Rough Justice (Cainsville 5.5)

"It's a V10."

I scrunched up my nose.

"That's fast," he said. "And it has Bluetooth with an integrated audio player and a premium sound system."

"Perfect."

"Would you like to take it for a spin?"

"Yes, please. First, though, I need to talk to Daddy. He was very set on a Mercedes, and I would hate to waste your time." I checked my watch. "I should still be able to reach him in Munich. Do you mind?" I waggled my phone.

"Not at all. Let me write down the safety specs for you. Those seem to be very important to your parents, understandably."

As he wrote, I went to turn on my phone.

"No," I breathed. "Oh, damn it. Sorry, I don't mean to curse, but my battery is dead. Again." I looked over at his phone. "May I? Don't worry--I'll pay you back for the call."

"No, that's fine. Please go ahead."

He unlocked his phone and pushed it and the specs toward me. I took them. Then I waited. After a moment, he rose.

"Let me give you some privacy," he said.

"Thank you. And please tell me that adorable car has a phone charger?"

He smiled. "It does."

"Perfect."

I took the phone and dialed in a local cell number, randomly. I watched Johnson walk away as the number rang.

"Daddy? It's Moni." I turned my back to the glass door, lowered the phone and set to work as an answering machine connected.

I did quickly check for an outgoing call to the police, but even the most amateur criminal would know better than to use his own phone. Still, there's a lot you can get from a cell once it's been unlocked. Particularly with a USB connector and a handy little black-market device for backing up the data.

"Daddy says no," I said a few minutes later as I walked out and Johnson hurried over. "Which just means I need to talk him into it. It's my car, after all. Things are just easier when Daddy agrees. Can I still get that test drive?"

"Absolutely. Let me go grab the--"

"Oh my God. It's almost five! I am so sorry, Mr. Johnson. This is what happens when my phone dies--I don't get my reminders. I'm supposed to meet my boyfriend for drinks at Eclipse."

When I said that name, he started.

"We don't have reservations," I said as I took out the Cobra's keys. "They are impossible to get, but Tucker says if we go for cocktails, we'll get a table--they always reserve a few. Have you ever been there?"

"Eclipse, you said? I haven't heard of it. Popular place, I take it?"

"Crazy popular. Although..." I lowered my voice conspiratorially. "It might not be as busy soon, after what happened to the guy who owns it."

Johnson nodded. He didn't ask what I was talking about. He just nodded.

"Did you hear about that?" I said.

"Uh, no, I didn't. What happened?"

"The owner's wife shot him," I said. "She mistook him for a burglar. Or that's what she told the police, but now I hear she's been arrested."

His head shot up. "Arrested? Do they think it was murder?"