Spencer West PI Read online

  Pressure on him reached the boiling point as he sat at his desk stewing over morning coffee. Harper popped in on her daily check, disappointed to find him in a worse mood than in past weeks.

  “Hey, partner, what’s up?” She stopped in front of his desk. “You don’t look so good this morning. Are you okay?”

  “I can’t do this anymore, Harper. They are deliberately under-using my capabilities, making jokes, and hoping I’ll quit.” He looked up at her, his angry eyes hidden behind dark glasses. “I’m a cop, and a good one. I have skills as a result of my head injury that the CIA would love to have and these idiots refuse to use me. I’m not cut out to drive a fucking desk and shuffling paperwork all day. I need to get back out into the field again—with you, so we can find Elaine’s killer. I can do some scientific police work like they’ve never seen before. We made a great team and can do it again if the captain would just give me a chance to show him what I can do.”

  “Spencer, you’re still a good cop, but you went through hell. You need to be patient. And all this scientific stuff you’re talking about, you were hallucinating under heavy drugs. We haven’t been able to verify any of the information you gave me on the perp that shot you and Elaine.”

  “Dammit!” He threw his half-full coffee cup across the office, shattering it against the wall. “Okay, so I can’t run anymore, I walk with a limp, but my mind is sharper than all those guys put together. I’m a trained, proven remote viewer. I can mentally see things at great distances that no one else can see. I can solve cases without having to pound the pavement or spend hours on a stakeout.”

  “You are scaring the shit out of me. You damn near died and defied all odds when you survived being shot full of holes. I’m sorry about your loss. Nothing will bring her back. I want to help you, but you have to stop with all this ESP stuff—”

  Bursting through the door, Rudy Macovick shouted, “What the hell is going on in here? What was that crash? It sounded like a gunshot. Did you discharge your weapon?”

  “You fucking idiot, does it look like I fired my weapon in here?”

  “The captain’s crazy to let a nut case like you have a weapon. Look at this place. It’s a mess. I don’t know why in hell they took you back, you’re a basket case. This little meltdown goes to the captain this time. I’m tired of covering for a cripple who can’t do his job.”

  “Shut up, Rudy, can’t you see the man’s hurting?” Harper said. She stiffened when she turned and saw Spencer standing behind his desk holding his weapon. “Get out of here, Rudy, I’ll talk to him and catch up to you in a minute.”

  “That’s right, take up for him,” Rudy said, keeping his eyes on the weapon in Spencer’s hand. “News flash, Harper, I don’t take orders from you. I’m the senior detective and you’re my partner now. I’m ordering you to get out here and wait at your desk while I have a chat with this wacko.”

  Harper was ready to explode as she looked at him, but thought better of it. She had to work with Rudy. Antagonizing him would only make it harder than it already was.

  “Move, Harper! Do you want me to include you in my report to the captain?”

  “I’m outta here. Go ahead and suck up to the captain, you brown-nose prick,” Harper said, as she gave Rudy the finger on her way out and slammed the door, cracking the glass panel.

  Spencer laid his weapon and shield on his desk. “Don’t worry, Rudy, you aren’t worth wasting a bullet on. You don’t have to rat me out to the captain. I quit this shit detail. You morons can assemble your own fucking case files,” Spencer said as he raked a foot-high stack of file folders off his desk and sent them scattering through the air. “Have a nice day, asshole. Be sure to give my regards to the captain.”

  “You’ll pay for this, you sicko,” Rudy said. He deliberately puffed out his chest and bumped Spencer, trying to knock him off balance as he limped toward the door.

  The loud sound of broken glass startled Rudy as Spencer shut the door behind him and sent shards of the already-cracked glass panel flying across the floor.

  Chapter 8

  A changed man

  Spencer stormed through the massive double front doors of his parents’ Highland Park mansion and went straight to his room.

