“We need to search Layla Li’s personal locker,” Spenser said.
His face tightened. “I’m not sure I can let you do that.”
“The warrant we have says you can,” Spenser replied. “Actually, it says you have no choice. So, if you could just point us in the right direction—”
“I think I need to call the owner—”
“By all means. They’re welcome to come down and observe. Same as you,” Amanda said. “But that is a valid warrant that authorizes us to conduct our search.”
He raised his hands to his chest with his palms facing them. “Listen, I don’t want any problems, but I can’t just let you walk in here and start turning the place over. I need to call—”
“We will be delicate. You have my word,” Spenser said. “But this is going to happen. Call who you want, but we will be conducting our lawful search. I don’t want any problems with you either, Gil, and I know you’re just doing your job, but we’re doing ours as well. So, point us to the employee locker room and stand aside. If you attempt to interfere, I will be forced to arrest you for obstructing a police investigation. Am I in any way unclear?”
His expression clouded over, and he glowered at Spenser. The man seemed like one of those alpha-male types who was not used to not being in charge and didn’t particularly care for following somebody else’s orders. But he also didn’t seem to want to go to jail, so despite his obvious reservations, he pointed to a red door across the large room.
“It’s through there,” he said.
“And which locker is Layla Li’s?”
“It’s got her name on it.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation, Gil,” Spenser said then turned to her deputies. “Okay, let’s hit it.”
All activity stopped and all eyes turned to Spenser and her deputies as they crossed the gym floor. She heard the murmurs and whispers all around them. Having a small army of cops invading their sacred workout space was definitely not business as usual. Spenser could already hear the wheels of the town’s gossip mill cranking up as it got started and rolling into high gear.
“Summers and Berman, stand a post, please,” Spenser said. “Nobody in or out.”
“Copy that, Sheriff,” they said.
They took positions on either side of the door and Spenser took the small tool bag from Deputy Berman. She and Amanda slipped through the door Gil had indicated and found themselves in a small locker room. The walls were all gray concrete and three rows of tall, red lockers sat in the middle of the room with long, wooden benches in front of each set. Amanda walked through a door in the wall on the far side of the room, reappearing a moment later.
“Shower room is clear,” she said.
The music from the gym floor was muffled but still audible in the locker room and the air carried the lingering scent of perfume, deodorant, sweat, and body wash. Spenser walked the rows of lockers until she found one with a white placard bearing Layla’s name. She set the small bag down on the bench and fished out a set of bolt cutters. Turning back to the locker, Spenser raised the bolt cutters when a commotion at the door drew her attention.
Spenser turned to see Layla sprinting into the locker room with both Berman and Summers on her heels. She held her hand up to stop her deputies who were already reaching for the woman.
“Sorry, Sheriff,” Summers said. “She forced her way past us.”
“It’s okay,” Spenser replied.
Layla pulled up when she saw Spenser standing in front of her locker, her eyes widening when they fell on the bolt cutters in her hand. The look of near panic on the woman’s face was delicious and Spenser gave herself a moment to soak it in. She was self-aware enough to admit she wasn’t above a little petty gloating now and then.
“What are you doing?” she screeched.
“Executing a search warrant,” Spenser replied.
“You have no right—”
“Actually, we do,” Spenser said. “Gil has a copy of the search warrant. You’re free to go peruse it if you like.”
“I am going to have your badge, Sheriff.”
“Will you, though?”
Spenser and Layla engaged in a silent stare down for several long moments. Tension crackled in the air and raised the hair on Spenser’s arms as a rush of anticipatory adrenaline flooded her veins.
“Get away from my locker,” Layla hissed.
“What’s in there you don’t want me to see?”
She didn’t reply but, instead, lunged at Spenser. Amanda intercepted the woman, deftly pinning her arm behind her back and drawing a shrill screech from Layla. Amanda swept the woman’s legs out from under her and Layla hit the ground, belly first, with a loud grunt and a cry of pain then found Amanda’s knee in the middle of her back.
The undersheriff quickly got Layla’s wrists into cuffs at the small of her back then hauled her the woman to her feet. It was such a swift and graceful takedown that Spenser was left speechless for a moment. She chuckled and shook her head after a long moment. Even Summers and Berman looked impressed with her move.
“Wow. Amanda,” she said. “That was… that was slick. Nice work.”
“Thanks,” she replied, beaming.
“You’ve been working on that for a while, huh?”
“A few weeks. I wasn’t sure I’d actually get to use it, so thanks for that, Layla.”
“Get away from my locker,” she grunted.
“Oh, right. The locker. Thanks for the reminder, Layla,” Spenser said in a light, teasing tone. “I’ll get back to you in just a minute.”
As Layla spewed a constant and loud stream of curses at Spenser, she turned and raised the bolt cutters. The lock hit the ground with a loud, metallic thunk when Spenser cut through it. She set the bolt cutters back down on the bench then turned and opened the locker.
