Part 9 (2/2)

Get your mind back on your work. At least that's safe territory.

Leaning back in her chair, Teri looked at the new case files that had recently been added to the pile on her desk. These involved people who had reported home invasions as far back as three years ago. She'd been looking them over since she'd come in this morning, and had found only one pattern. The income and lifestyle of the people had been so diverse and they'd been so scattered across the city that the M.O. hadn't really stood out until someone went looking for it.

Not one of them showed any signs of forced entry.

Tossing aside the pen she'd been chewing on, she voiced out loud the thought that suddenly came to her. ”What if they didn't start out doing home invasions?”

Hawk raised his eyes in her direction again. ”What do you mean?”

She pulled her chair in closer, drawing nearer to Hawk. ”What if they started out doing simple burglaries, you know, when the people weren't home.” The more the idea gelled, the more excited she became. This could open up doors. ”Maybe they graduated first to home invasions, for the kicks of pulling it off in front of an audience, then went on to culling their quarry so that they only hit the ones they knew for certain were well-off-the ones who drove the most expensive cars,” she concluded, pulling in the piece of information they were still trying to follow up on, that of the lead Jocko had given them. ”With whatever nest egg they'd acc.u.mulated to fall back on, they could afford to be a little discriminating. Hit the right place, it's worth hitting three other lesser affluent ones.” She beamed at him, finished. ”We clear this up, we could be clearing a whole rash of burglaries.”

He supposed the idea had merit, at least enough to check out the possibilities. ”How far back you want to go?”

She thought a second. The ones on her desk and his already went back three years. ”Five years should give us a good foothold.”

Back from lunch, a container of black coffee in one hand and a package of cupcakes in the other, Mulrooney walked in on the tail end of her statement. He looked from Hawk to Teri. ”You want to investigate five years' worth of burglaries?” The question was punctuated with a groan.

”Just the ones without signs of forced entry,” she qualified.

Ka.s.sidy was bringing up his partner's rear and stopped cold. ”And then what?”

Teri said the only thing that followed logically. ”And then we talk to the victims and find out if they'd ever gone to a restaurant along Bancroft Avenue before the burglary took place.”

Hawk had another take on the matter. ”Too exclusive.” She looked at him quizzically. ”Spread the net wider. See if any of the victims ever used a valet service of any kind, anyplace.” Valet services were not restricted to just restaurants. ”We get a pattern, we can start focusing on specific valet services.”

Mulrooney's eyes narrowed. ”You think someone at a valet service is behind the home invasions? Why?”

”Got a tip,” Hawk told him. ”The idea bears checking out.” He looked at the two men across from him. He could see that neither one of them thought very highly of the speculation. ”Hey, until something better comes along, we go with this.”

”You're the primary.” Mulrooney sighed. Then his small eyes darted toward Teri accusingly. He'd picked up enough to know who was behind the idea. ”Think this is a waste of time,” he muttered, trudging off to his desk. Ka.s.sidy followed behind him, shaking his head the way he always did whenever there was extra work to do.

”Nice work,” Hawk said almost under his breath after the other two detectives had gone to their desks.

Teri raised her eyes. ”Excuse me?” She tilted her head, as if to hear better. ”Were you talking to yourself, or was that a general comment?”

”Neither.” Hawk sighed. He should have never said anything in the first place. ”It was intended for you.”

She smiled in mild triumph. ”Might be nice to hear it said a little louder.”

”Don't push it, Cavanaugh. It was a good idea. That doesn't mean it's going to get us anywhere.”

”I think it is.” Teri leaned her head on her upturned palm. ”Care to make a small wager?”

His scowl deepened. ”I don't bet.”

The way her mouth curved smugly got under his skin. ”Afraid you'll lose?”

He surprised himself by asking, ”What kind of a wager?”

Mentally Teri rubbed her hands together. ”If I win, you come to breakfast at my house.”

He thought of the Shannon. ”Is this another one of your attempts at trying to socialize' me?”

It was, but she wasn't about to admit it. ”No, it's just letting my dad finally meet my partner.” He'd met all her siblings' partners and he'd once been partnered with the man who'd preceded Hawk. But since Hawk never attended any group functions, her father had never met him. ”Besides, he makes a mean Belgian waffle.”

”The chief cooks?”

What planet had he been living on? Everyone knew her father was every bit as good with a spatula as he was with a service revolver. But then, this was Hawk, who rarely listened to anything that went on in the precinct unless it was work related.

”Like a dream,” she declared. ”He put himself through school and the academy by working as a chef. My father could cook rings around my mother-when he had the chance. Most of the time, he didn't. Not until she...” Her voice trailed off. The next moment, she'd regrouped. ”So, is it a bet?”

To her surprise, there was mild interest in his eyes. ”What do I get if I win?”

His question caught her unprepared. ”Huh? I really hadn't thought about you winning.”

He laughed, shaking his head. Whatever else she was, he'd developed a healthy respect for her instincts when it came to the cases they worked. It hadn't come easily. At first glance, she looked like the cla.s.sic bubble-headed blonde. Having her talk a mile a minute didn't exactly dispel the impression. But she'd worked hard and eventually, he'd changed his mind. The lady was sharp. ”You're that sure about this?”

”I'm that sure.”

Hawk blew out a breath, taking a momentary respite before trying to tackle his work again. ”Must be nice.” He had never been that sure of anything, other than himself and that he was meant to lead a solitary life. That was why having her around, rattling his cage, shaking up the foundations that he'd been so certain had been set in stone but were now quivering like Jell-O, was so d.a.m.n unsettling. The last thing he was certain about-he wasn't anymore.

”Okay,” Hawk finally said. ”If you're wrong, you stop talking in the car for a month.”

Her mouth dropped open. Did he hate the sound of her voice that much? ”What?”

”You stop talking for a month when you're in the car.”

She didn't know whether to tell him off, or laugh it off. ”So I'm just supposed to sit there and not say anything?”

There was a flash of temper in her eyes. It intrigued him. ”Right.”

”What if you ask me a question?”

”I won't,” he told her mildly. From somewhere deep inside, a smile was building, but he kept it from his lips.

Like a dog trying to pull a bone out of the ground, she wouldn't give up. ”But if you do.”

”Then you can talk.” Hawk peered at her face, finding himself amused and enjoying this despite himself. ”Not so convinced you're right anymore, are you?”

”Yes-” she drew herself up with a toss of her head ”-I am. Okay, you're on. This leads us to a dead end I won't talk in the squad car.”

”For a month,” he reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. He could take things too far with the best of them, she thought. ”For a month-unless you ask me to.”

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