  “Spencer, are you okay?” Nicole asked through the door without trying to open it. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No! But thank you,” he said. “I just need to be alone for a while.”

  “I’ll make you some lunch a little later.”

  “Never mind, I’ll be okay.”

  Nicole made lunch for the two of them anyway, but Spencer refused to come out of his room. Concerned, she called Jayden at his office. “I’m worried about Spencer. He came home about eleven this morning and hasn’t come out of his room since. I think he might be in trouble. Can you come home and talk to him? I’ve never seen him like this. Something bad must have happened at the station.” Nicole heard a beeping sound on her phone. Someone was trying to call her. Harper’s name lit up on caller ID. “Jayden, I have to put you on hold, Harper is trying to call. Maybe she can tell me what happened.”

  “Hello, Harper.”

  “Is Spencer home with you?” Her voice was tense.

  “Yes, what happened? He closed himself in his room and won’t come out.”

  “Thank God. He had a meltdown this morning. My partner Rudy Macovick is a jerk and set him off. Spencer pulled his weapon.”

  “Oh, my God!”

  “It got pretty ugly. Rudy threatened to report him to the captain for pulling his weapon on him. That really set Spencer off. He trashed his office and turned his weapon and shield in and left the station. Has he been acting differently at home? I’ve never seen him like this. He was like a wild man.”

  “He’s been upset ever since he went back to work,” Nicole said. “He was in great spirits and was excited about going back. But the desk job didn’t sit well with him. He’s a changed man since his injury. Dr. Nahadi helped him a lot but I don’t quite know how to take this new person he has become. How could we not see he’s been putting up a front all this time? We have to work this out when Jayden gets home. Right now, he’s a grown man acting like a child. I’m afraid he needs to go back into therapy. Thanks for calling, Harper, you’ve been a great help.”

  “If there is anything I can do to help, let me know . . . I care about Spencer. He got a bad deal when he came back. Sorry, I have to go.”

  Nicole switched Harper off. “Jayden, are you still there?”

  “Yes, what could Harper tell you?”

  “She said Spencer had a meltdown at work this morning. Hurry home, he needs help.”

  “I’m on my way out the door. See you in twenty minutes. I love you. Goodbye.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Nicole filled Jayden in on the office fracas as soon as he walked in the door. “What should we do?”

  “It bothers me that he is acting out like this, locking himself in his room,” Jayden said. “But considering what he’s been through, we have to be patient. We can’t push him too hard. Just let him tell us what’s bothering him. First, we have to get him out of that room and talking to us.”

  Jayden approached Spencer’s door. He was surprised it wasn’t locked, but he called out to him through the door. “Spencer, can I come in?”

  “It isn’t locked.”

  The room was in disarray. Nicole followed Jayden into the room. There were two packed suitcases on his bed. The closet doors were open, exposing an empty clothes rack. All the computer equipment was disassembled and packed in boxes.

  “What’s going on, Spencer? You want to tell us what this is all about? We have always been straight with each other, so let’s sit down and figure this thing out.”

  The three settled around the dining room table for a family conference, as they
had many times. Sitting on the edge of his chair facing Nicole and Jayden, Spencer spoke first.

  “Nothing to figure out, Dad. I can’t be a part of the force anymore. The captain felt sorry for me and stuck me behind a desk to keep me out of the way. The other guys just laughed and made jokes behind my back. Nothing is being done to find Elaine’s killer. I wasn’t even allowed to work on it while I sat in that damn office doing busy-work all day. The captain doesn’t believe that because of my head injury, my mind is sharper and I have capabilities I never had before. I understand my hip injury might be a disadvantage as a detective in the field. But I can more than make up for that in other ways as a remote viewer, if they’d just given me the chance.”

  “What’s this I heard about you pulling a gun on one of the other detectives?”

