“What if Rookie is right and it isn’t Adams who poisoned Flynn but Rogers?” Jett said. “What if Rogers has a tattoo on his forearm that we haven’t noticed?”
“Wouldn’t we have seen it when we were changing in the locker room?” Don Juan said.
“Maybe,” Loverboy said. “But honestly, were any of us looking at Rogers that closely?”
They shook their heads.
“I didn’t think so,” Loverboy said. “I know I wasn’t. He wasn’t even on my radar until he got into the fight with Flynn and Dugan.”
“Maybe that was the problem,” Brand said. “He wasn’t getting the attention he thought he deserved all along. Here he was, this guy suddenly being tapped to step into Adams spot as Dugan’s new partner. And he still wasn’t being noticed.”
“We all know how egos can run rampant on the police force,” Jett said.
They nodded as they climbed into the SUV. Loverboy got behind the wheel, Brand took shotgun, while Jett, Rookie, and Don Juan squeezed in the back seat. Loverboy started the engine and they headed to police headquarters to confer for Hawkeye on their next move.
CHAPTER 11
Mitchell Simpson metthem in the squad room at the police station and led them to an observation room where they could watch Hawkeye and Detective Graves interrogate Rogers. The two men were going at him hard over the rat poison purchases he’d made. They’d not wasted any time pulling him out of his holding cell upon reviewing the information Swede had sent Hawkeye.
As hard as Hawkeye and Detective Graves were giving it to Rogers he was coming back even harder, refusing to cooperate without an attorney present.
“Why aren’t you in there with him?” Brand asked.
“He kicked me out.” Simpson’s answer was blunt, and it was clear he was pissed by what had happened.
“Has he got representation coming?” Brand asked.
“No. He got a lawyer the other night, but then he promptly fired her,” Simpson said. “I can’t see him getting one again so easily without the court appointing him representation. And he’d have to be booked to get that. He’s not even been arrested, just being held as a person of interest and for pissing us off. And we don’t want him and Adams getting together easily.”
“I don’t like this guy,” Jett said. “He was going on about how he was innocent and being accused of wrong doings and yet here he is acting this way.”
“Maybe it’s a ruse to keep the police tied up so Adams can get away,” Don Juan said. “Hawkeye asked this Graves to keep a watch on Adams and yet he’s in there interrogating Rogers.”
“Good point,” Brand said. “We need a reason to go by the arena to check on Adams though. He’d accuse us of harassment if we just show up.”
“Rescheduling of the exhibition game,” Simpson suggested. “I heard Hawkeye on the phone with the arena manager earlier and someone needs to go over and pick up the amended contract. It was left at the security office in Hawkeye’s name.”
“We could do that,” Brand said. “Whatcha say, Will?”
“Sure,” Loverboy said.
The two took the SUV back to the arena, checking the time to make sure that Adams would be at work when they arrived. His shift in the past had ran from two until midnight, but who knew if his shifts ever changed.
By the time they arrived it was well after two and they made their way to the security office where Adams was talking with the manager. He didn’t look pleased to see them.
“What do you guys want?” he barked.
“We’re here to pick up the amended contract for the rescheduled exhibition game,” Brand explained casually. “We were informed it would be left here under Commander Burns name.”
“That’s right,” the security manager said. “The arena manager brought it over this morning. Lighten up, Adams. This is official business with these guys.”
“Sorry,” Adams said. “But after I was hauled down to the station the other day I have a right to be on edge when I see you.”
“You went freely,” Loverboy reminded him. “We didn’t force you. You were more than happy to go down and answer a few questions.”
“Maybe, but when I got there it turned out you were trying to say that guy in the photo was me, when it wasn’t,” Adams accused, his mouth turning down into a sneer. “I felt like I was being jammed up again.”
“We asked if that was you in the photo and whether you and Clinton Rogers knew one another,” Brand said. “How was that jamming you up? But that’s not what we came about. This contract is, and now we are going to go.”
