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Traver.
    "Revenge," he muttered.

Chapter 7
     
     
    Kat's parting words shook Brunelle more than he would have liked to admit. He spent the rest of the afternoon drafting charging documents that normally wouldn't have taken him more than thirty minutes to create. As the day drew to a close and he was satisfied he was prepared for the next morning's arraignment, he picked up the phone and booked a room at the hotel across the street from the casino.
    There was no way he was going to risk being late again because of bad traffic or a blocking accident. He was going to be within walking distance, file in hand. He knew when it came time for trial, he'd be spending a couple of weeks down there. Might as well get used to it.
    Besides, he could unwind over a beer and blackjack.
    Once he was checked in, he walked across the street and took out fifty bucks from the casino's ATM. That would be his limit. Once it was gone, he'd head back to his room.
    Three hours later, he still had forty bucks in his wallet and too many beers in his bloodstream.
    He stood up from the blackjack table and decided to walk around the casino for a bit to clear his head. He drained the last of his beer and calculated how long it would be until he felt sober again. He knew from his early days prosecuting DUIs that his body would burn off about one drink an hour.
    He looked at his watch. He needed another hour without drinking.
    He looked at his empty beer bottle. Or one more beer and two more hours of blackjack.
    He sat down at the bar in the center of the cavernous, smoke-filled casino and ordered another beer. Then he ran a hand over his short hair as he tried to figure out why he felt so bad about Kat storming out on him.
    He hadn't said anything that wasn't true. Didn't women always say they wanted honesty? And anyway, she'd brought it up, not him. She'd forced the issue. It wasn't his fault Talon was hot; it was Talon's. And anyway, she was a bitch. A shrew. That was one of those words nobody used any more, but it fit perfectly. And weren't shrews supposed to be tamed? Who was going to tame her? Him? Not likely. He was a jackass. And besides, nothing gets a conviction overturned on appeal like the prosecutor sleeping with the defense attorney. Not like that ever happened, but he didn't want to be the first. He didn't need that. He didn't need her either. And he didn't need Kat. Maybe that's why she was so mad, because he hadn't called her, hadn't followed up on what they both felt. Didn't she understand he didn't want to endanger her? Sure, they could have just hooked up, no strings attached, but he knew it wouldn't have stopped there. Maybe that's what he was scared of. Maybe he should just try for another barmaid.
    He looked up at the woman serving the drinks.
    "Never mind," he muttered. And he was definitely too drunk to drive all the way back up to Seattle before closing time.
    "Never mind what?"
    Brunelle turned sharply at the voice sitting down next to him. It was Freddy. Freddy, the really nice guy. Always smiling. No wonder Kat liked him. Or had liked him. Or still did.
    Brunelle grabbed his forehead. Thinking hurt.
    He lowered his hand and shook his head. "Like I said, never mind." Then he returned his partner's smile. "What are you doing here?"
    Freddy shrugged and patted his thick gut. "Best food in Tacoma. I had dinner, then stuck around for some slots. I was just heading out when I saw you sitting here."
    He looked at Brunelle's hand on his beer and appraised the flush on his face. "You're not driving back up to Seattle tonight, are you?"
    Brunelle shook his head. "No. I got a hotel room. I didn't want to be late to old man LeClair's courtroom tomorrow morning.
    Freddy spun and faced forward on his barstool. "Good thinking. He's gonna give you shit the whole trial, just because you're not Native. No reason to piss him off extra."
    "Hardly seems fair," Brunelle complained. "But I'll deal with it. Lots of judges are jerks for lots of different