Disclaimers: The characters are mine; they reside in my head (good thing there's a lot of vacuous space up there), although I hope by the time you're done reading they'll reside in your heart, as well. They first appeared in The Price of Fame, which is available in print with 23 scenes not found online anywhere. There is a third book in the trilogy that will follow The Cost of Commitment, lest you think I’m going to leave you hanging. You can find all my work at http://www.lynnames.com/.

Sexual Content: Oh, honey, I've been a luuv free zone for WAY too long...err...I mean, I'm living vicariously through my characters...um...what I mean to say is: heck, yeah, there's some sex in here. AND, if that's not bad enough, the sex involves (gasp) two women who are very much in love. The sex is tastefully done (BAD girl, BAAD girl), and is not gratuitous, though in some places it is fairly explicit. If this offends you and/or you are under 18 years of age, this is where you get off...um...I mean don't read any further; this story isn't for you.

Violence: This is a thriller, and yes, there is violence, although none of it is gratuitous or overdone. Also, the scenes where violence takes place are relatively short.

Pesky details: This work of fiction is protected by copyright, meaning ya can't reproduce all, or any part of it, without my express permission. This is not to say you can't tell your friends about it and suggest that they read it, 'cause I sure hope you will.

May you enjoy reading this portion of The Cost of Commitment as much as I enjoyed writing it. Like most authors, I'd love to know what you think (just remember what Miss Manners says: "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all."). Please send your feedback to: authorlynnames@cox.net.

Important warning: This selection is only a portion of the story. I hope you don’t mind cliffhangers, because that’s what you’re going to be left with at the end. This book is already in print and readily available (check out my website at http://www.lynnames.com/). I have chosen to share the first third of the novel with you for several reasons: 1.) I owe you all so much, and I am so grateful for your continued support. 2.) Not everyone can afford, or is in a position to buy our fiction. 3.) I hope that when you take these 110 pages or so out for a drive, you’ll be so hooked, that you can’t help yourself, and you run right out and by the book.

In short, I hope you love what you read here. And if you're like me and you just can't resist the feel of a good book in your hands, I hope you'll go out (or surf) and buy it. Thanks for your support, Lynn Ames.

The Cost

of

Commitment

Copyright Ó 2004 By Lynn Ames

CHAPTER ONE

Bob, can you get a better fix on what caused the incident at Sing Sing? I’ve got reporters breathing down my neck and pretty soon they’re gonna start making up their own version of events.”

The uniformed correction officer struggled to match the long, graceful strides of the woman walking alongside him. “Sure thing, Kate. We’re working on it; should have an answer to you within the half hour. They’re just interviewing the last inmate now.” He continued down the corridor, Kate peeling off to the left as they reached the door marked Katherine Kyle, Director of Public Information, New York State Department of Correctional Services.

“Kate?”

The tall, raven-haired woman turned inside the door to face her beleaguered assistant. “Yeah, Marisa, what is it?”

“The commissioner wants to see you.”

“Great. Tell him I’ll be right there.” She continued moving through the suite and into her office, where the phone was already ringing. The readout on her phone said “incoming call.” That meant the call originated outside the state government system. Although she couldn’t be positive who it was, Kate felt confident. “Hi, beautiful.”

There was a second’s hesitation on the other end of the line, followed by a surprised chuckle. “What if it hadn’t been me, love?”

“Ah, but it was.”

“Yes, but...”

“Well, if it had been someone else, I guess I would’ve had to offer to take her to dinner and make mad, passionate love to her afterward.”

“Grrr.”

“So, I guess it’s a good thing it was you, eh?”

“One of these days, Kyle...If you keep this up, I’m not gonna share the three rare Captain America comic books I found for you today.”

“Oh, that is so far below the belt, Jamison Parker. You wouldn’t dare—”

“Do you want to find out?”

Kate cleared her throat and sighed. “Um, Jay, honey, sweetheart, love?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve missed you so much today. Can I take you out to dinner someplace nice and then make mad, passionate love to you afterward?”

“I’ll think about it and have my people get in touch with your people.”

“Hey!”

“Well, Stretch, the offer sounds wonderful. It’s your delivery that needs work.”

“Everybody’s a critic.” Kate smiled. God, it felt so good to be able to tease each other without reservation again. It had taken nearly all of these past three months to reestablish their equilibrium and get beyond the hurts caused both by circumstance and each other.

“Kate, I’m so ashamed of the way I behaved. How could I have believed what I read in the tabloids? To cause you that kind of pain...” Jay’s voice caught; they had been home less than twenty-four hours and she had awakened from a nightmare.

“Shh, love, please don’t beat yourself up anymore.” Kate stroked Jay’s fair head where it rested on her shoulder. “We both made mistakes. Everything happened so quickly, we’d have to be superhuman to come out of that without any scars. The important thing is that we’re here now, together. All that matters to me is that I have you.” Kate tightened her embrace, reliving in her mind the whirlwind that had been their lives for the previous few weeks.

It had all started with the explosion that rocked the state capitol building in Albany. Kate was the only journalist on the scene, and her coverage of the story and subsequent efforts to save those trapped and injured by the blast were broadcast live across the country. That led to a spot on the cover of Time and a reconnection with Jay, who wrote the story for the magazine. They had fallen in love at first sight in college in 1982, but neither of them had acted on their feelings at the time. Five years later, fate had thrown them together again. This time the attraction was undeniable and they seized the moment.

That, Kate thought wryly, was the good part.

Kate’s overnight stardom had attracted the attention of the editor of the National Enquirer, who sent a photographer to dig up dirt. He tracked her to the Caribbean island of St. John, where she had just proposed marriage to Jay. Scumbag, Kate silently intoned. The image he captured of them kissing on the beach appeared on page one, although Jay was unrecognizable in the photo. The public outcry resulted in Kate being fired from WCAP-TV.

“I was right about one thing, Jay: the press isn’t going to stop until they identify you.” She sighed. That’s why she had undertaken a solo cross-country odyssey; Kate had hoped it would forestall the logical follow-up story—the identity of her blonde lover. She meant to save Jay’s career and future, but her decision to distance herself from her lover had nearly destroyed both of them. After close to a week on the road Jay had tracked her to Sedona, Arizona, where they reunited and renewed their commitment to each other.

“How’s your day going?” Jay broke into Kate’s ruminations, effectively returning her focus to the present.

“Not too bad. The usual mix of mayhem. Inmates beating each other over the head, officers breaking the law, reporters making up their own stories. You know. How’s your day?”

“Better than that, I guess. I only have to contend with corporate officers who won’t speak on the record.”

“Ah. Which train are you catching to Albany? Will you be home tonight in time for dinner?”

“Looks like it right now. How about you?”

“I’m hopeful. It would be the first night this week and it’s already Thursday.” Kate suddenly got serious. “I really do miss you, Jay. We live in the same house, and still it feels like I haven’t been able to spend any time with you lately.”

“I know, honey. I miss you, too, but we both knew when you took this job it wasn’t going to be easy. Don’t worry. We’ll make it work.”

“Thank you for being so patient and understanding, love. I promise I’ll be home in time to take you to dinner at 7:30, okay?”

“It’s a date.”

“See you then. Right now the commissioner is waiting to see me. Until tonight, babe. I love you.”

“I love you too, Kate. Bye.”

“Kate, c’mon in.”

“Good morning, sir. Something I can do for you?” She stood expectantly, notebook at the ready.

