Page 100 of Locked In Ice

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“No.”Benny tried to shut his office door on her foot.“No, you are not coming in here.You are not supposed to be anywhere near me!”He glared down at her booted foot.“Would you move that thing?”

Lane reached around Ophelia and shoved open the door.

Benny barreled back with a yelp.Then, “Oh, for God’s sake!You brought the muscle with you again.”He glowered at Lane.“Still the new partner?She hasn’t run you off yet?”

“She never will,” Lane vowed.

Ophelia sent him a quick smile, then entered Benny’s office.Paperwork was scattered everywhere, and an ancient coffee machine drip-drip-dripped in the corner.“Benny, we need your help.”

“No.”A definite shake of his head.“Detective O’Brien was furious that I’d let you see Thomas Bass’s body!”

“Benny, we discovered a serial killer’s signature.You helped us to do that.”She headed for his desk.A fat manilla file spilled open on the desk’s surface.

Benny grabbed the file before she could peek at it.He slammed the file closed.

“Detective O’Brien spoke with me just yesterday,” Ophelia added.

Lane had taken up a spot near the door.Legs braced apart.Eyes intense.

Sexy.

She cleared her throat.“She wanted me to know that Royce Nicholson had gone missing.”

Benny’s Adam’s apple bobbed.“Heard about that,” he confessed.He licked his lips.“One of the new uniforms who came in with a body drop-off not too long ago told me.Said…said your address was on Royce’s computer.”He flinched.“Aren’t you scared?”

“She doesn’t need to be scared,” Lane said before Ophelia could respond.“She has me.”

Benny blinked.Twice.“What are you going to do?”

“Whatever needs doing.”

Benny’s lips parted.

“Benny.”Ophelia drew his attention back to her.“I want to ask you about a case you worked a few months ago.”

“I am not supposed to talk to you.”His hands drove into the pockets of his white lab coat.

She smiled at him.“O’Brien knows about this case.She’s the one who told me about the vic.A fentanyl overdose.”

Anger came and went in his brown eyes.“Do you know how many of those I see each week?Lives get snuffed out and no one cares.”

“You care, Benny.You’ve always cared about the victims.”Ophelia knew this with certainty.“You’ve hated their deaths.You always fight for the victims.That’s why you have this job.You want to give justice to the dead.”

One hand rose from his pocket and jerked through his hair.“You’re manipulating me.”

“No, I’m just saying what I see.”

For a moment, he yanked harder at his hair and… “Name,” he bit out.

“Miles Dodge.He was found behind Pyro.”

Benny’s eyes widened.“I-I do remember him.”But he still went to his computer and started typing fast.

Ophelia sidled up beside him.

“Definite overdose.”Benny pulled up the report on the screen.“Donottell anyone I am doing this.”

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