Elaine Viets & Victoria Laurie, Nancy Martin, Denise Swanson - Drop-Dead Blonde (v5.0) (pdf) by Unknown (howl and other poems .TXT) 📕

Wally turned to Skye. ``I'm guessing you won't be press- ing charges, considering she's Reid's mother?''

Skye nodded, then regretted it as new pain shot across her cheeks.

``Now that we've settled that . . .'' Wally paused and looked around. ``Shit! Where did she go?''

The blonde in handcuffs had disappeared. Chapter 2

Never Judge a Blonde by

Her Cover Skye had abandoned both her chair and the cold compress, and was once again standing between Wally and Bunny. At least this time no one had weapons in their hands, although Wally's fingers were caressing the grip of his gun.

They had searched the bowling alley and there was no sign of Bunny's friend. Ruby's car was still parked outside, but she had vanished.

Wally blew out a puff of exasperation. ``You mean to tell me neither of you saw her leave? She's got to be six feet tall and weigh over two hundred pounds; how could she vanish? She was handcuffed, for crying out loud.''

``I never saw a thing.'' Bunny's voice was admiring. ``But Ruby was married to a magician for a couple of years, and that man taught her some neat stuff.''

Skye wondered just what tricks Ruby knew, but restrained herself from inquiring--Wally didn't seem in the mood for long explanations. She would quiz Bunny later, after he left. Now, she asked, ``Why were you arresting her, anyway?''

``It started out as a routine traffic stop.'' Wally shoved a hand through his hair, visibly puzzled as to how things had gotten so out of control. ``She was driving down Basin and kept weaving over the center line, so I pulled her over, thinking she was drunk.''

``And?'' Skye prompted.

``She didn't have any liquor on her breath, and she ex- plained she had been putting her makeup on--something about a heated eyelash curler and her false eyelashes start- ing to smoke. Anyway, I was going to give her a warning

178 DEAD BLONDES TELL NO TALES 179 ticket for reckless driving when I noticed the paraphernalia in her backseat.''

``What? Ruby doesn't do drugs.'' Bunny bristled. ``Her son died of an overdose. She'd never--''

``I didn't say it was drug related,'' Wally interrupted. ``These were . . . uh . . .'' He trailed off, a flush creeping up from under the starched navy collar of his uniform shirt.

``They were what?'' Skye's curiosity was fully aroused. Wally wasn't usually shy when it came to speaking the plain truth.

``Obscene materials and devices.'' Wally's tone became official.

``What?'' Skye asked, confused.

Bunny snorted. ``Sex toys.''

``You're kidding.'' Skye felt her cheeks redden to match Wally's.

``Ruby owns a store in Las Vegas called Sexploration. She must have been bringing me some samples.''

``Why?'' Skye asked without thinking, then could have bitten her tongue. This was not a subject she wanted to explore with Bunny.

``Why not?'' Bunny smirked, smoothing tight brown ve- lour leggings over her hips. ``Or did you think you were the only one in town with a sex life?''

Skye's faced burned with embarrassment, and she took a quick peek at Wally, who was frowning at her. Although they had never dated, Skye and Wally had an emotionally charged history.

There had been chemistry between them since she was a teenager and he was a rookie cop. Nothing had happened back then, since she was underage, nor when she returned to Scumble River as an adult, because by that time he was married. Since then, his wife had left him, and Skye had become involved with Simon. She and Wally had a sort of Scarlett-and-Ashley type of relationship--their timing stank. Lately they had taken to acting as if the attraction didn't exist.

Wally continued to study Skye for a long moment before taking up where he had left off. ``Upon seeing the obscene materials, and ascertaining that the suspect had a sufficient quantity to constitute wholesale promotion of the devices, I ordered her to exit the car.'' 180 Denise Swanson

Bunny blurted out, ``You mean dildos are against the law in Illinois?''

``Scumble River has a city ordinance stating that it's ille- gal to `wholesale promote' devices that simulate sexual or- gans or materials marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs.'' Wally was expres- sionless as he recited the regulation.

Bunny, a bright note of query in her brown eyes, ques- tioned, ``How many makes it wholesale?''

``Six or more.''

Skye was afraid to find out why Bunny wanted to know the exact number; instead, forestalling further inquiries from Bunny, she hastily asked Wally, ``What happened when you told Ruby to get out of the car?''

``She stomped on the accelerator and roared off.'' A scowl twisted Wally's handsome features. ``I was originally just going to give her a warning and tell her to get out of town. I thought she was probably a prostitute getting ready to set up shop around here, and I wanted to make sure she knew that would be a bad idea.''

``You thought Ruby was a prostitute?'' Bunny yelped.

Wally gave the huffy woman a level look. ``She drives a bright pink Cadillac, has a backseat full of sex toys, and is dressed straight out of a Victoria's Secret catalog. You add it up.''

Bunny's gaze was defiant, and she sullenly flicked imagi- nary lint from her tiger-patterned velour top, but for once she kept quiet.

Wally went on as if he hadn't been interrupted. ``I pur- sued her with lights and siren. She drove several blocks, then illegally parked in front of the bowling alley and ran inside.''

Bunny flicked a sidelong glance at Skye. ``Ruby had only been here a minute or two, and we were hugging when he''--she paused dramatically and pointed an accusing fin- ger at Wally--''burst through the doors, grabbed her, and slapped handcuffs on her.''

``Which is when she''--Wally jerked his thumb at Bunny--''grabbed the Styrofoam bowling pin from the win- dow display and