Oh my, he thought, as he had every time he’d been face to face with her. I know I’m very married, and happily so, at that—and I know she’s a lesbian—but damn, I’d have to be dead not to notice. She’s gorgeous! He spared a moment to observe her: six feet tall, well muscled, and sleek; glossy black hair that flowed halfway down her back; high, chiseled cheekbones and a flawless face. But it was the eyes, those amazing, vibrant, intelligent cerulean blue eyes, that captured him effortlessly. That and the fact that she seemed to be completely unaware of her beauty. “Sit down, Kate. No need to be so formal.”

She took the seat nearest the massive cherry desk, noting once again that, despite his lean physique, her new boss’s presence pervaded the room. Brian Sampson was neither loud nor overbearing; rather, he projected a quiet, calm confidence that indicated his comfort with the seat of power he held. “We’ve certainly been keeping you busy, haven’t we?”

Kate smiled. She liked this man. He was both honest and honorable, rare qualities in a politician. “Yeah, you could say that.”

In fact, Kate’s first ninety days as sole spokesperson for the third-largest prison system in the country had been a blur. With 67 prisons, 47,000 inmates, and 35,000 employees, there was never a dull moment. So far, she’d managed one full night’s sleep in three months without being awakened by either a reporter writing a story or the command center letting her know about an incident.

It had taken her a while to get used to her phone ringing at all hours of the day and night. She had thought being a television news anchor and reporter was an all-consuming job; working for DOCS made the pace of her former career seem downright slow.

“Kate Kyle, this is Officer Banks and Officer Kirby. Gentlemen, this is your new best friend, Kate.”

“Yes, sir.” The uniformed men stood at attention as they answered Executive Deputy Commissioner William Redfield, the number-two man at the agency.

“Nice to meet you both.” Kate had been on the job less than an hour, and already her head was spinning. There was so much to learn; DOCS was clearly a paramilitary organization with a definite hierarchy, and she was very nearly at the top of the food chain. This became evident to her right away when correction officers and assistant commissioners to whom she was introduced practically saluted her.

“Banks and Kirby man the command center during the day; Ritter and Hobbs have the night shift. The command center is the twenty-four-hour communications hub. Anything that happens anywhere in the system is reported immediately to these gentlemen, who will then inform you right away.”

Banks, a sandy-haired man with a crew cut who couldn’t have been a day over twenty-five, addressed Kate. “Ma’am, it’s our job to make certain you can do your job. You just tell us what you need and we’ll take care of it.”

She smiled. “You guys are going to get awfully tired of me, I’m sure. The way I look at it, I’m sort of an internal reporter; I’ll ask you for all the information I’m sure the media will be looking to squeeze out of me. That way, by the time they get wind of a story, I’ll have the answers already. I’ll also know how much information I’m going to share and how I want to play it with them.” Kate didn’t ever want to be blindsided by a reporter who knew something she didn’t. She recognized immediately that her relationship with the officers in this command center would be elemental to her ability to succeed in that endeavor.

The executive deputy commissioner chimed in. “Anything you need to know, any questions you have that need answering, these fellas will bend over backward to make sure you get everything you need. Right, boys?”

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

Commissioner Sampson tipped his chair back and laughed. “As I recall, the governor warned you that being the DOCS public information officer would be a challenge.”

“Yes, he did, and he was right.” Kate smiled wistfully. Governor Charles Hyland had taken a huge risk politically when he had called to offer her the PIO job. After all, she had just been fired as WCAP-TV’s lead anchorwoman after the Enquirer outed her as a lesbian. She would always be grateful to him for hiring her despite the media storm had that ensued.

“Ms. Kyle, is there any truth to the rumor that WCAP bought you off for a quarter of a million dollars?”

“Kate, can you confirm that the woman you were pictured kissing on the cover of the National Enquirer is one of the wives of the sultan of Brunei?”

“Ms. Kyle, how does it feel to be a hero one day and a goat the next? Are you bitter about the treatment you’ve received?”

No, Kate thought sarcastically, I’m not the least bit upset that my entire life has been turned upside down, my career derailed, and my privacy shot to hell. Not to mention the fact that I very nearly lost the love of my life in an effort to protect her from you vultures.

It had been two days since Kate had returned from Sedona with Jay, and her emotions were still somewhat raw. Although she didn’t know how, word had leaked out that she had cut her trip short, and reporters were swarming around her like locusts as she attempted to shop for groceries.

Truthfully, she didn’t care that there was no food in the house, but Jay had insisted that they needed something to eat other than Raisin Bran, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and Diet Pepsi. The continued attention had dictated that Jay remain secluded in their house or risk exposure. While Jay professed to not care about being linked to her, Kate wanted to avoid that for her lover if at all possible.

She dredged up a smile from somewhere. “Folks, if you really want a news story, here it is.”

Every reporter’s pen stood poised to record her statement.

“Kate Kyle is actually grocery shopping with the intent to cook something other than breakfast cereal.”

The gathered throng of journalists groaned collectively. “C’mon, Kate, you’ve got to give us something here.”

“Are you shopping for one or for two?”

It was an attempt to push her buttons and get her to react angrily, and it very nearly worked. Her blue eyes narrowed to ice chips as she turned from selecting pasta sauce and faced the group.

“Give you something? My friggin’ grocery list is suddenly a story. If I go to the bathroom, it’s newsworthy, and my fiancée can’t so much as leave the house for fear of having her life ripped apart, too. And you want me to give you something?”

Somehow she managed to restrain herself. “Sorry, I’d love to help you out, but I’m afraid you’re finding out the truth: my life is terribly dull. I hate to disappoint you, and I could make something up, I suppose, but then that wouldn’t be journalism, would it? That would be sensationalism, and I’m sure none of you is interested in that, right?” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. She finished her shopping without further incident.

When the press release announcing her hiring as the director of public information for DOCS was disseminated a week later, the heat shifted from Kate to Governor Hyland. The headlines ranged from factual to inflammatory: “Former TV Anchorwoman Turns Spin Doctor;” “Hyland Hires Disgraced TV Personality;” “Governor Goes for Gay Girl;” and, in one ultraconservative newspaper, “Pervert to Speak for Prisons.” Subsequent editorials called into question the governor’s judgment, morals, ethics, and commitment to follow the will of his constituents. The spate of negative publicity led Kate to call her new boss.

“Governor, it’s Kate Kyle.”

“Hi, Kate, how are you? Holding up okay?”

“I’m fine, sir. I was going to ask you the same question.”

“I’m just dandy, Kate, lovin’ every minute of it.”

“Sir, if you’d rather I didn’t take the position, I’ll understand.”

“Katherine Kyle, if I ran from a fight every time the press had an opinion, I’d be a pretty poor excuse for a leader. I’m not the least bit concerned about the uproar. This, too, shall pass, as they say. And don’t you let them get to you either. You are more than qualified for this job, and I feel very lucky to have snagged you before someone else made you a better offer.”

“Thank you, sir. You’re very kind. I won’t forget this.”

“Forget the humble attitude, Kate. I liked you better when you were feisty. I’ve always valued your opinions and approach. I’m looking forward to having your advice and counsel close at hand. Let’s get together soon to talk, all right?”

“Any time, sir.”

“I’ll have my secretary set something up.”

She had dined at the governor’s mansion several times since then. The conversation had been lively, the debate spirited. He truly did value her positions and opinions, and they argued policy and politics for hours.

Kate shook her head slightly to clear it and refocused on the commissioner.

“I’m sorry, what’s that, sir?”

“I was saying I’ve been impressed with your work so far. You seem to have little trouble grasping the nuances of this business, and your ability to deflect negative publicity is uncanny. In short, you’ve caught on quickly and stopped our image from hemorrhaging any further. It’s nice to have a spokesperson on board who can get along with the press.” Here he smiled, and Kate could clearly hear the unspoken phrase, unlike your predecessor. “I just wanted you to know that I’ve noticed, and that I am awfully happy to have you here.”

