Page 63 of Deadly Designs

Presley chuckled. “A police detective.”

Herbert’s brows lifted. “Yeah? You were?”

“Yep.”

Herbert glanced at her again. “You look young. Howlong ago were you a detective?”

“Three months ago, and I’m almost thirty.”

“Why did you leave?”

Presley debated how much to tell her. Few people knewthe real reason. During the hiring process, she’d told her bosses,Logan Bradley and Luke Colton. Luke, who had also been a detective,had been furious. He’d gotten her old captain fired. Presley wasglad she hadn’t been around for the fallout.

“My coworkers consistently overlooked myabilities.”

Herbert sighed and flipped her long ponytail over hershoulder. “I face the same things. It’s frustrating as hell.”

“I don’t know if the men are threatened ormisogynistic.”

“Probably a combination of both.”

“Yeah. My captain tried to rape me.”

Presley’s hands shot out to brace against thedashboard when Herbert slammed the brakes.

“What?”

Presley sighed. She wasn’t going to mention it, butshe’d just vomited it out. Maybe she needed to talk about it withsomeone who would understand.

“We were working late on a case. He’d sent the othershome. Then he called me into his office, closed the door, andslipped a roofie into the drink he offered me.”

“Oh, damn, Presley, that’s horrible.”

Presley nodded.

“Did he . . .”

“No, thank goodness. One of the rookie cops came backand caught him. My captain tried to say it was consensual, but Iwas out of it from the drugs. The cop said she’d take me home, butshe drove me to the hospital instead, where they found the Rohypnolin my system.”

“Good for her. Tell me your captain was fired.”

“Not then. He swore that I’d been coming onto him formonths, and the bastard planted the drugs in my desk. He toldInternal Affairs that I must’ve accidentally consumed the roofietrying to drug him.”

“Oh, my good grief. Please tell me they believed youand not him.”

“Nope.”

Nicole cursed again. “What about the cop who took youto the hospital?”

“I think she was threatened. She claimed to knownothing. She might’ve believed that the drugs were mine. I don’tknow.” It had been frustrating as hell and so depressing that noone had believed her. “When I quit, guess who took my job?”

Nicole hissed in a breath. “That cop?”

“You got it.”

Nicole shook her head as she braked at a red light.“Some people have no ethics.”

“I don’t have proof, but I think the captain startedsleeping with her after that to keep her quiet. Who knows whathappened to her when he was fired?”

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