R. J. Jagger - Lawyer Trap

LAWYER TRAP

LAWYER TRAP

R. J. JAGGER

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

copyright 2011 by R. J. Jagger

interior design by Maria Fernandez

This edition published in 2011 by Open Road Integrated Media

180 Varick Street

New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com

For Eileen

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to all the fantastic people who played a part in making this happen. Special appreciation goes out to Tonia Allen, Carol Fieger, Dawn Seth, Kenneth Sheridan, and Martha Stoddard, as well as the wonderful people at Pegasus, and of course the extraordinary Noah Lukeman.

DAY ONESEPTEMBER 5

MONDAY MORNING

T wo heartbeats after Nick Teffinger rang the bell of the expensive contemporary mansion, a naked woman walked across a marble vestibule toward the door, in the process of throwing a long-sleeve shirt over a perfectly tanned body. She had one button done when she opened the door, and looked a lot more like a movie star than a murderer.

Teffinger introduced himself as he shifted his 34-year-old frame from one foot to the other, explained that he was with Denver homicide and asked, Are you Davica Holland?

She said nothing and instead studied his eyes.

Ones blue and ones green, she said. I couldnt figure it out at first.

Teffinger shrugged.

One of my many flaws. He couldnt look away. She wasnt just attractive, but dangerously so, with hypnotic green eyes.

She turned.

Come in.

He followed her through a vaulted space with marble columns, exotic plants, and modern art. She appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. A black tattoo wrapped around her right ankle, something in the nature of a tribal band. Her hair was damp and hung perfectly straight, about six inches below her shoulders. Right now it seemed light brown but no doubt softened to blond when it dried.

The white shirt was flimsy silk.

An incredibly muscled ass pushed it back and forth as she walked.

You work out, he said, raking his thick brown hair back with his fingers.

She looked over her shoulder.

Nice of you to notice.

It would be pretty hard not to, he said. Did I say that out loud?

She laughed.

Yes, you did.

Sorry.

She stopped and turned, so abruptly that he actually walked into her. Youre here about Angela Pfeiffer, right? she asked.

Right.

Does that mean her bodys shown up?

He nodded. We found it yesterday.

Where?

In a shallow grave, near a railroad spur north of downtown.

Howd she die?

Stabbed.

More than once?

A lot more than once.

She retreated in thought and then asked, Was she wearing any clothes?

No.

She exhaled. So, its official then. Shes actually dead.

Im afraid so.

She turned, continued walking, and said over her shoulder, I didnt do it and dont know who did. Youre wasting your time with me.

They ended up in the kitchen, which had to be a thousand square feet or more, replete with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and distressed-wood cabinets. A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows showcased incredibly landscaped grounds, including no less than three waterfalls cascading into an aqua blue pool.

Off in the distance, more than a hundred yards away, a couple of gardeners were hard at work.

The woman handed him a cup of coffee.

He said, Thanks, took a noisy sip and added, Nice place.

She studied him.

It keeps the rain off my head.

She reached into an upper cabinet and pulled out something that looked like a small cigarette. Then she stuck it in her mouth, turned on a burner, and lit it. The unmistakable odor of marijuana immediately permeated the air. After a deep hit she offered it to him.

I better not, he said. You go right ahead, though.

Our secret, right?

I dont see why not.

She took another hit, paced back and forth, and then looked him dead in the eyes. I didnt do it.

Teffinger nodded.

The word is that you two were lovers, he said. You had a falling-out and she disappeared shortly after that. Now her body shows up and we see that shes been dead for some timemonths.

She looked at him.

Since our falling-out.

He nodded. Right. Since about then.

She took another hit from the joint, sucked it in, held her breath, and then blew out. Im glad shes dead. Ill tell you that much.

Teffinger paused midway through a sip of coffee.

She was a major bitch, the woman added.

He raised an eyebrow.

How much of a bitch, exactly?

The woman retreated in thought. Enough that I hated her at the end.

Hated her enough to kill her?

The woman didnt hesitate. Oh, yeah, easily. She headed out of the room. Follow me. Im going to show you something.

She led Teffinger into the master bedroom. Thick drapes covered the windows and kept the space so dark that he could hardly make out anything, except for the oversized canopy bed. Then, as his eyes adjusted, the vague shapes of dressers and lamps emerged.

She left the room dark and told him to lie down on the bed.

He hesitated.

She was only wearing the shirt, with nothing underneath.

She was high.

Im not sure thats a good

She pushed him and he fell into the bed. Relax, she said. I dont limit myself to women, but thats not what this is about.

He stayed where he was, wondering what she was up to. One thing he did know, though, he liked the sound of her voice. She somehow turned each word into an incredibly sexy and intoxicating melody. Each time she talked, he didnt want her to stop.

So youre bi? he asked.

Bi, tri, wherever the mood and the liquor take me.

She must have pressed a remote control, because the large box at the end of the bed hummed and a screen rose up. She hopped onto the mattress next to him and propped her head and shoulders up on a pillow.

Teffinger did the same.

Then the screen lit upa large flat-panel unit with exceptional clarity. On that screen, two women kissed with open mouths, deep and long, with lots of tongue. It took Teffinger a moment to realize that one of the women was Davica.

Thats me and Angela, Davica said.

Teffinger swallowed.

Oh.

He watched. Slowly, the women undressed each other and then licked each others nipples. Teffinger knew he should look away but couldnt. Instead he wondered just how far things would go. It didnt take long to find out. Angela was on her back now, with her legs spread wide, as Davica worked her over with her tongue. After what seemed like a long time, they switched positions.

He lay there, next to Davica, as she withered in orgasm on the screen.

There was more than just sex between the two women.