“Thank you, sir. I’m glad you feel that way.” Kate was somewhat at a loss; she was pretty sure her boss hadn’t called her in just to inflate her ego.

After a moment’s hesitation, he went on. “Ah, Kate, I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but the governor’s been under a lot of pressure lately.” At her raised eyebrow, he explained, “Seems the boys from the DNC aren’t crazy about some of his positions. They see him as their meal ticket to the White House next year and they’re afraid of him alienating middle America.” His tone was derisive.

“What you’re saying is the Democratic National Committee wants him to take no real stand about anything meaningful, accomplish nothing, and just pretend like he’s governing for the duration, right?”

“Charles is right about one thing: you are perceptive and not shy about telling it like it is in the appropriate company.”

“Sir, I’ve never been one to subscribe to the ‘tell them what they want to hear’ theory. I believe people like you and the governor rely on me to offer the unvarnished truth; it’s that kind of advice that has real value. I’m afraid I’ll never be a good yes-person.”

“Thank God, Kate. Thank God.”

“Sir, I’m sure there’s a reason why you’re telling me this now.”

He sighed. “Yes. I want you to know that there’s going to be increased scrutiny of everything we do here. You know what a hot-button issue crime and corrections is for a democrat. We’re going to have to make sure we dot every i and cross every t for the next year. You, in particular, are going to be in the hot seat. Are you all right with that?”

Kate favored her boss with a cockeyed grin. “Respectfully, sir, been there, done that.”

In the luxurious private study at the exclusive Fort Orange Club in Albany, three Democratic power brokers were in a heated discussion. Robert Hawthorne had been selected the year before to take the helm of the Democratic National Committee. He had recently retired from the U.S. Senate, where he had served four terms. Michael Vendetti, press secretary to Governor Charles Hyland of New York, was the most powerful spin doctor in the state. David Breathwaite, “super flak” of all law enforcement agencies, had made himself indispensable over the years by unearthing all manner of damaging information on important figures on both sides of the political aisle.

“God damn it, David, you promised she wouldn’t be able to handle the job.”

The former director of public information for DOCS answered, “Relax, Michael, you know you’re not supposed to get excited. Imagine what that’s doing to your blood pressure.”

The man across the table from him actually growled. Vendetti, who was always impeccably dressed in finely tailored suits, regarded Kate’s predecessor and the current czar of criminal justice PR as the human personification of a weasel, and a short one at that.

At Vendetti’s fierce expression, David continued mildly, “You’re the governor’s press secretary. It’s not my fault he prefers her advice to yours.”

Vendetti rose so quickly that his ornately appointed high-backed chair toppled over backward, landing with a resounding bang on the hardwood floor. “You little—”

“That’s enough. Both of you.” Hawthorne leaned forward in his seat. “It won’t do us any good to fight amongst ourselves. We can’t afford to lose sight of the objective here. We need our boy Charlie in the White House—”

Under his breath David mumbled, “That’s only because you couldn’t get yourself elected dog catcher last time around, Mr. Senator.”

“And that Amazonian dyke is standing in our way.” If Hawthorne had heard the cutting remark directed at him, he chose to ignore it. “She has entirely too much influence over our boy. She goes to dinner with him every few weeks and all of a sudden he’s making dramatic policy announcements that have nothing to do with our agenda. Not only that, but we’ve got a wild card in the form of a commissioner we can’t control. I don’t like it.”

“Bob, it’s too early to be concerned. She’s only been in the position three months. We said we’d get her out at six months.” Breathwaite never looked up as he chewed on his cuticles. “Give her time, she’s bound to screw up. If not, we’ll help her.”

“Yes, well, I’m not leaving anything to chance here, so I’ve asked an old friend of mine to join us.” Hawthorne rose from his position at the head of the table and went to an inner door. “You can come in now, Willie.” To the others in the room, he said, “Gentlemen, I’m sure you know my good friend William Redfield, executive deputy commissioner of DOCS.”

At the unexpected sight of the man he had worked with for more years than he cared to count, David Breathwaite visibly blanched. He hated surprises. “Bill. I didn’t realize you and the senator were on such friendly terms.”

Redfield smirked, recognizing that he’d caught the department’s former spokesman off guard. To his view, Breathwaite had always been a necessary evil, but not someone to be trusted. “There are a lot of things you don’t know, David. Bob and I went to college together. He called me recently and filled me in.”

“Yes, I thought it was important that we have someone on the inside.”

Breathwaite protested, “We have someone on the inside already.” In truth, he wanted to control the flow of information from inside DOCS; with Redfield in the picture, his value had just decreased.

“Yes, David, that’s true, but so far I’ve been less than satisfied with the results we’ve been getting from our source. We need someone with a little more pull, someone who can make things happen, if you will.” Hawthorne smiled thinly. “Please, Willie, have a seat.”

Redfield selected the fourth and last available seat at the table. He had been to the Fort Orange Club only once before, to a retirement dinner for a state assemblyman. The place was too rich for his taste—all those bluebloods who were born to power huddling behind their cigars and pipes in a setting that looked like it belonged in a British movie about the aristocracy. But Redfield was a practical man—he knew that there was no better place to conduct business discreetly than here. His musings were cut short by the sound of the chairman’s voice.

“Michael, how did our boy Charlie take my discussion with him today?”

“As you might expect, he was less than overjoyed at having you come in and dictate political strategy and policy positions to him.”

The veins in his neck bulging, Hawthorne thundered, “For Christ’s sake, he’s running around like he’s actually his own man. He belongs to this party. He belongs to us, and we’re gonna make sure he gets elected president in spite of himself. I don’t give a rat’s ass whether or not he’s happy as long as he sticks to our agenda!” Adjusting his tie, he added more quietly, “Michael, you’d better keep him in line. Will, I’m gonna need your help here. Kyle has got to be out the door in three months, no ifs, ands, or buts. Can you make that happen?”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about, Bob.”

“Good. I knew I could count on you. David, for God’s sake, try to stay the hell out of the newspapers and keep your head down. How are we going to reinstall you in Kyle’s place if you keep creating controversy?”

In truth, Hawthorne hated Breathwaite as much as everybody else at the table, but the man had an uncanny knack for finding weak spots and exploiting them. He had certainly found Hawthorne’s, blackmailing him when he discovered the chairman’s scheme to use Governor Hyland as a puppet to gain control of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He was a valuable asset to have, and a very bad enemy.

Unfortunately, when the idiot had created a swirl of controversy and a host of enemies in the press, he had nearly gotten himself fired as DOCS PIO by the governor. Hawthorne and company had had to scramble to get him out of the line of fire for a time. Why he wanted to go back to DOCS so badly was a mystery, but Hawthorne didn’t care. If that’s what Breathwaite wanted, that’s what he would get. They needed him on the team.

“That’s all for now, gentlemen. Keep the contact and conversation to a bare minimum, and we’ll meet back here in a month or two. I’ll be in touch when it’s time.”

“Kate, sweetheart, are you home?” Before she had time to put her briefcase down, Jay was accosted by seventy-nine pounds of bouncing blonde fur. “Hey, buddy! Hey there, Fred. How was your day?” She bent over and scratched the golden retriever lovingly on the hindquarters as he marched in place in between her legs. “Where’s your mommy, huh, guy? Is she here yet?”

As if in answer to her query, Kate shouted from a distance, “Hey, love, I’m up here. C’mon up!”

“On my way, as soon as Fred is done practicing his marching band routine.” Jay looked down again, “Let’s go, big guy, I can’t wait to see your mom.”

