Partners In Crime Part Two

By Alicia Scott

36 Hours Serial

As a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty–six hours will change the town and its residents forever….

Partners in Crime Part 2

Jack Stryker's investigation into Olivia Stuart's death leads straight to Josie. He'll have to do his job–even if it means arresting the woman he hasn't been able to get out of his mind since their night together.

Josie can't believe Jack thinks she could murder her friend. If he were suspected of murder she would believe in him, no matter how damning the evidence. She'll trust her heart over her head any day.

How can a relationship survive when two lovers are on opposite sides of the law?

The story concludes in Partners in Crime Part 3.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Apr 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781488739965

Book preview

Chapter Six Continued

Stone Richardson spared another sharp glance over at his partner. Jack Stryker sat perfectly straight in the front of the squad car. His knees were together, his hands at his side, and his gaze locked straight ahead. No emotion or expression had crossed his face for the last three hours, not since Stone had opened a small package addressed to himself and found inside every detail of Josie Reynolds’s life. A typed, unsigned note had been clipped to the front.

Dear Detective:

Jo Reynolds is not who she appears to be. Olivia found out the truth, look what happened to her.

Sincerely,

Someone Who Knows Better

Stone had quickly scanned the materials, then given them to Jack to read before sending the whole package to the lab to be analyzed for fingerprints. He hadn’t understood why his partner had become so cold and remote until they went to pick up Josie. So Jack had spent the night with their number one murder suspect.

God, what a mess. And how totally unlike Straight Arrow Stryker.

You should’ve let me handle it, he said under his breath to Jack. Josie wasn’t paying any attention to them. Separated by bulletproof glass, she was hunched next to the locked back door, staring out the window and looking as miserable as Jack.

I wanted to handle it.

You could get into a lot of trouble for this.

She wasn’t the number one suspect last night.

Dammit, Jack, play iceman with someone who doesn’t know you as well as I do. You’re involved with her. It’s obvious you care. You should’ve let me handle it.

Jack turned to him at last. I wanted to handle it. She shouldn’t have been confronted by a stranger.

Stone grimaced and shook his head. Stryker, one of these days, I’ll have to teach you about women, because otherwise your sense of honor is going to get you killed.

Stone pulled into Josie’s neighborhood. Two other squad cars were there. The warrant listed the whole house, garage and car as fair game. They had four officers to help search, with him and Jack overseeing the operation. It would probably take a few hours. Depending on what they found, they might have probable cause to get a new search warrant for Josie’s office.

Stone pulled into the driveway, not bothering to get Josie from the back, but leaving her for his partner to handle. Once on the front porch, a pale and dry-eyed Josie stood quietly while Jack retrieved the door keys from her purse and opened it for all the officers.

Why don’t you take Ms. Reynolds into the kitchen, Stone told Jack brusquely.

One of the other—

Why don’t you take Ms. Reynolds into the kitchen? Stone smiled more tightly. The search would start in the living room, then the bedroom, where personal items were more likely to be found. The kitchen would be the only place to give Jack and Josie the privacy he was sure they needed.

After a moment, Jack conceded with the smallest tilt of his head.

Stubborn ass, Stone muttered. He started barking orders, and as Jack led Josie away, the rest of them got to work.

*  *  *

Can I at least get a glass of water? Josie asked at last. She stood in the middle of her own kitchen, uncuffed but feeling very much a prisoner. She didn’t want to be alone with this man. She never wanted to look at him again.

Where are your glasses? He sounded as if he were talking to someone he barely knew, much less liked.

Upper right cupboard. Afraid that’s where I stash all my assault weapons?

He wordlessly pulled down a glass, ran cold water in the faucet and filled the glass. He handed it out to her. She shook her head.

There’s bottled water in the fridge.

Not batting an eye, he dumped out the tap water, opened the refrigerator and refilled the glass. This time, he set it down on the counter, probably so he wouldn’t have to risk brushing her fingers.

You are such a bastard, she said at last. She was having to blink back tears again.

He pulled out a chair and sat. He locked his gaze on the far wall, and her blood boiled over.

So that’s it? I get the silent treatment now? At least I fight fair, Stryker. At least I say what’s on my mind. You make the queen of England seem loose-lipped and wild.

You’re not as open as you pretend. His voice carried an edge. Fool that she was, she went after it.

Yes, I am, Stryker. I’m exactly who I say I am. And when I said I was willing to take things one step at a time, I meant it. I meant I’d give you the benefit of the doubt. I meant I’d spend my afternoon looking forward to our evening together. I meant I honestly wanted to see you again and…and make more microwave popcorn!

And tell me lies, Josie? Lie in bed with me and tell me more lies? He looked right at her and his blue eyes burned black.

I never lied, she retorted immediately.

"Dammit, how can you say that? You told me your parents were perfect together. You spun golden stories of their incredible love and the tragedy of losing them both to an accident. An accident? Your father went to jail for murdering your mother. What kind of accident was that? And what kind of example of incredible love?"

He didn’t kill her.

"He