the glass and paused. “I know you’re just doing your job. And I’m sure you’ll make it your business to have a few conversations with him, but I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t turn those upcoming exchanges into an interrogation.”

  “I’ll be careful, I promise,” she assured, lifting her glass of wine.

  Andy mused over his thoughts while taking a large sip from his short heavy tumbler and swallowed hard. “I have an idea that I’d like to propose to you.”

  “Shoot.”

  “I’m putting together an undercover operation,” he said in a low, careful tone, pushing his glass aside.

  She rounded the rim of her goblet with one finger. “That sounds intriguing, but why the sudden decision to go covert? He’s been attacking women off and on for two months now.”

  He peered around the room before leveling his gaze. “All of our victims live close to the Eden Roc Hotel. I don’t believe these are random acts because it seems our perp always knows when these women are alone. Oddly, in the last attack, he went through the victim’s purse and jewelry boxes while she lay quietly on the bed waiting for him to leave her apartment.”

  “It’s highly unusual for a rapist to also indulge in robbing the victim. These men are usually only interested in sexually violating their victims, not in a financial gain—”

  “My guess is that he’s trying to throw us off. He took some cash and a couple of rings from her drawer, but nothing expensive.”

  “Maybe he just wants a trophy to remember the event.”

  “It’s possible. But this man is calculated, and I can’t help but wonder when he’s planning to strike again. If history tells us anything, we know that disgruntled people tend to become even more desperate this time of year. And I have a bad feeling that these upcoming holidays will cause some of his urges to elevate. I’ve already spoken to the manager at the Eden Roc to set up surveillance equipment in the lobby, and he agreed.”