Crush threw back a shot of tequila, his big muscles rippling with the effort. The man resembled a small mountain. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I had a conversation today with one of my informants. A hooker. She said he bragged to her he took out Petrov.”

“Why?” Bukowski asked the question, but Dez knew why. She now understood that Doogan and Mace were the same. At least breed-wise.

“Apparently he wants Missy Llewellyn.”

“So he kills her accountant? Why not try online dating instead?”

A man of few words, Crush said nothing.

“What confuses me,” Bukowski admitted, staring at his beer, “is how the thumb claw thing works.”

Dez planned to make sure Bukowski went to his grave fifty years from now never understanding how the “thumb claw thing” worked. She knew he’d never be able to handle it.

“All this is really interesting, guys, but I’m off the case.”

Bukowski and Crush looked at each other. Then Crush stood up and lumbered to the bar.

“Come on, Dez,” Bukowski said. “This is me. I thought you were shittin’ me earlier. I mean, when have you ever backed off a case? You’re like a rabid pit bull.”

“Not this time.”

“Is this about Llewellyn?”

For once, he didn’t sound pissy when he mentioned Mace’s name. “Well, it does make things a little awkward. I don’t want anyone to say I’m doing anything even remotely sniffing of impropriety. So, I’m off the case.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that over the phone?”

“Because I thought you might have something else to say to me.”

He shrugged. “About today…” He looked back at his beer. “I’m sorry.”

Dez kicked him under the table. “I know.”

“So we’re cool?”

“Yeah. Just stay out of my love life.”

“Well, you’ve never really had one before, so I was a little confused.”

Dez smirked. “Schmuck.” She stood and said, “You stopping by my house on Christmas?” A standard tradition for the partners. Bukowski’s kids loved getting their gifts and playing with her dogs, and it gave Dez a chance to catch up with Bukowski’s wife, Mary.

“Yeah. It gives me an excuse to get us away from the in-laws. Besides, Mary has a gift for you.”

“That’s cool. I have something for the kids.”

“You have actual gifts this year?”

“I always have gifts for your kids. It’s my sisters’ kids I always forget about.”

The partners smiled at each other.

“I’m outta here, B.”

“All right. I’ll let you know if it gets interesting.”

“Good. And I’lltell Mace you said happy holiday.”

“Yeah. You do that.”

She winced at Bukowski’s sneer. No love loss between those two.

Dez pushed her way back through the crowd. She found Smitty about to start a fistfight with half the SWAT team, Sissy flirting with a couple of guys from the vice squad, and Mace chatting with two of her fellow female officers, which she didn’t like one goddamn bit.

She shook her head. No wonder she loved her dogs. Because people never listened.

Dez grabbed Sissy with one hand, took Smitty by the collar of his jacket with the other, and yanked both of them toward the exit. As she passed, she kicked Mace in the ankle.

“Move.”

By the time she got the siblings out the door, Mace stood next to her.

“Were my rules not clear?”

Smitty and Sissy pointed at each other.

“She started it.”

“He started it.”

With a sigh, she turned to Mace. “And what the hell were you doing?”

Mace smiled. “Being nice.”

Dez growled as Smitty grabbed his sister’s arm.

“We’re leavin’. Talk to y’all tomorrow.” He dragged her off to a taxi and literally threw the woman in.

Dez crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Patrick Doogan.”

“What about him?”

“Is he after your sister?”

“You could say that.”

“Mace, he’s a problem. The man has a sheet longer than your dick.”

“Wow, that’s huge.”

Dez sighed. “Would you focus.”

“What did I say to you? This stuff works itself out.”

“I don’t know about that. When I was with Sissy, I saw him. He was talking to Anne Marie Brutale. I don’t know how all the politics work with you people, but that don’t seem too good to me.”

Mace shook his head, “Yeah. That’s not good.”

“So what do we do?”

“We don’t do anything. I will call my sister.” He pulled out his cell phone. “Now, just stand there and, ya know, look cute.”

She growled in exasperation as Crush walked out of the bar. He nodded toward Mace, raising an eyebrow at Dez. “You and a lion? All right, MacDermot.” Then he walked off.

She turned to Mace. “Crush?”

Mace nodded. “Bear.”

She watched Mace walk toward her SUV, telling his sister to shut up and listen.

“There are bears?”

Chapter Nine

D ez walked into her house, Mace behind her. He hadn’t said much of anything on the ride back to Brooklyn. She asked questions about a bunch of different things, including the Doogans, but she got no more than one-or two-word answers back.