"Lovely Lonnie." There was something about the way Stens said her name that made it sound perverted.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Dick," she turned toward Bud and forced a smile. "Why don't you two have a drink in the den while I finish with dinner? It should only take me a few minutes. Everything is just about ready."

"Alright, Everything okay honey?" Bud sensed there was something different about her demeanor, more different then he expected anyway.

"Everything's just fine baby. There's a new bottle of Cutty in the cabinet."

He stood there and looked at her for a moment. Turning his attention to his partner, he nudged his head toward the den. "C'mon. I'll sharpen you appetite."

"I don't think it needs any help, White, but I'd never turn down a drink."

Lonnie smiled sweetly at Stens as he and Bud walked away. It fell off her face the moment his back was turned. She made a stop on the way back to the kitchen… to retrieve the photograph from her handbag. There was no way she wanted to make a mistake about this. The man in the picture was definitely Dick Stensland, without a doubt but what was he doing with a woman like Angel? Archer's Angel was nothing if she wasn't way out of Stenland's league. Maybe she could flesh him out a little more over dinner. It was worth a try.

The men had managed to down a couple of drinks before she called them to the table. They were laughing and carrying on as they came into the dining room and Lonnie played the perfect little housewife.

"I hope you like Italian, Dick. Bud thinks my lasagna is the best he's ever had."

"I'll eat anything that's not nailed down. It smells great," Stens replied as he patted his belly.

"I promise. I didn't nail it down to the table." She reached for his plate and shoveled a generous helping onto it before doing the same for Bud.

"You're married, Dick?"

"If you want to call it that, my wife asked for a divorce. I still live in the house with her but I'm looking for a place to flop."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Got any kids?"

"I'm not sorry." He burst out in a fit of laughter and his complexion reddened. Bud chuckled along for a bit then he nudged the man.

"Take it easy Stens. Yeah Lonnie, he's got two kids."

It was what she said next that shut both men up. "What did you do, cheat on her?"

"Lonnie!" Bud scolded.

"It's alright White. She's the PI, remember? I think she had me figured out from the start. Yeah I cheated on her but she asked for it. After Dicky junior came along she turned into a frigid bitch. Wouldn't even let me touch her let alone play hide the weenie. A man's got needs you know."

Bud held his breath for fear of what was coming. He waited for her to retaliate but her reply left him stunned.

"Oh God yes, I'd never deprived Bud of anything. I make sure the housework is done, his dinner is ready and well; let's just say I take care of his needs." How she managed to spill all of it without a single iota of sarcasm was nothing short of a miracle.

"Are you sure you feel okay, Lonnie?"

"I'm fine Bud, just fine. How's the lasagna?"

"It's really good, surprisingly good." He wasn't actually referring to the food and he braced himself for what was sure to come after Stens left.

The rest of the meal went off without a single hitch. The conversation was run of the mill and relatively civil. As Bud and Lonnie said goodnight to his partner, she waited until he pulled out of the driveway before speaking again.

"He's…charming." Bada bing! The sarcasm flowed now, just like shit through a goose.

"You don't mean that, do you Lon?"

"No but it has to do with a lot more then his attitude. I need to show you something. I know we said we wouldn't get involved in each others cases but...this is different." She went on to brief him about her meeting with Archer then produced the photo for him to see. "I have to make a decision here. I think there may be a conflict of interest in this case now and I'm thinking I may have to turn it down."

"Turn it down. Turn the case down and do something else for me."

His answer came so fast it made her very suspicious. "What? What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to quit the business. Lonnie let's get married. You don't have to work. I'll take care of that bit, just quite the business. Stay home, have kids, make lasagna."

His proposal nearly knocked her to her knees. Married? They hadn't even discussed it before let alone was there mention of her job. The rest of it raised her ire to a point she had to count to ten before responding.

"Did you ask me that to cover something up? What are you hiding about Stens? This doesn't taste right Bud."

If ire rose in her it overflowed in him. "What the fuck baby? I just got down on one knee and you're going to twist it all around?"

"You've never even said you loved me and now you're talking marriage. Out of a clear blue sky coincidentally... right after I told you about this case. Bud I'm not stupid. Maybe you're partners wife is a Stepford gone wrong but I'm not in that category."

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you too!"

The look in his eyes sent a shiver of fear through her. For a split second she thought he was going to kill her without a second thought. Whatever brought this about had to be a lot deeper then she could ever imagine. His fists were balled up and he glared at her. Without another word he turned and went out the front door, leaving it open. Bud didn't hear her call to him as he got into his car. He pulled away before she caught up.

Lonnie stood at the curb for quite a while hoping he'd come back. It was pissing down rain by the time she went back inside. It hid her tears. She had no idea what just happened. Confusion, hurt, nothing made sense.

w

Dick Stensland didn't go home. He had a date of sorts and he was to meet someone at a café off of LaBrea. He didn't see the car that followed him at first but after a mile or so he became suspicious of the headlights behind him. Taking a sudden right hand turn fueled the suspicion as the vehicle followed. He sped up and proceeded a few more blocks before putting his right blinker on. He started the turn then quickly pulled into the center lane making a left instead. Sure enough the car followed.

