Stuck On You by Christine Wenger

Alfred St. We, Tom and I, had scoped out the place and we didn’t hear anything happening inside. Due to the rain, we couldn’t see or hear much of anything anyway. I had just rammed the door, when a shot rang out and Tom went down.”
    “And?”
    “And what?
    “Was it a sniper shot? Did you see anyone?”
    “No. The weather was too bad.”
    “Do you think that someone was out to kill you?”
    “Did I say that?”
    “No. I’m asking you that.”
    “I don’t know that for sure, but I think that you know all you need to know for now.”
    She sighed, then her eyes sparkled. “Let me help you. We can talk to your captain, and Pete Nash. Or even the mayor. They’ll help.”
    Damn! He’d said too much. “No. I’ll handle it myself.”
    "But you can’t handle it yourself. You have to stay put.”
    He gritted his teeth. He didn’t know who he could trust and who he couldn’t. Could he trust Kate?
    “Kate, listen to me. I said that I’d handle it myself.”
    She picked up her purse and hauled it over her shoulder. "I'm going to surrender you. I'm going to call Pete Nash or whatever judge has your case now and tell him that you won't do my program and that I just caught you way over the twenty-foot limit."
    She couldn’t do that. He had work to do, and time was of the essence. He couldn’t investigate from a jail cell.
    "I'm telling you the truth. I went out jogging, and it is a habit. I ran into Plato and he asked me for money. I dumped my clothes because I thought you saw me and I didn't want you to go ballistic like you often do." He stood up and closed the distance between them a little. "And that's the absolute truth, Kate."
    "That might be the truth, but that's not the entire story.”
    He'd like nothing more than to hold her in his arms, take her coat off, and run his hands over that little satin thing she was wearing while he told her everything, but he couldn't do that. There was no way in hell he was going to put her at risk.
    "No. I'm not. I can't. I don't even know myself yet. I wish you'd understand that."
    “Let me help you.” Her eyes were sincere and hopeful.
    “No. I can’t. It’s too dangerous.”
    "Then the cat and mouse game is over. I've just realized that I'm the mouse." She walked to the door, and paused. "I'll be back with a warrant for your surrender. I'm sorry things worked out this way. Mack, and I hope you get out of the trouble you're in. I really do."
    "Give me another chance." He gave her the most charming, sincere smile he could muster, but she didn't bite.
    "Sorry. I can’t. You’re just going to keep sneaking out. I could help you with your investigation, but you don’t trust me."
    “Kate, wait. That’s not it.”
    “Sorry, Mack.”
    Mack watched as she pulled out of the driveway. He was disappointed that things hadn't turned out better and regretted that he had never asked Kate out years ago. It wouldn’t have worked out back then, and things weren't going to work out now either. Not when he was accused of being a criminal.
    He was in too much damn trouble to romance Kate like he wanted to—like he’d always wanted to.
    It was better that she stay away from him. Lately, he was attracting trouble like a hooker on a Saturday night.
    Picking up the phone, he dialed Pete Nash's chambers.
    "Judge Nash speaking."
    "Yo, Pete. I got into a jam with Kate and she wants to surrender me. Are you still my judge?"
    "Yeah. Seems like Judge Clark eloped with his law clerk and is on his way to Maui. But that's another story." He snickered. "What'd you do now, buddy?"
    "I went jogging."
    "I don't believe that's part of Your Home is Your Jail." He chuckled, then sobered. "Look, Mack, I'm sticking my neck out for you already, not to mention my political career. So all kidding aside, I want you to stay in your house or I'll have no other alternative but to keep you in jail. Got it?"
    "Yeah. I got it. But convince her to give me another chance, will you?"
    "Okay, but I'm telling you to