  “Oh, yeah, that. I didn’t point it at the jerk, I took it out of my holster to turn in with my shield. I held it in my hand a second or two, then laid it on my desk and Rudy went all ballistic. He said some things that really pissed me off, made me think maybe I should have shot him.” He grinned. “Dad, I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t take sitting at that desk any more. I was in control all the way, I just had to let off some steam and get out of there. Look, I’m sorry I’ve been such a burden on you and Mom. You’ve been great. I don’t know what I would have done without you. But it’s time I moved out and let you have your lives back. I need to get my life back on track too. I can operate on my own now, I can walk a little better each day, with less pain. I’m stuck with the cool sunglasses—that’s just the hand I’m dealt. I can handle it, honestly. Just don’t put me behind a desk taking phone calls and shuffling paper.”

  “Really. You can operate on your own now?” Jayden said. “You’re unemployed, right? Last I heard, they charge rent for apartments these days. How do you plan to manage that?”

  “I put some money aside for the wedding and honeymoon. With my disability pension, I can get by,” he assured Jayden. “Remember last year when I was so frustrated over the president’s policy of catch and release of illegal aliens? And I was considering quitting and going private with my criminal attorney friend, John Amoruso?”

  “Of course. What about it?”

  “I forgot all about it after getting assigned to the drug task force. That’s what I signed up for. We were doing something important without having our hands tied behind us. I was really pumped until this happened.” He pointed to his head.

  “Is there a point somewhere that I missed?”

  “Yes. That’s why I have to move out, stop feeling sorry for myself and get back to being the independent person I was. Get back into the game.”

  “And what game is that exactly?”

  “I’m applying for a private investigator’s license. I can work out of my apartment to cut down on expenses. I still have a few friends in the department who’ll do favors for me. I can set my own hours, minimize my down time sitting behind a desk. The computer equipment you set me up with will help me get started. I’ll pick up other specialized equipment as I need it. I think it’s the best thing for me to do.”

  “Where will you get customers and what type cases will you handle? One-man private detective agencies aren’t looked on too favorably.”

  “Come on, Dad, you’ve been watching too much TV. PIs—good ones—are in demand by large corporations, banks, insurance companies, and wealthy people who’ve been victimized and don’t want the publicity calling the police would involve. I have a few possible prospects from days on the force. Harper said she and some of the other guys would send clients my way with cases they can’t pursue because of lack of evidence or lack of time to dig into the case. It isn’t a perfect world out there. I don’t think I’ll starve. I always know where I can get a great meal at a great price,” he said, smiling at Nicole.

  “This is a lot to swallow.” Jayden said.

  “You know you have our support,” Nicole said. “We’ll help out any way we can. We also don’t want you to be a stranger after you move out. If the PI thing doesn’t work out don’t be too proud to admit it. Our door is always open.”

  “Thanks, that means a lot. You have done so much already. Nicole, you need to stop being my babysitter and get back to running your company. NJ Modeling and Designs needs your undivided attention with the winter season coming up. I’ll be clearing out first thing in the morning.” Spencer gave Nicole a hug. “My parting gift to you is giving your lives back. You deserve to be free of me, to live life to the fullest. I love you both. But I still have some packing to do.”

  Chapter 9

  Spencer’s bold step

  The next morning Harper parked her Honda Civic behind two guys from the force who helped load Spencer’s belongings into a pickup truck. Nicole donated the few items he would need, including a bed, a recliner, bed linens, and some cooking utensils. They were easily loaded in back of the pickup. His suitcases were tossed into Harper’s car. Spencer’s bullet-riddled Malibu had not been replaced yet. That was another problem on his to-do list he had to take care of before he moved into an apartment—he needed new wheels.

  “Where are you moving to?” Nicole called from the portico.

  “I’ll let you know when I get settled. You have my cell number. Goodbye and thanks again for everything,” he shouted back as they pulled away.

