The hero was a secondary character in Desert Inferno :). This scene is him remembering when he first arrived for this job. He and his partner have a fun bromance (something I always like writing).
Over a quick lunch at a small cafe, Vance, who'd done the advance work and set up the situation, had grinned as he had told David, “I found you a way in.”
“Let’s hear it.” David had sipped the strong coffee while checking his Blackberry for emails.
“It’s a natural.” David had looked up. Something about Rich’s face had told him this wasn’t going to be good.
“And?”
“As an artist’s model. Classroom work and private sessions for a sculptor.”
“Not a chance.”
“It’s not like you could come in as a professor. Give me a break and don’t be so selfish. This was the only way, and it took some work setting it up.” Rich’s look had been aggrieved. David hadn't bought it.
“There has to be another way.”
“It’s your ex’s drawing class. She’s the sculptor.”
David had clenched his jaw but hadn’t tried to explain to Rich how many ways this idea bothered him. He’d always found his supposed good looks to be more detriment than advantage. The idea of students watching him, drawing him, painting him… Geesus. And then there was his ex-wife. She’d be there seeing him in the weakest possible light. There had to be another way.
“You do it. I’ll stay outside this time.”
“I’m not the type for a model. Too many doughnuts. You work out all the time for tense nerves, but it’s paid off on the body too. Come on, you know it makes sense. It gets you inside, lets you be where you can look for what the cops missed. There will be something there, you’ll find it, and we’ll be out of here with another brilliant solution to a cold case.”
