"Spindler, Erica - See Jane Die" - читать интересную книгу автора (Spindler Erica)

"Screw that. You folded. Good police workЧ"

"He didn't have to give us the tapes, Stacy. He could have made us cough up a subpoena."

"I want it all. A little more pressure andЧ"

"He would have booted us out of his office. And we would have had to wait. You know as well as I do that every minute counts."

He was right. He knew it and so did she. It pissed her off.

"Fine. Whatever."

He frowned. "I don't get you, Stacy."

"That so?" She folded her arms across her chest. "And I should be bothered by this?"

"What do you get out of being such a hard-ass? Is your goal alienating everybody you work with?"

"I'm a good cop. I'm tough and thorough. If you've got a problem with that, take it up with the captain."

"I don't have a probЧ" He bit the words back, expression frustrated. "I like the way you work. How seriously you take it all. I admire your mind, the way you sift through the facts, then put them together in a logical way."

"A male who's perceptive. I guess I got the pick of the litter."

He shook his head. "What's the deal, Stacy? Why can't I admire something about you? Why all the attitude?"

"Because that admiration wasn't free. It came with strings. You want something in return. What?"

He paused a moment. "Okay, I do want something. To be treated like a human being. Or maybe an equal partner. Your partner."

"As opposed to what?"

"A stupid lackey. A pain-in-the-ass kid. A rookie." He leaned toward her. "I may be new to Homicide, Stacy, but I've got more time on the force than you do. You're a damn good cop, but I might have something to bring to the party."

"You think so, do you? We'll see."

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. He returned it. "Okay, then. We'll see."

Rick Deland returned then, interrupting the exchange. He was accompanied by another man whom he introduced as Hank Barrow, La Plaza's head of security. A large man with a thick mane of snow-white hair, he cut an impressive figure.

"Detectives." The man shook both their hands. "I understand we've agreed to allow you access to our security tapes."

"That's right." Mac smiled. "We appreciate your cooperation."

"I've got a bit of bad news, I'm afraid." The man glanced at his general manager, then back at Mac and Stacy. "The elevator tapes are no problem, but the eighth floor surveillance tape is blank. Or as good as blank."

"Son of a bitch. What happened?"

"We do our best to minimize the presence of the cameras. On the eighth floor we placed a large, potted ficus in that corner. It appears that during cleaning, the artificial ficus was placed in a way that the foliage covered the camera lens. Frankly, it's happened before."