  Spencer was going to crash on Harper’s couch until he found his own place—information he didn’t feel the need to share with Nicole. They drove to Garland, a sprawling northeast Dallas suburb, where Harper lived in a two-bedroom apartment. It had assigned storage space available where he could off-load his things temporarily. Finding an apartment he could afford in Dallas was going to be a challenge. He needed to be in Dallas because his clients would be there, and he wanted to hang out his Spencer West, PI shingle there—at least that was the plan.

  Spencer managed two flights of stairs with his suitcases much better than he could have three months ago. But his injured hip rendered him useless to the guys unloading his furniture from the pickup and carrying it to the storage area. Fixing lunch was something he could do. He pulled ingredients from Harper’s refrigerator to build club sandwiches. He added a large bowl of sea-salt potato chips, kosher dill pickle spears, sliced fresh cantaloupe, and cold beer for everyone. The two helpers with the pickup finally left after emptying Harper’s refrigerator of beer.

  “Well, roomie, the day is young, what would you like to do?” Harper said to Spencer, who was relaxing on her couch.

  “I . . . don’t know. Look, don’t take this the wrong way, but I feel a little awkward about this arrangement. I hope you understand. After quitting the force, I had to get out of my mom and dad’s. It was too comfortable. They pampered me and I let them do it. Thanks for letting me crash here for a few days. I’ll try not to get in your way.”

  “Stay as long as you like. Spencer, we’re adults. Lots of couples live together without benefit of that little piece of paper. There’s an economic advantage to splitting the rent, even for couples who aren’t in a relationship.”

  Surprised by her statement, Spencer asked, “Are we a couple?”

  “We can be . . . if you want. No department rules to worry about. We made a good team on the force. What’s so different? I think we should celebrate your new life as a super sleuth.” Harper rose from the couch, went to her liquor cabinet and came back with a bottle of Jim Beam and two glasses, then back to the kitchen for a bowl of ice cubes and a pitcher of water. She put ice in the glasses and filled them with bourbon and a splash of water.

  “Raise a glass to the success of Spencer West, Dallas’s own Magnum PI.”

  The two glasses banged together and Harper gulped down half her glass. Spencer, not a big drinker, only took a swallow. “Come on, Spencer, chug-a-lug that sucker. I’ve seen you do better at Bernie’s on a Saturday night.”

 
Spencer drained his glass and set it down. “How’s that, partner?”

  “Now you’re talking,” Harper said, as she refilled their glasses.

  After a number of toasts, Spencer said, “Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” She pushed him on his back, occupying the full length of the couch with his six-foot-two frame, and climbed on top of him. “Hell yeah, isn’t that what celebrations are for?” She started unbuttoning his Hawaiian print shirt. “These shirts are so frigging ugly. I need to take you shopping,” she said, removing his shirt.

  “I thought we were just friends. I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” he said.

  “We are best friends, and I’ve wanted to fuck my best friend ever since the captain partnered us. Just relax and enjoy it.” Harper pulled his shirt off, tossed it across the room, and moved down to unbuckle his jeans.

  “I think I need another drink.” Spencer reached for the half-empty bourbon bottle. He turned the bottle up and downed several long gulps.

  Harper took it from him. “I want you fully conscious for this.” She finished it off herself and tossed it aside.

  Spencer was a mellow drunk. Harper pulled his jeans and jockey shorts off exposing his rock-hard erection. “Now that’s more like it, partner.” She stood up facing him sprawled out on the couch while he watched her slowly slip her jeans off her gyrating hips, leaving only her thong and Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt hiding her pearly white body. The sweatshirt came off quickly, exposing her stocky upper body. At five-feet-seven, her trim athletic figure exposed chiseled calf muscles, biceps, broad shoulders, taunt abs and average, but firm breasts. When she unpinned her tightly wound bun, her silky auburn hair dropped below her shoulders. Her exotic moves had Spencer rising up from the couch. She took his hands and placed them on her breasts, massaging them gently. A guttural moan escaped her lips as she felt her vaginal juices oozing slowly down her inner thighs.