She bounded up the stairs leading to the second floor of the house Kate had designed prior to their relationship, impressed, as always, with how comfortable and how much at home she felt here. Well, she thought wryly, it is my home now. The notion sent a thrill through her, as it never failed to do.

At the top of the stairs, Jay was enveloped in a strong, but sensual hug. She glanced up to find twinkling eyes gazing lovingly at her, a smile on her partner’s face. Kate ducked her head, capturing the lips she adored in a slow, sweet kiss of welcome.

“Mm, I love coming home to this.”

“And I love you.”

“I love you, too, Kate.”

They stayed like that a few heartbeats more, just savoring the moment, until Fred made his presence known once again. They both smiled indulgently as Kate made eye contact with the spoiled beast. “Yes, doll, we know you’re here. No group hugs for you, though. Right now, this beautiful woman is all mine.”

“Love, we’d better hurry if our reservation is at 7:30. Where are we going? What do I need to wear?”

“Dressy tonight, babe. Something elegant and strapless, I think.”

“Oh, what’s the occasion?”

“Does there have to be one? Now go on, get moving.” Kate swatted Jay on the rear end, pushing her gently down the hall in the direction of what had once been the guest suite but had now become Jay’s personal space. The blonde affectionately referred to it as “the place where my clothes live in a world by themselves.”

Kate retreated to the master bedroom, where she hastily dabbed on some Shalimar, her perfume of choice, and finished dressing. She jumped into a pair of high heels that matched her dress perfectly and hurried down the stairs, calling, “You’ve got about ten minutes, Jay. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

She hustled to the side door, opening it to admit three men in waiter’s uniforms. “Hurry, guys, we only have a few minutes.”

Behind the servers came two women dressed in chef’s outfits. The first one stopped and kissed Kate on the cheek. “Hiya, beautiful. Don’t be so nervous. I promised you everything would be perfect, and so it shall.”

“Barbara,” Kate hissed, “Jay’s gonna walk down the stairs in less than ten minutes expecting me to take her out for an elegant evening. Everything has got to be in place before that happens!”

“Tch, woman, it’s a wonder you don’t have an ulcer already. Have I ever not delivered on a promise to you?”

Sighing in exasperation, Kate answered, “No.”

“Right, and I’m not about to ruin my reputation now. I didn’t get to be a world-renowned doctor by folding under pressure, toots.”

Kate had to laugh at her friend. She was right. Barbara Jones was a well-recognized physician, a master gourmet chef, and a wonderful friend to have. Heaven knew she had seen Kate—then Kate and Jay together—through some rough patches.

Turning to the waiters, Barbara pointed past the kitchen. “Okay, boys, the dining room’s that way. Work your magic.”

At Kate’s upturned eyebrow, Barbara laughed. “Honey, these boys know more about presentation and style than any woman I’ve ever met. What is it about gay men that gives them such a sense of panache? I assure you, you’re in the best hands possible. In less than five minutes, your dining room is going to scream romance.”

“You’re the best, you know that?”

“Yeah, that’s why you keep me around, I presume.”

“That and the fact that I can’t seem to keep myself out of harm’s way.” Kate winked as she made her way to the bottom of the staircase to await Jay’s arrival.

It didn’t take long. Five minutes later she looked up to see a vision that robbed her of breath and speech. Jay paused at the top landing, her short blonde hair shimmering in the light from the chandelier, the emerald green, strapless, knee-length dress accentuating her lithe form and toned muscles to perfection. As she descended, Kate watched Jay’s smile grow wider in answer to her own.

“You are the most magnificent woman I have ever laid eyes on, Jamison Parker.”

“And you, Katherine Ann Kyle, are the sexiest creature on the planet.” Jay took note of the rich navy sheath that hugged her lover’s form, the material reaching over one shoulder, leaving the other, and most of her upper back, bare.

“May I?” Kate reached for her lover’s hand, guiding her down the last steps and toward the dining room.

“Um, love? I may not have a great sense of direction, admittedly, but even I know that the garage is that way.” Jay pointed in the opposite direction.

“It is? Damn, they must have moved it on me again.” But she continued moving in the direction she intended.

“Okay, Kyle, what are you up to? Spill it.”

“Oh, I love it when you get that authoritative tone in your voice.”

“I mean it.”

“Who says I have to be up to anything?”

“I know you’ve got something cooked up here. You’ve got that cat that ate the canary look on your face.”

“Moi?”

“Yes, you, Miss Innocent.”

They had reached the entrance to the dining room. Kate moved ahead slightly, wanting to block Jay’s view in case everything wasn’t ready yet. She needn’t have worried; the room had been transformed. Candlelight sent a warm glow throughout the spacious area, highlighting the dark richness of the mahogany table and chairs and painting interesting shadows on the Oriental rug. Fine china and silver glinted in the low lighting, while soft music played in the background. She stepped aside.

“Oh, Kate...” Jay looked up questioningly.

“I hope you like it, sweetheart.”

“But...why? Am I missing something here?” Jay wracked her brains trying to think what occasion she might have missed. It wasn’t either of their birthdays; certainly it wasn’t Valentine’s Day or the anniversary of the consummation of their relationship...

Kate took her lover’s hands in her own and forced eye contact. “Five years ago today I was standing on a tennis court, playing a long and difficult match—the last one of my college career, in fact—when all of a sudden I looked up on the hillside to see the most incredible vision. An angel, standing there watching over me. You, standing there watching over me. I fell instantly and irrevocably in love. Now, every day, I thank whatever power exists in the universe that brought you back into my life. I love you, Jay, more than life itself, and I just wanted to find a special way to commemorate the day I lost my heart and found the other half of my soul.”

Tears flowed down Jay’s face. She buried her face in Kate’s chest. “Oh, sweetheart, that is so beautiful. You are the most incurable romantic; it’s one of the most amazing things about you. And I love you so much.”

Kate bent her head and kissed her heart’s desire reverently on the mouth. “C’mon, love, the food’s getting cold.”

“But—”

“You’re wondering if I’ve learned to cook overnight. Nope.”

“Then what...how...”

Kate smiled indulgently. “How about if you just sit down and all will be revealed to you.”

Jay grinned sheepishly and accepted the seat her lover offered.

“Gentlemen, I think it’s time.”

The waiters, who had been standing at a discreet distance inside the doorway to the kitchen, moved with efficiency and grace into the room, carrying serving plates. The first server bowed slightly at Jay’s side. “Would you care for some French onion soup?”

She smiled at him. “I’d love some, thank you.” To her partner she said, “Um, should I ask how you pulled this off and who these fine gentlemen are? Or where, exactly, the delicious food is coming from? I mean, it smells like it’s coming from our kitchen, but...”

“Very observant, my dear.”

Jay waited for Kate to finish the thought. When nothing more was forthcoming she said, “That’s it? That’s it? You’re not going to tell me how dinner is getting to our table?”

“What does it matter as long as you like it?”

“Stretch, you know how I am when my curiosity is aroused.”

Kate grinned evilly. “I know how you are when you are aroused.” Her gaze dropped to her lover’s breasts.

Jay blushed. “Don’t change the topic. You know what I meant.”

“Okay, if you must know, I brought in a master chef to cook for us this evening. Are you happy now? Satisfied, Miss Snoop? No wonder you make such a good reporter.”

“Thank you for answering me.” Jay leaned over and kissed Kate, a long, slow, sensuous joining of the lips that lasted for several moments.

“If I had known that would be your response, I would have answered you sooner.”

“Brat.”

