Read Jump The Line (Toein' The Line Book 1) for Free Online Page B

brief glimpses I got of her, it looked like sh e’ d modeled her makeshift outfit loosely on those exotic harem dancer s ’ costumes, like maybe she used a pair of Wal-Mart curtains stapled together to look like harem pants.  Basically, she was wearing more mascara than clothing, if you count her G-string and the two black Wally World curtains rubber banded around her ankle s— nothing else.  Fuck me.  Watching her, I could barely focus on the reason I went to Oma r’ s.
    Fighting a surge of heat to my groin, I focus on what I know, what I’ ve learned about her so far.  I’ ve had my new rookie partner up all night, running Alaina Colby through Ohi o’ s and Kentuck y’ s state crime databases.  Sh e’ s also been searching county records online. 
    DeeDee Laws, NP D’ s newest rookie, who used to work as a stringer for the Enquirer but quit when she joined NPD to avoid any conflict of interest, ran Alain a’ s background check in record time and came up with zip.  Alaina Colb y’ s clean.  Sh e’ s got no criminal record.  She works as an exotic dancer at Oma r’ s to pay her way through college.  She also works at Verbote Dental weekdays.  Meantime, she goes to the university fulltime, an honor student with a minor in dance and a major in criminology. 
    I pause.  If sh e’ s so clean, wh y’ d she skip out without learning why I was at Oma r’ s? 
    I’ ve got a lot of questions about her, some of them not so professional.  Is it possible sh e’ s interested in this rumpled trucker, a shoe-in for a part in a movie like Texas Chainsaw Massacre ?   
    “ Theodore, wh y’ d you chase her into the alley ? ”
    He leans his head sideways and glares.  I get a whiff of his body odor.  I t’ s strong, but I ca n’ t complain.  My own underarms smell like chicken shit.  I’ ve been up forever with no sleep, have n’ t been home for a shower.  All tha t’ s keeping me going is the extra pot of coffee I just asked DeeDee Laws to make.  Since the first body showed up a few weeks back, I’ ve done nothing but think about this case and our killer ,“ Megalo Don ,” w e’ ve dubbed him.
    I let my perp sit for a minute, eyeballing his rap sheet.  When he does n’ t answer, I pull it back to my side of the table and flip to a page.  I pretend to read, not that I need to: I can quote these bastard s ’ narratives in my sleep.  “ Says here, yo u’ ve been arrested for assault.  Specifications, too.  What kind of weapon did you use ? ”
    “ Charges were dropped ,” Theodore says, drawing his lips into a victorious smirk, rubbing the thick stubble powdering his cheeks.  “ You got a cigarett e— officer ? ”
    “ No smoking ,” I say, nodding toward the sign and returning his attention to the rap sheet.  “ What about this charge?  Sexual assault on a minor . ”
    “C’ mon, man.  She was my old woman.  Sixteen at the time.  Fresh.  Know what I’ m saying ? ”   He winks.  “ I was twenty-two . ”
    “ They shoul d’ ve charged you with statutory rape, Theodore.  That way, yo u’ d be taking one up the ass right now, instead of sitting over there acting so smug . ”
    I watch his emotions cycle, the expressions on his face changing slowly.  First, confusion.  Then anger.  Finally, he looks like he wants to choke me with those big hands.  Sensing the direction I’ m heading, but not completely sure where yet, he draws back from the table, highly offended.  “ Hey, man, wha t’ s this shit all about ? ”
    “ You eat Moon Pies ? ”
    “ The fuck are you talking about ? ”
    I keep eye contact, my voice still easy going but getting harsher.  “ Any man worth his salt has a Moon Pie for breakfast, along with his Bud Light and a roll in the sack with hi s‘ old lady . ’   That right, Theodore ? ”
    I stay focused on his mouth, trying to get a glimpse of his teeth.  In my mind, I’ m trying to match up his incisors with the bite wounds on the