VELVET

OVERWORKED & UNDERPAID
Dara ordered the last piece of stemware for Buffie Travers’ bridal shower. Saturday was going to be a great day; the bridal shower would finally be over and her date with Chuck. She didn’t know which she would enjoy more. Planning the shower was simple. Dealing with Buffie was a little more difficult. Dara wondered if Buffie had ever made a decision by herself. If she had, Dara was confident it wasn’t anything major. The girl was a nitwit. But she was her client first, and the governor’s daughter second, so she had to deal with it.
She smiled when she thought of their last meeting. It had been so long since she’d laughed for no reason, and didn’t care about anyone around her. She sat back in her chair and remembered the first time she met Chuck. She hated him. He was rude and arrogant, and more than few times, she came close to choking him. But after he saved her life, she saw a different person. The one she was falling for…hard.

*

Porter Fox looked around the lab. It was ugly, outdated and crowded. He would never make a dent, let alone catch up on the laundry list of backlogged cases. Then Tonya Somers had to go and get herself killed. And of course he received orders to drop everything and focus on her case. Apparently none of the higher-ups noticed the truckload of jewelry and other precious items that came from her bathroom. He and his team worked tirelessly sorting and bagging, only to come up with one earring that didn’t have a mate.
The display of evidence covered three tables. It was a thing of beauty the way it was separated. Porter slapped on a pair of gloves and opened the small bag with the lone earring. He placed the diamond stud under the microscope and smiled. It always made him happy when he found something new.