Catch Your Breath

Chapter 2-2

Jimmy and Gabby stood in Elks’s office.

“Damn it, O’Malley. How could you have screwed this up in a matter of a few hours?”

Jimmy bit down on his response.

“Who is this woman who saw you?”

Jimmy unclenched his jaw. “Moira O’Leary. She’s a reporter.”

“f**k. And how do you know her?” Elks paced the length of his office. Gabby stood at attention, like she expected the ax to fall.

“I’m friends with her brother. We grew up on the same block.”

“And you didn’t think it important to inform us of that when we brought you in?” Elks’s face turned an unnatural shade of red, nearing purple.

“She’s my friend’s little sister. I knew she was a reporter, but I had no idea she’d be at the party.” He’d made a point over the years to try to ignore everything about Moira O’Leary. The girl spelled trouble. Now she managed to get him into hot water without even trying.

“You’re sure she made you.”

Jimmy shrugged. “I left as soon as I saw her. She was headed in my direction, so I think she did. I didn’t stick around.”

Elks pulled out his chair and sat. “You and Ruiz pay her a visit. See her reaction. Find out if she told anyone your real name.”

Shit. He’d rather do just about anything than ask Moira for a favor. He and Gabby left the office. “You need to take point on this one.”

Gabby stopped in her tracks. “If she’s your friend, why would I take lead?”

Jimmy didn’t answer.

“What’s the story here?”

He didn’t know what to tell her. “She’s my friend’s kid sister.”

“Did you sleep with her? Is that why you’re avoiding her?”

“No.” Like he needed Gabby’s help putting that image in his mind. “We tend to…butt heads a lot. If I say the sky’s blue, she’s going to argue it’s purple. Just to fight. If she knows that keeping her mouth shut means doing me a favor, she’ll run down the street screaming my cover.” He turned back to head out the door.

Gabby’s footsteps clomped behind him and she grabbed his jacket. “I’m not buying it, Jimmy. You must’ve done something to make her want to fight you.”

He shrugged. He had no idea why Moira pushed his buttons. She’d been doing it most of her life. He remembered when she was little, she’d look up at him with those big baby blues and she was the sweetest thing on two legs.

Then she hit puberty.

He hadn’t been able to look at her like a little girl anymore, and he had no business looking at her any other way. So he’d stopped talking to her unless he absolutely had to. He wasn’t rude to her, but he kept his distance. It was like doing so just drew her closer. She was always looking for ways to get at him, talk to him, rile him up.

“I don’t know, Gabby. You have younger siblings. You know how it is. They bug you just to bug you.”

“I guess.” But she didn’t sound convinced.

They drove to Moira’s apartment. After they parked, he scanned the street, but realized he didn’t know what kind of car she drove these days.

They walked up to the building and climbed three floors to her apartment. The entire building was completely unsecure. He wondered if Liam knew she lived here. Not only was there no security at the main entrance, but the front door didn’t even lock. Anyone could get in. What the hell was she thinking living in a place like this?

Gabby took lead and knocked at Moira’s door. Jimmy stood to the side out of sight of the peephole. With any luck, Gabby could talk with her without Jimmy ever having to show his face.

Moira swung the door open quickly enough that she probably hadn’t even checked the peephole. “Hello.”

Not an ounce of wariness in her voice.

“Moira O’Leary?”

“Yes.”

Gabby flashed her badge.

“Oh, my God. What happened? Who’s hurt?”

Gabby’s hand flicked up. “No one, Ms. O’Leary. I have a few questions for you about a function you attended last night.”

“What about it?”

Jimmy heard her tone change, like she was preparing for a fight.

“There was a guest there, James Buchanan.” Gabby paused.

Jimmy listened for Moira’s smart-a*s remark, but none followed.

“Mr. Buchanan is part of an ongoing investigation, so I’m here to request that you not include his photo in whatever article you might print about the party.” Gabby shifted closer, standing a full head above Moira. “Did you take any photos of Mr. Buchanan?”

“Hmm…surprisingly, he disappeared as soon as I was heading over to meet him.”

Jimmy heard the smirk. She knew. He rolled his shoulder off the wall and pressed his palm against the door, widening the opening to reveal himself.

Moira let out a little yip and jumped. “I knew it. I only saw you for a second, but I knew. Why the hell did you run out? And what’s up with the phony name? Oh. You’re undercover, right? I bet it’s something good. Tell me—”

“Moira.” The single word came out sharper than he’d meant, but it worked. Moira’s jaw snapped shut.

Gabby continued, “Ms. O’Leary, did you mention to anyone that you saw Detective O’Malley at the party last night?”

“No. I thought it was Jimmy, but by the time I made my way through the crowd, he was gone and Decker said he was James Buchanan. I thought I’d imagined seeing you.”

Although Moira spoke directly to him, Gabby interrupted her. “Ms. O’Leary.” When she had Moira’s attention, she went on. “Detective O’Malley is undercover and it’s imperative that no one know his real name.”

Moira slid her gaze back to Jimmy, and being the oldest of five, he knew what was coming.

“What’s in it for me?”

“The thanks of the Chicago Police Department,” he answered.

She snorted. “That’s not gonna pay my rent. I want an exclusive. I’ll keep my mouth shut and you give me the details before anyone else.”

“How about you keep your mouth shut or I’ll haul you in on obstruction charges?”

Gabby touched his forearm, but he refused to back down. No way was Moira going to get the better of him. He’d never bowed down to any reporter and he wouldn’t start now.

Moira stood, staring at him with her arms crossed defiantly below her full breasts, daring him to threaten her again.

The problem was, legal threats weren’t crossing his mind just then. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and Gabby stepped between them.

“Ms. O’Leary, we can’t promise you’ll get the story first, mostly because there might not be much of a story when we’re done with our investigation. But we’ll do our best.” She pulled a card from her pocket and handed it to Moira.

She accepted it and smiled up at Jimmy, who glared at her over Gabby’s head. “What, Jimmy, no card from you? However will I contact you?” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, yeah. I can probably knock on your dad’s door.”

He stiffened at the implication that he couldn’t support himself, mostly because Moira knew the truth. He’d moved back home to take care of his dad. s**t, she’d been there to help him move in. Gabby stepped back and he either had to move or knock her over.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. O’Leary,” Gabby said.

Moira moved back inside her apartment and wagged her fingers at him before closing the door. Her smile returned to the sweet one that he found so hard to resist. He listened, but she didn’t lock the door. Gabby turned and started down the stairs. She looked over her shoulder. “You coming?”

“In a minute.” When Gabby hit the landing and turned the corner, he grabbed the doorknob and turned. Sure as s**t, it turned without any resistance whatsoever. What the hell was that girl thinking?

He opened the door and strode in. She had the radio on and he knew she couldn’t hear him. He leaned against the wall in the hallway at the epicenter of the apartment and waited. She wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without seeing him.

Within a minute she emerged from her bedroom wearing a skimpy robe while reading the label on a jar. Although he hadn’t moved, it was like she felt his presence and looked up. Everything froze. Her eyes widened.

Then she screamed, threw the jar at him. The bottle bounced off his chest and he grabbed it from the floor. Wax.

Jimmy let out a chuckle.