Kate gazed deeply into Jay’s eyes, which were accentuated by the combination of candlelight and the emerald color of her dress. “I will never tire of looking at you, you know that? You are the most beautiful woman in the world, and I still have to pinch myself to make sure this isn’t all a dream.”

As Jay opened her mouth to respond, Kate’s business phone rang.

Annoyed, Kate snarled, “That, on the other hand, is a nightmare. I’m sorry, love, I have to get that.”

“I know. Go ahead, don’t worry. I’ll wait for you.”

Moving to her office, Kate barked, “Kyle.”

“Um, Kate, this is the command center. Sorry to bother you.”

“That’s okay, John.” She made a conscious effort to take the bite out of her tone. “What’s going on?” After all, Katherine, it isn’t his fault the job can be damned inconvenient at times.

“Two inmates got into a fight in the mess hall at Auburn. One of ’em pulled a shank and stabbed the other. He’s gone to the hospital. Last word was he was in critical condition. They don’t think he’s gonna make it.”

Kate was taking notes. “Okay, I’m going to need names, crimes they’re in for, sentences for each, whether they had any history together before tonight, race, how the officers responded, where the perp is now, and if this was just a one-on-one thing or part of something larger.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“John, that was, what...the third incident at Auburn in the last week that involved a weapon? What’s going on there? I need to know if there’s any hint of a connection between the events. I’ll tell you right now that the reporter for the paper out there is pretty sharp. It won’t take him long to put two and two together and wonder if he’s got four. Are we going to lock the place down and do a cell-by-cell? If so, word’s going to get out in a hurry.”

“I’ll get right on it and get you answers ASAP, Kate.”

“Thanks, John, I appreciate it.”

Back in the dining room, Kate kissed Jay on the shoulder. “I’m sorry about that, love. Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just murderers killing murderers. Another day in paradise.”

“So it’s going to be a long night for you.”

“Only if the reporters find out about it. For now, I’d much rather concentrate on you.”

“Mm, that’s okay with me.”

The rest of dinner was uninterrupted; they managed to eat their way through the salad for two, the petit filet mignon, lobster tails, asparagus tips hollandaise, and twice-baked potatoes without much difficulty. Except, that is, when Jay missed while trying to feed Kate some of the potatoes. To make up for her gaffe, she licked the overflow from Kate’s chin. The transgression was quickly forgotten.

Unable to decide between the fresh apple cobbler and the homemade strawberry cheesecake, Jay opted to sample both, with Kate shaking her head in wonderment at her lover’s endless capacity for food. When Jay had polished off both desserts, she pushed back from the table.

“Sure you’ve had enough?” Twinkling eyes regarded her adoringly.

“Well...”

“Ugh. It’s a wonder you don’t weigh three hundred pounds. I can’t fathom where you put it all.”

“You’re just jealous, that’s all.”

“Yep, you’re right. How did you know?”

“I’ve seen the type before.”

Again, the business phone forestalled further conversation. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart. I’m really sorry about this. I wanted tonight to be perfect.”

“It is perfect, love. Don’t worry about it; it’s not as if it’s something you can control.”

Actually, at the moment Kate was contemplating how long it would take her to fly out to Auburn to finish both inmates off herself. However, recognizing the impracticality of that solution, she opted to answer the phone instead. “Kyle.”

“Hi, Kate, it’s John again, in the command center. I’ve got your answers for you. Unfortunately, the poor slob died a half hour ago. Here are the particulars...”

She listened and asked more questions for the better part of a half hour, taking notes and formulating strategy. Then she hung up and glanced at the clock over her desk. 10:02 p.m. Jay was right; it was likely to be yet another long night. Sighing, she made her way out of her office, stopping in the kitchen long enough to thank Barbara again for her services.

“Oh, you know me, Kate, I’m a sucker for a good romance.”

“And I’m grateful, my friend. Good night.”

“You better get going before she goes to bed without you.” Barbara turned and made her way out into the night, the waiters and sous chef having preceded her.

Kate found Jay in the family room picking out music. Sneaking up behind her, she tilted her head and took a small nibble out of the side of her neck. She felt the shiver even as Jay’s head tipped back to give her better access.

Given the invitation, Kate wrapped long arms around Jay from behind, pulling their bodies into close contact. She continued to taste and lick her way up to her lover’s earlobe, sucking it into her mouth and biting down lightly.

Jay groaned, and Kate could feel compact abdominal muscles contracting beneath her hands. Jay turned in the circle of her arms, placing feather-light kisses on her collarbones and chest.

“Um, sweetheart, before we get too carried away here, I have something for you.”

“Love, you are something for me,” Jay purred as she licked her way across to Kate’s bare shoulder.

Kate pushed away just enough to give herself room to maneuver. Reaching inside her bra, she extracted something shiny.

“Hey, I could’ve done that.”

“Yes, and I hope you will...later.” Again, Kate had to still her lover’s wandering hands.

“Jay, this is for you, because you are the most brilliant gem in my life. I wanted to give you a tangible reminder of how we first met.” She gently grasped her lover’s arm, turning it over so that the palm faced up. She kissed the sensitive skin there before concentrating on the task at hand. Stepping back slightly, she waited as Jay examined her wrist.

“My God, love, you didn’t have to do this. It’s gorgeous!” On her right wrist sparkled a three-carat diamond tennis bracelet.

“I love you, Jamison.”

Jay flew back into her arms. “I love you, too, sweetheart, but you are the only tangible reminder I’ll ever need of how we first met.”

Kate kissed the top of the fair head she cherished so much, then eyelids, nose, cheeks, and, finally, the perfect lips that beckoned her. She felt Jay’s nipples harden through the thin material of her dress as she deepened the kiss, sucking gently on Jay’s tongue before releasing it to explore further.

They continued to kiss as Kate guided them up the stairs to their bedroom, Fred trailing behind, used to this behavior from his humans. She slowly lowered the zipper on Jay’s dress, kissing and caressing every inch of newly exposed flesh, letting the material slide to the floor and helping her lover step out of it. Slip and pantyhose followed close behind, until, finally, the only remaining barriers were a strapless bra and a pair of very sexy lace bikini underwear.

Kate returned to Jay’s mouth momentarily as she released the catches on the bra, freeing creamy white breasts and painfully erect nipples. She kissed and licked along the underside of first the left breast and then the right while sliding her hands up the inside of Jay’s thighs.

“Argh, love, please. I need you so much.” Jay tried to back up to the bed, but Kate held her fast.

“No, babe. I want you to stand.” This she said as she ran her tongue around the rim of one nipple.

“Sweetheart, I’ll fall over.”

“No, you won’t. I’ve got you. Just hang on to me.”

“Ah!”

Kate’s hand was following the outline of her lover’s panties as her other hand traced a line up Jay’s body from her abdomen to her breasts.

“God, love, I’m so wet for you. Please, I can’t take it anymore.”

Slowly removing Jay’s panties, Kate knelt, quickly swirling her tongue in the warm wetness that awaited her. She closed her eyes and savored the taste with the same sense of wonder she’d felt every time they’d been together this way. She wasn’t quite ready to linger there, though; there was so much more that she wanted to do. She continued on her journey, her mouth tracing her lover’s bikini line, stopping to nibble on the insides of thighs as her hands explored soft, but firm flesh in place after place. “You are so, so very beautiful, love.”

Jay was barely able to stay upright, her cries of urgency increasing with every stroke of her lover’s tongue. She clutched at Kate’s shoulders, trying to ground herself in the wake of unending sensation, able to articulate only a single word: “Please.”

Hearing the desperation in her cry, Kate relented, returning to Jay’s center, gently stroking her first, exploring her folds, tasting her clitoris, slowly drawing the moisture from her, before increasing the pressure and driving Jay over the top.

