Chapter 3 The waitress

Anderson was already leaning against the outside wall and taking her first drag from a cigarette. She blew out smoke with a long, relieved sigh.

"Yeah. l thought I'd grab some air." "Zoo in there tonight. Jones's really packs then in." She pulled the cigarette out of her pocket, offered them.

"No, thanks. l don't smoke." "Good for you. l can't kick it. No smoking in the employee lounge. Eric gives me a break and lets me use his office if the weather's lousy. So how's your first night?"

"My feet are killing me." "Occupational hazard. First pay check you buy yourself one of those bubbling footbath things. Put some eucalyptus in it, and go straight to heaven." "I'll do that."

An attractive woman, Ella noted, though the lines around Anderson's eyes made her look older than twenty eight. She kept her dark red hair cut short and the makeup subtle. Her nails were short and unpainted, her hands ringlees. Like the rest of the staff, she wore black, and finished off the simple shirt and slacks with sturdy yet trendy shoes.

The only touch o flash was the silver hoops that swung at her ears.

"How'd you get into tending bar?" Ella asked her. Anderson hesitated, then puffed on her cigarette. "l guess l hung out at bars a lot, and when there came a time l was looking for what you could call gainful employment, Eric asked me if l wanted a job. Trained me over at THE BASE. lt's good work. You need a decent memory and people skills. You interested?"

"I'd better see if l make it through one shift busing before l start raising my sights."

"You look like you can handle whatever comes along."

Ella Smiled into Anderson's considering eyes. "You think so?" "Observation's one of those people skills. And on short observation you don't strike me as the type who expects to make waiting tables her life's work."

"Gotta start somewhere. And paying the rent's a priority." "Don't l know it." Though Anderson had already calculated that Ella's shoes equaled half a month's rent on her own apartment. "Well, if you want to climb the ladder, Eric's the one to give you a boost. You'd have figured that."

Anderson dropped the cigarette, crushed out the butt, "Gotta get back. l don't want to go over break."

The ex-hooker, Ella decided, was proprietary when it came to Eric. They were probably lovers, she thought as she went back inside. When you factored in his defensive attitude toward her, it added up.

As lover, as trusted employee, Anderson was in a prime position to cull out marks, to pass the information along. The bar faced the entrance. Whoever went in or out passed by her station.

She handed her credit cards, and the name and account number led to addresses. lt would pay to look at her most closely.

Eric was doing his own looking. From his office. He knew enough about cons, short and long, to calculate who the target might be. He pegged three possiblities that would have topped his list if he'd been running the game.

He headed for the table Ella was busy cleaning. "How are you holding up?" "l haven't broken any of your dishes yet." "And now you want a raise?"

"l'm going to sick with my day job, thanks all the same. l'd rather clean up the street than tables." "We go back to bar food at eleven, so the busing slows down."

"Hallelujah." He laid a hand on her arm before she could lift the tray.

"You corner Joel outside?" "Excuse me?"

"She came in, you came in too.". "l'm doing my job. However, l resisted shining a light in her eyes and smacking her in the face with my rubber hose."

She hefted the tray, shoved past him. On her way by the dance floor, a man reached out and gave her butt a pat. As Jones watched she stopped dead in her tracks, turned slowly and gave him one, long look. The man stepped back, lifted hair hands in apology and quickly melted into the dancers. "Handles herself," Nelly said from beside him. "Yeah. She does, really well." "Pulls her weight, too, and doesn't whine about it, l like your girlfriend, Mr Jones."

He was too surprised to comment and only stared when Nelly walked away. He let out a short laugh and shook his head. Oh, that one had slipped by him.

Last call was enough to make Ella all but weep with gratitude. She'd been on her feet since eight that morning. Her fondest wish now was to go home, fall into bed and sleep for the precious five hours she had before starting it all over again.

"Go on home," Nelly ordered. "We'll go over closing tomorrow night. You did fine." "Thanks. l mean it honestly."

"Joel, let Ella into the lounge, will you?" "Sure, no problem. Nice crowd tonight. Nothing l like better than a crowded club. Want a drink before you head out?"

"Not unless l can stick my feet in it." Her chuckled her back. "Anderson, pour me one, will you?"

"Already on it mam." "I like a brandy at the end of shift. One glass of the good stuff. You change your mind," he said as he unlocked the door. "Just pull up a stool. The man, he doesn't charge employees for an end of shift drink." He went off, whistling through his teeth.

