Excerpt of Merciless by Mary Burton

When her watch beeped and signaled she’d swam thirty
minutes she glided into the wall, breathless but totally
relaxed. She pushed out of the water and crossed to the
bank of chairs where she’d draped her towel. She’d barely
dried her eyes and hair when she heard a deep voice call
out her name.

Angie stiffened. She recognized the gruff baritone.
Detective Malcolm Kier. The cop made no effort to hide his
contempt for her and her work. Instantly, she wished she
had on her business suit and high heels. She straightened
her shoulders and faced him. “Detective Kier. What a
lovely surprise.”

He possessed a powerful build. Not more than an inch
taller than her, he radiated a raw energy and a don’t-fuck-
with-me demeanor that intimidated most everyone. He
rattled her as well, but she’d decided long ago that she’d
eat dirt before she ever let him know it.

“Counselor. Good to see you stay in shape.” He wore
denims with muddied hems, a faded flannel shirt, a jean
jacket and scuffed work boots. A leather gun holster
peaked out from under his jacket.

“I try. You just roll in from the mountains?”

“Just about.”

“You’re a regular Grizzly Adams.”

His grin did not reach his eyes. “That’s right.”

Water dripped from her suit. Drying herself off in front
of Kier felt awkward. But the cooling air and her refusal
to be intimidated motivated her to slowly begin drying her
arms and legs as if she didn’t have a worry in the
world. “So what brings you to the gym, detective? Looking
into membership?”

His gaze didn’t waver. “No, I’m here on official business.”

She wrapped the towel around her waist, tucked it in place
and scooted her feet into waiting flip-flops. How had he
found her? And then she remembered that she’d once told
Kier’s partner, her sister’s boyfriend, that she swam daily
here. “Need an attorney?” she goaded. “I’d be happy to
see you in my office. Feel free to call my secretary for
an appointment.”

“I don’t need your services.”

“Then why are you here? Bored? Here to rattle my cage a
little more?” Kier had been a constant shadow presence
since the Dixon trial. It seemed he never missed an
opportunity to annoy her.

“I don’t rattle your cage.” The smugness didn’t support
the words. “I could care less about you.”

“That why I see you at King’s several nights a week?”

He shrugged. “I like the food. Plus you know I took an
apartment across the street.”

“Right. So why is it you always make a point to hold me up
in the courthouse when I’m late?”

“Just making conversation.”

“How about the four parking tickets I’ve gotten in the last
year.”

“The city marks its No Parking zones clearly. You’re being
paranoid.” He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out
a theater program. “I’d like you to look at this.”

Annoyance crept up her back bunching the muscles she’d
worked so hard to relax. “This is not the best time for me
to discuss the arts, detective.”

As if she hadn’t spoken he turned a program toward
her. “Do you know this woman?”

She held his gaze not wanting to look and give him the
satisfaction that he’d won this little standoff. “Like I
said, call my secretary.”

His stare darkened like an angry storm on the horizon, but
it didn’t waiver nor did the picture in his hand. “Look
here, or look at the station. Makes no difference to me.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Nothing would give me more pleasure than to steal a few
billable hours from you.”

Asshole. He’d do it. She blinked and lowered her gaze to
the program. The young woman’s pale face and blond hair
accentuated a high slash of cheekbones. Bright green eyes
sparked and her lip curved upward as if she knew a secret.

Angie knew her. “Her name is listed in the program. You
can read, can’t you?”

He held the picture out an extra beat then slowly tucked it
back in his jacket pocket. “How long has Sierra Day been
your client?”

Staring down angry cops and prosecutors was part of any
defense attorney’s turf. “I don’t discuss my clients. You
remember attorney client privilege, don’t you detective?”

“Why did she hire you?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Tell me about the divorce. Was it nasty?”

“Seeing as you have all the answers why are you here?”

“Word is she and her soon-to-be ex husband mixed it up a
few times.”

“Talk to him.”

“I’m asking you.”

And then she cut through her own indignation and really
thought about why he was here. Kier was a homicide
detective and he wasn’t making a social call. What had
happened? She thought about the last time she’d seen
Sierra. The woman had breezed into her office unannounced
and demanded that Angie settle her divorce immediately.
Sierra needed cash and wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

“Do you know where she might be?” Kier said.

Sierra could be reckless. “Why the interest in Sierra
Day? Is she in trouble?”

“She was reported missing by the West End Theatre manager
ten days ago.”

“You don’t work Missing Persons.”

He shifted his stance. “Did her husband ever threaten
Sierra?”

“Has something happened to Sierra?”

“Like I said, she is missing.”

“And like I said you don’t work Missing Persons. What
aren’t you telling me, detective?”

He studied her. “Sierra’s stats match the characteristics
of a body we found late last night.”
“Characteristics?”

“Female. Mid-twenties. Five foot six to five foot eight.”

“That fits Sierra and a lot of other women.”

Her skin chilled. “What else do you know about your
victim?”

“Not much.”

“Meaning?”

He studied her, as if wondering how much to give for
maximum return. “All we have are bones.”