Kate held on tight as Jay trembled, aftershocks rolling through her body like waves to the ocean’s shore. When they had passed, Kate guided Jay down onto the bed, removing her own clothes before joining her. She wrapped Jay in her arms and softly stroked her skin.

“My God, woman, I think you just tried to kill me!”

“Nah,” Kate smiled, “If I’d been trying, I’d have succeeded.”

“Hmm. I’m tough to kill, ya know.”

“Oh, yeah, I would suspect as mu—”

Kate’s words were cut off when Jay inserted a leg between her thighs, rolling her over and pinning her to the bed, brushing lips and fingers over ribs, then up her breastbone to her shoulders, and finally back down to aching breasts, all the while rocking against her wet center.

Kate arched up off the bed as Jay ran one hand down into her moist curls, entering her slowly while continuing to exert pressure with her thigh. When Jay bit down lightly on her nipple, Kate came with a sharp cry.

The two women spent long, languorous hours loving each other before pulling up the covers and falling into a blissful slumber.

CHAPTER TWO

Kate’s peaceful sleep was shattered at exactly 2:14 a.m., according to the digital clock on her night table, when the somewhat muted but insistent ringing of her bedside business telephone combined with the vibration of her pager, which danced its way across the wooden surface and onto the floor.

“Kyle.” Her voice was rough with sleep, which made perfect sense considering she and Jay had finally drifted off only two hours earlier.

“Hello, Ms. Kyle, this is Danny Wenger from the Auburn Citizen. I’m sorry to wake you...” Kate thought he sounded about as convincing as a three-day-old dead toad, which is to say not very.

“Hang on, will you? I’ve got to change phones.” She put him on hold. Next to her, Jay stirred briefly, mumbling in her sleep before settling back down. Kate regarded her lovingly; she looked so much like an angel. Sighing, she kissed her gently on the forehead, grabbed a robe from the bathroom, and headed downstairs to her office where Jay’s rest wouldn’t be disturbed by conversation.

“Okay Mr. Wenger, what can I do for you?”

“I understand an inmate died tonight at the Auburn Correctional Facility. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“According to my sources, his name was Nathaniel Diggs, a guy doing time for murdering his girlfriend after she told him she was pregnant.”

“The next of kin hasn’t been notified yet, so I cannot confirm or release any information about the deceased at this time.”

“C’mon, Ms. Kyle, just tell me if I’m right or not. You know I am, all you have to do is confirm it.”

“When’s your deadline, Danny?”

“It was two hours ago. They’re holding a few inches of space for me for the next half hour.”

“Tell you what; I’ll try everything within my power to get you a yes or no before that time.”

“Thanks.”

“But if I can’t give you something either way by your deadline, you leave any supposition or unconfirmed rumor out of the piece.”

“How am I supposed to scoop the early TV news if you don’t help me here?” He sounded like a petulant child.

“Danny, ever hear the expression ‘it’s better to be right than first’? I think that applies here, okay?” In fact, Kate already knew the name of the deceased and that of the inmate who killed him. It just so happened that she was trying to save Danny’s ass—Nathaniel Diggs was actually the murderer, not the victim, although she couldn’t tell the reporter that until the dead man’s family had been notified. The only question now was whether or not this eager, young journalist was smart enough to listen between the words. Guess she’d find out later that day when the Auburn Citizen was published; since the victim’s family was in Ghana, West Africa, she seriously doubted she’d be able to give the press anything before the late editions in the afternoon.

She had barely placed the receiver back in the cradle when it rang again.

“Kate? This is Wendy Ashton from the Associated Press. How’ve you been?”

“Great, Wendy, how’s life treating you?”

“Can’t complain. My girlfriend does plenty of that for both of us.”

“Ah, hates that you work the night beat, eh?”

“You’ve got that right.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure you didn’t call me at 2:40 a.m. to commiserate about your love life.”

“Nah. Heard about the dead dude out at Auburn. Sounds like he got sliced up pretty good.”

Ah, now here was a smart reporter. She stated her supposition as fact, expecting Kate simply to acknowledge her statement. Very slick.

“I’m sorry, Wendy, I don’t have anything for you on cause of death or weapon yet. Wish I could help you there. I can tell you that a suspect is in custody.”

“Very cute, Kate. Aren’t they all in custody inside a prison?”

Oh, she was good. “Yes, but this one is in the SHU.”

“He’s in the special housing unit?”

“Yes.”

“Was he there before this incident put him there? You know, already in isolation?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that narrows it down, now doesn’t it? Why, there must be only 83 or so guys in twenty-three-hour-a-day lockdown, right?”

“Look on the bright side, Wendy: that’s better than the 1,785 that are in the general population.”

“Gee, thanks. I hear from reliable sources that this isn’t the first dustup at Auburn this week. Any chance they’re connected?”

There was no sense denying that there had been other incidents; it was a matter of public record. “It’s a little too early in the investigation to tell, Wendy. They’re still sorting it out.”

“When will you know?”

“Hard to say. I’d tell you to try back early next week. I might have something for you then.”

And so the rest of the short night went. At a little after 3:45 a.m., Kate sneaked back up the stairs to their bedroom. Quietly, she slipped back under the covers, Jay immediately molding herself to her side. Kate savored the feeling of warmth and love that suffused her for the fifteen minutes left before the alarm was set to go off. Reaching over, she shut it off before it buzzed, preferring a more personal method of awakening her partner.

“Mm.” Jay rolled over on top of Kate, who was busy peppering her bare shoulder with gentle kisses. “Now this is the way to wake up in the morning.” She smiled down at Kate, her expression morphing into a frown when she noticed the dark circles under Kate’s normally sharp eyes. “Did you get any sleep at all?”

“A little.”

“Maybe we should skip the workout and run this morning. You could sleep in a little longer.”

“Nah, I’m okay. Besides, today is Friday. I’ll rest over the weekend, I promise.”

“Where have I heard that before, Katherine?”

In one smooth motion, Kate rose from the bed, carrying Jay with her and standing them both upright. “Let’s get a move on, Scoop; I’ve got to be in the office early and you’ve got a 6:30 a.m. train to catch.”

“Killjoy,” Jay groused affectionately.

Within minutes, both women were in the basement, having donned cutoff sleeveless T-shirts and short gym shorts. They selected Nautilus machines at opposite ends of the circuit and began their morning workout routine. For the next hour, they sweated and grunted in relative silence, the only sounds in the room emanating from a television mounted strategically on the wall where it was visible from every angle.

“Do you really think Jaclyn should have married Dennis Cole? I mean, he’s certainly a handsome guy, but look at what a lousy actor he was.”

“Face it, Jamison, you’re just jealous of him.”

“Heck yeah.”

They moved over to the side-by-side treadmills Kate had installed to prevent overzealous paparazzi from snapping pictures of her and Jay as they went out on their daily five-mile run. They both hated having to run indoors, but, for the moment, it seemed like the best solution.

“I remember when I first started watching Charlie’s Angels. I always felt like it was a guilty pleasure. You know, so many scantily clad, beautiful women, so little time.”

“Now look at you, Kate, every episode on tape, fast-forwarding through the commercials to get more time with your girls. You’ve turned into a complete letch.”

“I don’t hear you complaining, Parker.”

“Nope. No complaints here.”

Their treadmills chalked up the first mile.

Kate asked, “What’s going on with your story? You don’t seem too enthusiastic about it.”

“I don’t know, love, lately it feels like all I’ve been writing about is corporate sludge. I’m just a bit restless, I think.”