"What the fuck!" he muttered to himself as he tried to decide if he should lose the bastard or stop and confront whoever it was. Headlights flashing off and on settled it. He pulled over to the curb and got out of his car.

"White, you bastard, what the fuck is going on? If I had that honey at home I sure as hell wouldn't be out here freezing my ass off in the rain."

"She knows," Bud growled as he approached.

"Knows what?"

"She's got a picture of you with her, with Angel."

"God damn it," Stens pounded a fist on the roof of his car. "Now what?"

"I don't know. I fucking left her Stens."

Stensland had never seen his partner so upset. Maybe this woman meant more to him then he thought.

"Listen to me White. Don't turn into me. You're still young. The job put my life in the shitter and there isn't a day that passes when I don't think of how things could have been with Alice and the kids. I fucked up, the job, the booze. I fucked up."

"You could always go back."

"Apparently you don't know Alice. Naw buddy boy, my chance passed a long time ago."

"Looks like I don't know Dick either."

Stensland chuckled lightly and brushed a hand over Bud's head. "I don't know me. Let's go have a drink. Maybe we can figure out a way around this. You tell me how much she knows and then you can go home to her. You hear me? Go home to her before it's too late."

"Ain't gonna work Stens. She saw me pissed off."

Stensland cocked his head and stared at Bud for a moment. "Are you in love with her Bud?"

He didn't answer. He just stood there in the drizzle and shrugged. "Formosa?"

"I'll meet you there in five. Hope you got your wallet. "

"We're still on the clock, Stens"

"Fuck that. Who's gonna know."

It took about an hour and a half for Stens to convince Bud to go back to Lonnie. He knew his partner and if there was anything obvious about White, it was the fact that most every emotion he had manifested itself as anger. He had some thick walls built up around him that's for sure.

When Bud finally left, Stens ordered himself one more shot before he went off to his so called meeting. He was late but sometimes a guy had to prioritize things and partners were at the top of the list. Slamming the glass on the bar he reached into his pocket and drizzled what change he had down beside it. Dick Stensland stumbled out the front door of the Formosa bar and grill bouncing off the frame in the process. He stopped outside and dug into his pocket for the car keys."

"Dick Stensland…."

He raised his eyes and tried to focus on the figure in the shadows.

"Who wants to know?"

They were the last words he uttered before another shadowy figure came up from behind to clap a hand over his mouth.

w

Lonnie lay awake staring at the clock. She was thinking or at least trying to. Every time her mind told her that it was best she be on her own she started to cry. Weighing the job against her relationship with Bud was something she never thought would happen and when it came down to it she always thought she'd choose her independence first. It wasn't working that way but was it too late? The clock showed one fifteen and she could hear the rain coming down harder. There was a flicker of light on the ceiling and she knew right off what it was, a car pulling into the driveway.

"Bud!" Her heart beat increased and she sprung up not bothering with a robe. She was as sure footed as a Grand Canyon mule as she double timed it down the steps. Bursting through the front door, she arrived just as he made it to the bottom of the front porch steps. Their eyes met. The rain came hard and she couldn't tell if he'd been crying or not but it was obvious that she was. Bud spoke first.

"I do."

"You do?"

"I do love you. It's just…hard for me to say. It's just me baby. I can never tell what I'm feeling but I know this now."

"Come on in the house Bud. Please."

He stepped up onto the porch and took her into his arms. Drawing her to him he kissed her sound and hard. She could taste the salt in the raindrops. He was crying.

w

It was about five AM when the bedside phone rang. Lonnie reached for it and pressed it to her ear instinctively.

"Yeah..."

"Miss Brannigan?"

"Yeah..."

"This is Sergeant Hanna from the downtown homicide division. Is Officer White with you by chance?"

"Yeah..." She turned over and kissed his bare shoulder. "Bud. Wake up, baby. Phone, it's your precinct. "

He rumbled and groaned before taking the phone from her hand. Clearing his throat he answered. "White."

"Bud, its Jeff Hanna. I need you to come down to the morgue. I don't know how to say this any other way. Dick Stensland was murdered last night. We found him in a lot off of LaBrea. Prepare yourself. It's not pretty."

"Okay," he answered. Sitting up Bud placed the phone on the receiver and his feet on the floor. Three seconds later he grabbed the phone and threw it across the room with a bellow that made Lonnie's hair stand on end.

"What is it?" she asked reaching for him. "What's wrong?" He drew away from her touch.

Burying his face in his hands he took a deep breath before he answered. "Stens is dead."

"What? What happened? I'll go with you Bud. You shouldn't be alone."

"Stay the fuck here Lonnie. I don't want you involved in this."

Back                                                  Home                                                                  Next