Wolf's Revenge

5 ~ Stakeout

Chris eased the car around the corner, switched off the headlights, and coasted the last few hundred yards before slowing to a halt behind Baxter's car. She could just see Jimmy's silhouette in the front passenger seat as evening gave way to night.

"My turn," she said, opening her door.

"Be my guest," Ken mumbled around a ham roll. "Ask them if Flint is still giving them trouble."

"Save some for later. I'm not going to keep making them if you eat them all before midnight."

"Have a heart, Chris. If you hadn't joined the Department you could have opened your own restaurant."

"Butt kisser," she said with a grin and slammed the door.

She ambled along the rapidly emptying street; it had long since become familiar to her. A week of staking out Kirkwood's store had garnered her precisely nothing except Ken's appreciation of her culinary skills; present him with food, and he was anybody's.

She knocked on the passenger window of Baxter's car, and Jimmy rolled it down. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Hey, Chris."

She waved a hand in front of her face. "How many times do I have to say it, Jimmy? Bring some breath mints on these things."

"I don't like mints."

She climbed into the back of the car. "Anything?"

Baxter grunted. "Squat. I know this is your show now—"

"That's right, it is."

"—but I think Flint is onto something. Ryder—that arsehole—isn't coming. He would have to be a complete idiot to try for Kirkwood in front of us."

"Or so confident he doesn't care if we see him," Jimmy added.

Or something they haven't thought of, Chris mused. "Flint hasn't done any better with her approach. I still think this is our best shot. Has she made an appearance round here?"

Baxter nodded. "She came to see Kirkwood again. She didn't look pleased when she left."

"Say anything?"

"Nah, she wouldn't talk about it. She was seriously pissed, I can tell you that."

She smirked. "Good."

Jimmy laughed. "You really don't like her do you? What is it with the two of you? Someone said..."

"Said what?"

"Nothing."

"Don't make me hurt you, Jimmy," she warned. "Give."

"It's nothing, just something making the rounds back at Central. If you must know, people are saying Flint made a play for Ken and you busted her chops for it. They reckon you're jealous."

Her jaw dropped and she felt her face grow hot. "Oh that's just great. Perfect!"

Jimmy chuckled and even Baxter grinned.

"No truth to it is there? Ow!" Baxter glared and rubbed his shoulder. "What was that for?"

"Something to make me feel better," she said grumpily. "I don't need this on top of everything else. I thought the guys had some respect, if not for me, at least for a fellow officer. Ken is my partner. It would be like incest or something, and besides, I'm getting married in a couple of months."

"Don't take everything so serious," Jimmy said with a pained sigh. "They're only funning. They joke about me and Baxter all the time, and you don't hear us complaining."