“Okay.” Kate thought about it. “Why don’t you pitch Trish a story that you really want to write?” When Jay looked at her with a raised eyebrow, she continued, “Well, why not? You’ve got the clout now; she’s got you writing a cover story every other week. Maybe it’s time to leverage your value a little.”

Jay pondered the idea. “What would I want to write, if I had my choice?”

“It seems to me you most enjoy the stories that have a human angle. Something with depth.”

“That’s true.”

“You know, when I was traveling through the Navajo and Hopi reservations near Four Corners...” Kate glanced sideways when she heard the pained sigh. Even all these months later, Jay studiously avoided any mention of their brief separation. Kate reached over, brushing her fingers lightly along Jay’s arm. “I had an opportunity to talk with their healers. Their approaches to medicine are so spiritual, so different from our scientific bent.” It was as if they could feel my emotional pain and wanted to heal it.

“More holistic, you mean.”

“Yeah. It’s like they treat the mind and spirit as well as the body. I think we here in the ‘civilized’ world could learn a lot from our Native American brothers and sisters.”

“I thought they were pretty secretive about their customs, though, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, to an extent, but I’ve seen you in action, love; I have no doubt you could get them to share some of their ways with you for a story. Heck, you could talk a mother hen off her nest.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, sweetheart. I’ll give it some thought. Besides, it’s beautiful country out there.”

“That it is, love, that it is.”

Kate pored over the faxes that had been arriving in a steady stream from the superintendent’s office at Auburn for the past hour. So far, the coverage of the murder had been relatively evenhanded. The young buck at the Citizen had wisely withheld the name of the victim pending notification of next of kin, Wendy from the Associated Press had refrained from any wild speculation linking the murder to other recent incidents at the prison, and the transcripts of the television coverage seemed rather benign.

“Yeah, I think she’s down meeting with the commissioner. No, so far she seems to have it under control. No, I tried to keep her from seeing that, but she got a hold of it by herself. David, I’m doing my best here...”

Curious about the whispered conversation her assistant was having about her, Kate set the papers aside and focused her acute hearing outside her door. It was abundantly clear that Marisa didn’t know she was in her office.

“Christ, David, I don’t want to be too obvious here. She’s bound to figure it out...Hey, it’s not my fault she’s sharp. You’re the one who told me this would be easy and you’d be back here soo—” Her voice trailed off as Kate strode purposely past her desk. “Oh God, I’ve got to go.” She didn’t wait for an answer before hanging up.

Unsure what to do, her face burning red with embarrassment at having been caught, Marisa chased her boss down the corridor.

“Are you quite finished with your report to Mr. Breathwaite?”

“I—”

“Because if you are, I believe there is plenty of real work sitting on your desk waiting for your attention.”

“Kate—”

“No.” Kate rounded on her assistant. “I don’t want to talk about this right now, nor do I think you would want me to. I suggest you go back to the office and think about how important your job is to you and just who it is you work for.”

Without another word, Kate resumed her course, leaving her deflated assistant behind. In truth, she wasn’t sure where she was going, nor was she sure what she wanted to do about what she had just heard.

She sorted through her dealings with Marisa over the past three months. At first she had wondered why her predecessor hadn’t simply taken his assistant with him when he left; after all, that was standard procedure. Although she could have hired someone of her own choosing, Kate had decided to give Marisa a chance, reasoning that it would be wise to retain someone familiar with the workings of the office. Now she faced the ugly possibility that her assistant had stayed behind only to monitor and undermine her. In any event, keeping Marisa seemed an untenable option at this point.

Having made up her mind, Kate directed her steps to the executive deputy commissioner’s office. He was the one charged with handling staff matters, and she knew that she would need his blessing to have the woman reassigned.

Through his closed door, she could hear him screaming at some poor soul on the other end of the phone. “What? You idiot! All right, don’t worry, I’ll take care of it...Never mind. I’ll fix your little mess...this time.”

Kate knocked when she heard him slam the phone back into its cradle.

“Come.”

She poked her head around the door. “Bad time?”

Bill Redfield smiled. “Never for you, Kate. What can I do for you?”

“I hate to bother you with this, but I’m having a problem with my assistant. There are some trust issues and I just don’t think I can continue to work with her. I’d like to have her reassigned to another department.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Kate. Unfortunately, there are no openings right now, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to work through whatever it is. I’m really pressed for time, I apologize.” He looked at his watch as if to emphasize the point. “Don’t sweat it, Kate. I have faith that you’ll find a way to make it work.”

With that she was dismissed. That was odd. Walking deliberately back down the hall to her office, she made a couple of decisions.

“Hey, Technowiz, how the heck are you?” She was on the phone in her office with her door shut, having passed by Marisa’s desk without so much as a glance in the woman’s direction.

“Well, if it isn’t the all-important Ms. Kyle. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Actually, Peter, I was wondering if you had plans for dinner tonight.” Peter Enright was Kate’s closest friend outside of Jay. A security, tactical weapons, and technology expert, he had retired recently from DOCS to start his own consulting firm. At the moment, he was under contract to the feds to try to determine the origin of the bombs that had ripped through the state capitol several months earlier.

“Why do I get the feeling this isn’t just a social invitation?”

“It’s not. There’s something rotten in Denmark and I need to pick your brain. Are you game?”

“Me, turn down an intriguing opportunity like this? Never. Tell me what time and I’ll be there. Not only that, but I believe it’s my turn to bring the Chinese takeout.”

“I knew I could count on you, buddy. See you at 8:00 p.m.”

Kate hung up the phone and redialed.

“Parker.”

“Love, you’ve got to work on your phone etiquette. You’re sounding a little gruff there.”

“Hello, sweetheart. I wasn’t expecting you. How are you?”

“I’ve had better days.”

Instantly alert, Jay asked, “What’s going on?”

“I can’t go into it all right now, but I’ve invited Peter to dinner. I hope you don’t mind?”

“No, babe, of course not. If you’ve called in the big guns it must be serious. Are you okay? You sound a little shook up.”

“I’m not sure. I don’t want to sound paranoid.”

“You? Paranoid? You’ve got to be kidding. What happened, Kate?”

“I’ll explain it all later. Right now I’ve got some ass to chew.”

“Okay. Glad it’s not mine.”

“Never yours, love...although taking a nibble out of those cute buns now and then...”

“Katherine...”

“Okay, okay. I told Peter 8:00 p.m. Will you even be out of the Big Apple by then?”

“You bet. I should be home by 7:15.”

“Good. I could use a good hug and some alone time before he gets there.”

“You’ve got it, sweetheart. See you in a few hours. Don’t take any prisoners.”

“Can you hear me groaning from here, Parker? That was a terrible pun.”

“Well, I never said I was going to quit my day job.”

“It’s a good thing. Later, love.”

Kate took a minute to gather herself and put on her game face before opening the door.

“Marisa, get in here.”

The assistant appeared almost before Kate had finished the sentence.

“Shut the door and sit down.”

“Kate, I’m really sorr—”

“You know, there are very few qualities I value more than trust, honesty, loyalty, and respect. You have managed to violate all of those things.”

“I didn’t know you were in your office,” Marisa said quietly.

“You think that was your transgression? Let me see if I understand you: if I hadn’t been in my office, it would have been all right for you to be reporting to your former boss on my handling of the job? It would have been acceptable for you to withhold vital information from me in, what—an attempt to make me screw up?”

Marisa wisely chose to stay silent and avoid Kate’s eyes, which were flashing dangerously.

“I have to tell you that my first inclination was to toss you out of here so fast your head would spin.”

Marisa’s head shot up and her eyes showed real fear for the first time.

