Derrick glanced around, careful not to allow anything to register on his face and even more careful not to show how deeply he breathed in her cinnamon apple scent.
In a whisper she went on, "I come here all the time. The bartender keeps me informed and in drinks."
As if to prove her point, the man was already trotting back toward them with a fresh drink in hand.
"Sully here makes the best Moscow Mule this side of the big island." She beamed at him and he smiled back a crooked, jagged grin.
Derrick followed their lead, but the man's smile dampened in return.
"Ignore him. You're new. It's gonna take awhile for them to trust you. Plus it doesn't help that you look like a cop."
"I am a cop."
"Even worse." Jade took a sip of her drink and then plunked it back down on the bar. "Okay, so what do you want to start with—the case or the plan for our so-called relationship?"
"Let's get the easy stuff out of the way first. The case."
"Dealing with the mafia is easier than pretending to be my boyfriend?" She raised her eyebrows.
"So far..." He didn't bother to finish his thought and Jade guffawed in response.
"Fine, whatever. So, I had three other witnesses this afternoon and basically none of them panned out."
"No big shock there."
"Except one." Jade held up a finger. "Her name is Crystal, and she's a dancer at the Slippery Beaver."
"The...what?"
"Hey, I didn't name it." She held up her hands in mock innocence.
"Okay, okay, so what did Crystal say that was so helpful?"
"She said she recognized one of the guys, not from the news but because he was one of her regulars. The club is one that Scaglietti and his guys launder money through. She said they're there almost every Friday night."
"So you...what? Plan to put a wire on her and send her in?"
"Strippers can't exactly hide wires. No, I was thinking we'd have to go undercover." She frowned at him, apparently waiting for something.
And then it clicked.
"You're going to go there undercover as a dancer? Why can't I just be a bartender instead?"
"Who do you think has a better chance at getting information? A scantily clad woman or a guy who looks like a cop?"
Derrick was silent, but he couldn't argue her logic. Still, the idea of her going into a place like that, with people like that...
"I'm going with you." he said at last.
"You don't—"
"I'm going with you. I'll pose as a customer. Nobody will notice me, but I can get pictures and case the place in a way you won't be able to."
This time it was Jade's turn to think. She pursed her full mouth silently, then gave him one single nod. "Okay, you've got a deal. So now that the easy part is handled..."
"We have to talk about your harebrained scheme."
"Not harebrained. Maybe just a little...unconventional."