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Chapter 553
“You don’t look like a cop, Case.”
Conner returned his attention to Alexa. “No?” He had heard that once a cop, always a cop.
“Well, you do, but you don’t,” she explained. “There’s something cop-like about you, but it’s hard to put a finger on.” She paused for a moment, thinking, and then her face brightened. “I know what it is. You’ve got the manner, but not quite the look. You’re too tan, too healthy looking, not quite hard enough. Hell, look at your clothes. I’ve seen cops in uniform, and cops in suits, but never in slacks and a golf shirt. You look more like an actor playing a cop than a real cop. You know, sort of like Peterson on CSI.”
Conner smiled inwardly, amused by her insight. Maybe that’s what he was now, an actor pretending he was a cop. “I hope that’s a compliment,” he said.
She smiled. “Oh, it is. I don’t think I’d be attracted to a real cop.”
There was no longer any doubt about it—she was flirting. Conner knew it was his move.
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The production schedule for Vice Squad provided by Alexa Cline’s secretary showed the crew was filming out at the Santa Monica Pier. To avoid at least some of the late afternoon traffic, Conner followed Sunset as it curved past the lushly landscaped mansions of Beverly Hills into the less well known but equally tony neighborhood of Bel Air, making decent time until he cut across to Wilshire Boulevard and turned west. Traffic was much heavier on Wilshire, but he finally made it to the coast and shelled out ten dollars to park in a small lot at the foot of the pier.The amusement area that filled the front half of the pier was crowded with boisterous youngsters getting an early start on the weekend, and the air rang with happy shouts and screams from the spiral roller coaster. The smell of popcorn, cinnamon buns and other snacks teased Conner’s nostrils as he threaded his way through the clumps of revelers, finally breaking into the open once he cleared the arcades
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Stennie grinned. “I stay, amigo, because I enjoy it where I am. Perhaps you do not realize, because of my many great deeds and the legends that surround me, but I am only twenty-four years old. I have much time to do other things in the years ahead. Vice Squad may be a second rate show, but within its framework of sex and violence, Senorita Cline has given me free rein to be as creative as I can. I have had mucho fun trying to outdo myself each week.” His expression darkened. “At least I was, until these terrible things began to happen.”“And now?” Conner asked, watching him closely.Stennie’s brow furrowed. “And now, my soul grows dark with worry. I wonder if somehow I am responsible for these tragedies. I, who have devoted my life to the vanquishing of evil. If I did not create these scenes, they could not come to life.” Stennie looked into Conner’s eyes, as if seeking redemption. “But a soul as dark a
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Finally, Cecilia broke the stalemate. Still not sure what the ultimate answer might be, she put her finger to her lips, signaling Conner not to say anything. He watched as she turned the key and pressed the switch to close the convertible top. The black roof rose silently from the back, unfolding itself above them like a dark spectre spreading its cloak to block out the stars. When the roof locked into place with a sharp click, Cecilia put the car in gear and swung out onto Mulholland Drive.They rode in silence, winding through the hilltops until they reached the 405 freeway. The quiet hung between them like a palpable thing, weighing on Conner’s mind, emphasizing rather than masking their problem, but he dared not break Cecilia’s unspoken command. Instead, he leaned forward and switched on the radio, choosing a mellow jazz station to color the silence. Cecilia gave no notice. As they sped down the long incline toward the city, he wondered what was going through
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