“However,” Kate paused here, content to let her victim sweat, “I have reconsidered my position and I’m willing, God help me, to give you another chance.”

“Thank you, Kate.”

“I’m not finished yet.” She waited until the young woman’s eyes were on her. “You need to know that you only get two strikes with me. If I note so much as a comma out of place, you’re history. Do you understand me? That means no phone contact—in fact, no contact of any kind with David Breathwaite about anything related to this office or its business. It means I had better see everything that is meant for my eyes as soon as it hits your desk.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You’ve got a long road ahead of you to try to prove yourself worthy of my trust again, Marisa. I strongly suggest you don’t squander the opportunity I’m giving you. You won’t get another chance, I assure you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Now get out of my sight.”

As it turned out, Jay walked through the door only seconds before Peter’s arrival.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I really tried to get here sooner. Unfortunately, I haven’t learned how to drive the damn train yet.”

“It’s not your fault, love.”

Jay stepped back and took stock of her lover. “Honey, you look like you’ve been through the wringer today. What the heck happened?”

“I’ll tell you when Peter gets here. For now, I just want to hold you.”

Jay moved into Kate’s arms once again, wrapping herself around her and bringing them into contact all along their bodies. She could feel the tension in the strong shoulders and back. Just as she began a light massage, the doorbell rang.

“If it isn’t my two favorite ladies.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere in this crowd.”

“Don’t I know it,” Peter mumbled good-naturedly.

“Hi, Technowiz.” Jay moved forward and hugged him around the waist. At 6’4”, he was a full foot taller than she was.

“Hi, half-pint, it’s good to see you.”

“Just what do I have to do to gain full pint status around here?”

“Grow!” Kate and Peter answered simultaneously.

“Easy for you two to say. Have you ever tried being vertically challenged?”

“Not since before puberty,” Kate threw over her shoulder.

Jay shook her head in mock disgust as she and Peter followed Kate, who had liberated the food and was headed into the kitchen.

Never one to waste time, Peter started right in as soon as they were seated. “Okay, Spinmeister, now that we’ve got the niceties out of the way, let’s have it. You look like crap, and that never happens. What the heck’s going on over there? Place go to hell after I left?”

“Can you try to be a little less subtle next time, buddy? I’m not sure I know how you really feel.” Running her hands through her unruly mane, Kate sighed heavily. “I’m not totally sure what the real story is, but it definitely smells.” She laid out in detail the events with Marisa and Redfield. “Frankly, two things about the whole sequence really stuck out in my mind.”

“Only two? I can think of a bunch.” Jay was clearly outraged.

Kate put a restraining hand on her arm and continued, “The first was Marisa’s remark to Breathwaite about him promising he’d be back, or at least that’s what she started to say before she saw me. The second was the fact that Redfield never even asked me what it was Marisa had done to prompt me to want to fire her. It was as if he already knew.”

Peter was silent throughout his friend’s recitation, but his expression bespoke his deep concern.

Kate went on, “You know, I’ve been over this a hundred times in my mind, and I still can’t come up with an explanation or scenario that makes any sense to me. Why on earth would Breathwaite want to take a demotion to come back? And what the blazes does that have to do with Redfield? Are they connected in some way? Am I just being paranoid here?”

Jay started to jump in, but Peter interrupted quietly, “I don’t think you’re imagining this, my friend. I’m just having trouble putting the pieces together right now. Redfield was never a Breathwaite fan, to be sure. So that’s a tough one to reconcile. I’ll have to think about that and get back to you. As for Marisa, well, she’s not the sharpest crayon in the box, so I can’t say I’m surprised that she would be doing her ex-boss’s bidding. At the time they created the new position for him, Breathwaite had managed to draw too much heat. I think the governor actually was getting set to fire his ass. The ‘promotion’ was a way to keep him out of trouble while allowing him to save face.”

“Do you know whose idea the new job for him was, Peter? Who conceived it and who created it?”

“I don’t know, Jay, but I suspect that if we find the answers to those questions, we might have a better handle on what’s really behind all this. I know the governor had to sign off on the new spot, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t his idea.”

The three friends finished their meal in contemplative silence, each mentally trying out scenarios that might explain the inexplicable without success. At 10:15 p.m., Peter bid Kate and Jay good night with a promise to keep in touch and an admonition for his best friend. “Katherine, you be careful. Redfield and Breathwaite don’t play nice, and they sure as shooting don’t play by the rules. If there is something going on, it looks like you’ll be right in the thick of it. I want you to keep track of everything and anything that looks suspicious. Collect any evidence if there’s any to be had, and make me copies. Don’t overlook anything. The devil may truly be in the details here.”

When he had gone, Jay took Kate in her arms. “Sweetheart, it’s going to be okay. With Peter’s help, we’ll get to the bottom of this. I have to tell you, though, my first reaction is to go down there and bash some heads.”

Kate smiled fondly at her spunky partner. “Have I told you lately just how much I love you?”

“I never tire of hearing it, babe.”

Jay ran her fingers up Kate’s abdomen, brushing gently over firm breasts before resting her hands on broad shoulders. Their kiss was equal parts passion and tenderness.

“Mm, can I interest you in a little ice cream?”

“Nope.” Jay continued to nibble on Kate’s lower lip.

“Um, how about some cheesecake?”

“Negatory.”

“Jamison Parker turning down dessert? I don’t believe it!”

“Who said anything about turning down dessert?” Green eyes gone black with desire captured blue in a timeless moment of understanding.

CHAPTER THREE

I’m only going to say this once: either you do what I say, or I tell your wife about your little girlfriend. The choice is yours, but I suggest you make it quickly. If that editorial doesn’t go to print on Sunday, you might be finding your clothes in your front yard.”

On the other end of the line, the receiver went dead.

“Heh. This is even more fun than I thought it would be.”

His gloating was cut short by the ringing of the phone.

“Breathwaite.”

“David, we have to meet. Lunchtime at the club. Be there.”

“Enright.”

“Hey, Technowiz. Hungry?”

“When and where?”

“Now, Lombardo’s.”

“See you in fifteen.”

“Right.”

“What do you think you’re doing, Breathwaite?”

“Bob wanted results, I’m getting him results, Bill. What part of that don’t you understand?”

“You’re being so heavy-handed, it’s starting to raise eyebrows. The commissioner wants to know what the hell’s going on, and so do I. What have you done?”

“Just using a little leverage. Putting a little pressure in the right places.”

William Redfield wanted nothing more at that moment than to wipe the smug expression off the little weasel’s face. “If this backfires and one of your ‘projects’ talks, you’re on your own,” he snapped.

“Bill, has anyone ever told you you worry too much?”

Redfield stormed out of the room.

“Okay, Spinmeister, what’s going on?”

They were settled into a high-backed booth at the back of Lombardo’s, a family-style Italian restaurant at the lower end of downtown Albany.

“Nothing good, my friend.” Kate pulled a blue manila file folder from the briefcase at her feet and placed it in front of Peter. Inside were a series of newspaper clippings.

After reading the first five clips, he looked up, both eyebrows hiked into his hairline. “Huh,” he whistled softly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d have to say somebody gave these folks a little help with their stories.”

“My thought exactly. But that’s not the worst. Keep reading.” Kate reached over, locating a clipping halfway down in the pile. It was dated September 21, 1987—two days earlier.

Peter uttered a string of expletives as his eyes scanned the top of the page. The editorial headline read, “The Woman Behind the Deceptions at DOCS.”

Just four months into the job, it seems that the State Department of Correctional Services’ lead spokeswoman has settled in quite nicely, thank you. In instance after instance, Katherine Kyle, the governor’s controversial choice a