Ella shoved her apron into her locker, pulled out her bag and jacket. She was just putting the jacket on when Rose breezed in. "What's up, heading out? You look beat. Me, l'm just hitting stride this time of night."

"My stride hit me about an hour ago." Ella paused at the door. "Don't your feet hurt a little?"

"Hahaha, not really. l got arches of steel. And guys tip better if you walk around on flat or skinny heels." She went to run a hand up her leg. "l believe in using what works." "Yeah, Well, goo night." Ella stepped out of the lounge, shuttling the door behind her, and bumped solidly into Eric. "Where'd you park?" he asked her. "l didn't. l left my car at home, so l walked, or ran I suppose."

"I'll drive you home." "l can walk. lt's not far." "lt's two in the morning. A block is too far."

"For heaven's sake, Eric. l'm a cop." "So naturally, bullets bounce off cops."

Before she could argue, he caught her chin in his hand. The gesture, the firm grip of his fingers, shocked her to silence. "You're not a cop at the moment," he murmured. "You're a female employee and the daughter of a friend. I'll drive you home now. And that is final."

"Okay, fine." She started to shove his hand away, but he beat her to it and shifted his grip to her arm.

"Night, boss." Nelly called out, grinning at them as they passed. "Get that girl off her feet." "That's my plan. Later, Joel. Night, Anderson." Suspicion was buzzing in Ella's brain as Joel lifted his brandy snifter and Anderson watched her with quiet and serious eyes.

"What was that?" Ella demanded when they stepped out in the cool air. "Damn, like what exactly was that?"

"That was me saying goodnight to friends and employees." "Excuse me, my feet gone numb, not my brain. You gave those people the very distinct impression that we have a thing here." "That's right. l didn't consider it, either, until Nelly made some remarks earlier. lt simplifies things." She stopped beside a sleek looking Audi A6. "Just how do you figure that having people think there's a personal thing between us simplifies anything?" "And you call yourself a detective." He unlocked the passenger door, opened it. "You're a beautiful blonde with sexy legs up to your ears. l hire you, out of the blue, when you have basically no experience. The first assumption from people who knows me is l'm attracted to you. The second would be you're attracted to me. Add all this together and you know where it lands you. Are you going to get in?"

"You haven't explained how those deductions equal simple." "lf people think we're involved they won't think twice if l give you a little leeway, if you come up to my office. They'll be friendlier." Ella said nothing while she let it run through her head. Then she nodded. "All right. I get it." Going with impulse he shifted, boxed her in between his body and the car door. There was a moon, bright enough to sprinkle silver into her eyes.

"Oh, you're going to want to step back, Eric."

"Nelly's at the window of the bar, and she's got a romantic heart despite everything that's happened to her. She's hoping for a moment here. A long, slow kiss, the kind that slides over melting sighs and heats the blood."

His hands came to her hips as he spoke, rode up to just under her breasts. Her mouth went dry and the ache in her belly was a wide stretch of longing.

"You're going to have to disappoint her." Eric skimmed his gaze down to her mouth. "She's not the only one." But he released her, stepped back. "Don't worry, Detective. l never hit on cops, or daughters of friends."

"Then l guess I've got a double shield against your wild charms." "Yeah, good thing for both of us, because l sure as hell like the look of you. You getting in?"

"Yeah, l'm getting in." She got into the car and waited until the door shut before letting out the long, painful breath she'd been holding.

Wherever that spurt of lust inside her had come from would just have to go away again. Cool off, she ordered herself, but her heart was bumping madly against her rib cage. She thought to herself, Cool off, breath out and focus on the job.

Eric slid in beside her, annoyed that his pulse wasn't quite steady. "Where to?" When she rattled off the address, he aimed one hot look at her. "That's a damn mile. Why the hell did you walk?"

"Because it was rush hour. lt's quicker." "That's just stupid."

She had a response for that. The venom of it scalded her tongue as she rounded on him. She didn't even recognize the vibration of her beeper for several seconds, mistaking it for the vibration of rage.

She yanked it from her skirt, checked the number. "Damn it. Fuck." From her purse she pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed.

"Detective Naismith. Yeah, l got it. l'm on my way." Calming herself, she shoved the phone back into her purse.

"Since you're determined to play cab driver, let's get going. I've got stuff to tied up."

"Give me the address." "Just take me home so l can get my car." "Give me the address, Ella. Why waste time?"