Rain was coming down hard as hell that night. Like the whole city was pissed off or something. Neon kept flashing pink and blue across the floor through all the cigarette smoke. It was 1949 ... almost 1950 ... and this old office still smelled like wet wool and paper. I had my feet up on the desk feeling pretty damn cocky about myself. 20 years old and everybody in this city thought I was the one running the Edgefield Detective Agency.

Truth is my mom was the real legend. Helen Edgefield. World famous. Papers used to put her face on the front page all the time. When she died I figured I’d just take over like it was nothing. Ruby Sutherland had different plans though. She’d been my mom’s best friend and partner for years. After the funeral she just stayed. Took me under her wing like it was the most natural thing in the world. We became fast friends despite our age difference. Now she ran every important part of the business while I got to act like the big, tough detective out front. It was a man’s world, as they say, and having me as the public face of the agency seemed to be more comforting to our male clients. But Ruby was something else. She kept me grounded every single time my mouth or my dick tried to mess things up.

Door opened without knocking. As usual. Ruby walked in with that leather folder of hers hugged against her chest.

Jesus Christ.

She looked so soft and full it made my dick throb just looking at her. Wide hips that stretched that gray wool skirt tight across them. Thick thighs that rubbed together a little when she walked. Heavy soft breasts pushing against her silk blouse no matter how careful she buttoned it. Soft stomach under the red cardigan. Round full ass that swayed just enough to drive me crazy. Auburn hair pinned neat and those thick glasses sliding down her nose. Forty-something. Soft and heavy, but also a real detective. Like she was made for this.

“We got a case,” she said calm like always. “Came in through the back channel. High up. Protected names. The kind that makes people disappear if they dig too deep.”

I was already staring at those hips. She set the folder down and started flipping pages. I put out my cigarette.

“The victim was a mid-level accountant for the shipping company. Found floating in the harbor two nights ago. Official story is robbery but the numbers in his private ledger don’t add up. Someone’s been moving money through the docks for months and this guy got too close.”