Gun Shy by Ben Rehder

Author:Ben Rehder
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: mystery, humor, western, Texas
ISBN: 0312357524
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2008-04-29T02:17:42+00:00

IN PAUL HEBERT'S long career, he'd only dealt with one bona fide celebrity—a hotheaded, womanizing, hard-partying relief pitcher for the Astros. His old partner Vince had dubbed it the shishkabob case. Late eighties.

What happened was, the pitcher and his newly reconciled wife were enjoying a quiet afternoon at their minimansion in the high-dollar area known as West University Beautiful day, and they were grilling steaks on an elevated deck in the backyard. Birds were singing in the trees and everything was just dandy

Then one of the pitcher's love-struck groupies showed up and ruined the party. Turned out the pitcher had been giving the groupie one-on-one lessons on the proper way to grip a bat, so to speak. Now I'm pregnant, she said, pointing a finger, and he's the dad.

The situation, of course, became tense, words were exchanged, and the two women went at it like hellcats. Pulling hair. Slapping and scratching. Kicking and biting. Eventually the wife got the upper hand, and she managed to shove the girlfriend over the deck railing. If they'd all been lucky that day, it might have worked out differently. A ten-foot fall, the girl could have limped away with a few broken bones, or maybe even just a sprain.

But they weren't lucky, because she landed on the spikes of an ornamental fence and took one straight through the heart. Never even had a chance to whimper. The wife drew three years, and the pitcher was booted down to double-A ball, where he suffered a career-ending hand injury when he punched a mascot dressed as a woodchuck.

Fortunately, Hebert wasn't expecting that sort of drama tonight. He and Ramon arrived at Sabrina Nash's loft at a quarter after ten. They'd phoned ahead, but they hadn't given her any details. They wanted to be there to gauge her reactions.

Standing on her doorstep, Ramon cupped his hand to his mouth and checked his breath. Hebert smiled. The kid would've been in his early teens when Sabrina Nash's show was a big hit. Raging hormones and all that. Ramon might've even had her infamous bikini poster on his bedroom wall. Probably getting half a stiffie right now from the memories.

When she opened the door, Hebert couldn't help but be a little tongue-tied himself. Gorgeous lady, just like he remembered her. A little older, of course, but still a knockout, even wearing a simple V-necked top and purple silk pants. Her blond hair was pulled back with one of those stretchy headband gizmos, and she was wearing small rimless glasses that made her glorious green eyes all that more appealing.

"Miss, uh, Miss-"

"Nash."

"Yeah, I'm Detective Paul Hebert. Sorry for the late hour, but—"

"It's okay."

"This is my partner, Detective Ramon Arriaga. Thanks for seeing us."

"Come on in."

She led them inside, and Hebert took the opportunity to sneak a peek at her backside. Jeez. Like a goddamn sculpture. How's a woman her age manage that?

She offered coffee, which Hebert declined for the both of them. Then they sat on matching leather sofas in

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