Drawn in Blood (Burbank and Parker 2)

“Just think about the fact that, by talking to me, you can help keep other people safe.” Sloane rose. “My partner and I will leave you now, and let you consider what I’ve said.” She reached into her pocketbook and pulled out a business card. “This has my personal contact information on it. Mrs. Chin will have it, so you can call if you ever feel threatened.” As she spoke, Sloane handed the card to Mrs. Chin. “We’ll come back tomorrow. I hope you’ll decide to talk to us.”

With that, Sloane gestured to Jeff that they should leave. “Thank you, Mrs. Chin,” she murmured. “We’ll be back in the morning.”

“That was pretty impressive,” Jeff commented as they stepped outside.

“What? My Mandarin or my technique?”

“Both.” He grinned. “But I was talking about your technique—right down to your timing. Knowing how far to push, when to call it quits, and when to give her space by saying we’ll come back tomorrow. The way you handled that woman was amazing. She was in bad shape. I never thought she’d say a word to us. You’re a natural.”

“Thanks, but it’s not just innate ability. It’s training. I was a crisis negotiator when I was with the Bureau. I was taught how to coax people who didn’t want to talk to open up. It takes trust and patience. Hopefully, those skills will pay off with Lucy.”

“You’ve also worked cases with victimized women. I haven’t forgotten the one earlier this year with that goddess-obsessed psycho.”

“Neither have I…although I try to.” A shudder. “So let’s not go there. Let’s just—” Abruptly Sloane broke off. An instant later, she casually opened her purse and began rummaging through it until she found and extracted her sunglasses. “The punk who attacked me with the knife,” she murmured to Jeff, as she slid on the sunglasses. “He’s diagonally across the street—at eleven o’clock—watching us.”

“Xiao Long’s kid?” Jeff asked, intentionally keeping his gaze on Sloane and not turning to look in the direction she was referring to.

She nodded. “I guess he’s reporting our activities to his boss.”

“Let’s grab him before he does.” Jeff glanced at his watch. “Talk to me as we cross the street. We won’t pick up our pace until we’re closing in on him.”

“Better idea—why don’t we split up and close in on him from opposite directions?”

“No dice. You’re not an agent, remember?”

Sloane rolled her eyes. “Jeff…”

“You know the rules, Sloane. It’s my way, or no way.”

She gave up with a sigh. “Fine.”

The two of them turned left and crossed the busy Chinatown intersection at the corner, then crossed to the opposite side of the street, heading straight for their target.

He spotted them just as they picked up the pace.

He saw Sloane coming at him first. Before she could blink, he was sprinting away, shoving through the crowd to escape.

Jeff and Sloane broke into a run. They tore down one street and then another, weaving their way through the pedestrians. It didn’t help that Sloane was Caucasian and the kid she was pursuing was one of their own. Several produce vendors stepped directly in her path, and a few shopkeepers chose that exact second to step outside to pick up their newspapers or to smoke a cigarette, totally blocking her way.

By the time Sloane broke through the human obstacle course, Jeff was a solid half block ahead of her.

It didn’t matter. As she caught up with him, Jeff came to a grinding halt. Disgusted, he gazed up and down the cross street. “I lost him.”

“I never had a chance. I was sabotaged from the get-go. Talk about being an outsider.” Sloane made a frustrated sound. “Jeff, I know it was him.”

“No question about it. He matched the sketch to a tee. And the look on his face when he saw you closing in on him…yeah, it was him.” Jeff scowled, looking distinctly uneasy. “Xiao Long never shoves his gang in our face, not unless he wants to make a point or issue a threat.”

Sloane got Jeff’s message loud and clear. “You don’t think it’s the Bureau Xiao is threatening.”

“Nope. I think it’s you. And if he doesn’t like what he hears from his punk kid…” Jeff gave a hard shake of his head. “This isn’t good.”

“You’re right. It’s not.” Sloane’s brows drew together in irritation. “And not because I’m intimidated. I’d love to be the one to lure the bastard out and expose him for the killer he is. But after this, I won’t get the chance. Not once you tell Derek.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Derek’s reaction to Sloane and Jeff’s report was not what Sloane had expected.

All he did was sit silently at his desk, fingers interlaced behind his head, and listen to what they had to say.