21. Ripples in the Net
AS SOONas they entered the precinct, Andi could tell, not only by the agitation of the arthropods but also by the nervous hum in the air, that something was wrong. He just hoped the chief hadn’t gone nuclear because they had again done something she didn’t like. Then again, if it had been about them, the whole precinct wouldn’t be in uproar. They reached the first floor with the bullpen, where things were even more hectic. George had the presence of mind to stop one of the officers rushing past and ask her what happened.
“They haven’t reached out to you?” Her eyes were wide with horror. George shook his head.
“No. For what?”
“Daniel Holway escaped custody this morning at eight o’clock.”
George looked at Andi, who just shrugged. “Told you so.”
The officer hurried on, paying them no more attention. Andi followed George to their desks, where they were promptly met by Detectives Mescew and Gentry, two of their colleagues Andi could at least tolerate.
“There you are. About time.” Detective Sandra Mescew smiled at them, taking the sting out of her words. The sharp lines around her eyes and mouth told Andi she’d had one hell of a morning. Her usually meticulous bun was loose, longer strands of her thick black hair framing her face while some of the shorter ones stuck up in all directions. She actually resembled the pictures of Medusa Andi had seen in a book about Rome, not that he would ever dare say it to her face. She was an excellent detective and a better shot than Andi.
“What’s going on?” George nodded at her and her partner, Tobias Gentry. He, too, looked stressed, the dark circles under his eyes blending with his beard. At forty-eight he was one of their senior detectives with a cool head in a crisis. He wasn’t the most ingenious detective, but what he lacked in imagination he made up for with sheer determination and a love for detail that would have made Andi kill him, had they been partners. As it was, Mescew and Gentry were a good team with a solid solving rate. Andi wasn’t surprised they had been tasked with catching Daniel Holway.
“As you’ve probably heard already, Daniel Holway, your main suspect, escaped from the hospital this morning. Apparently he had help, but we don’t know any specifics yet. Shireen is already looking at the video footage, trying to find out how he did it and where he could have gone. Where have you been all morning? The chief has been asking for you.”
I can imagine, Andi thought. Out loud he said, “We’ve been trying to tie up some loose ends.” There was no need for anybody to know their loose ends were about the right brand of butter. Andi still didn’t understand the concept. “I assume you’re in charge of the escape scene?”
“Oh yes. What a joy.” Mescew made a face. “The chief said the case was closed, so you can take over now since this is your suspect?” The hope in her voice made Andi smile. Chasing escaped suspects was usually a bitch.
“Actually no. As I said, there are still some loose ends we have to tie up. We do appreciate your help and hope you’ll find Holway as soon as possible.” Andi kept his voice and face blank, trying to sound as professional as possible. The problem with detectives, though, was that they were a suspicious bunch to begin with, and Mescew had known him since he started at the CPD. She was neither blind nor stupid, much to Andi’s annoyance.
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not going to ask, so you don’t have to lie to me, but if you don’t tell us to stop working the moment you’ve done whatever you’re going to do, I’ll personally wring your scraggly neck. Understood, Hayes?”
Andi nodded gravely, not wanting to aggravate her even more.
George just shrugged. “Where’s the chief?” he wanted to know.
“In her office screaming at officers through the phone,” Gentry answered. If his tone was supposed to sound neutral, he was doing a terrible job. Chief Norris didn’t have many fans at the precinct, certainly not with the more experienced officers. Perhaps she would have been more lenient with Andi if her standing as chief with the entire precinct were better. Those were idle thoughts, though, because the fact was she had a hard time, she could sense the resentment directed at her, and she had chosen Andi as the outlet for her frustration.
“Then it’s probably best we don’t disturb her. What do you think, Andi?”
Andi was more than happy to avoid Chief Norris wherever he could. “Why don’t we go see Evangeline? Perhapsshehas some good news for us.”
“I heard that,” Detective Mescew grumbled.
“Hey, I didn’t blame you, did I?”
“Not in so many words. Get going, Hayes.” Gentry was suppressing a laugh, much to the annoyance of Mescew, who socked him in the shoulder. The way the man winced, he was probably getting a nice bruise.
Andi and George left them to their bantering in favor of descending down to Evangeline’s kingdom. Today, she had her stunning black hair up in the messiest bun Andi had ever seen, including the one Mescew was sporting at the moment, the tattoos on her face looking too dark on her pale skin. Apparently, she had pulled another all-nighter, always working hard to bring justice for those who could no longer claim it themselves.
“Talofa lava, Andi, George. Though I heard it’s not such a good morning after all.” She raised one thick, perfectly shaped brow.
“Good morning to you, too, Evangeline. And no, we’ve seen better.” Andi smiled at her. “Rough night?”
“Don’t get me started. Suspected murder which turned out to be a mass suicide with four victims.” She shuddered. “And they didn’t go easy on themselves.”
Andi knew better than to pry further. It wasn’t his case, and if Evangeline wanted to share more, she would do so without prompting.
“I was about to send my report to you yesterday when they were dumped in my lap.”
“You’ve found something?” George sounded hopeful.
“Loe. I don’t know how you always know what to look for, and I certainly don’t care what kind of sacrifices you made to whatever dark deity you’re serving, but Ididfind your silk protein. It was a miniscule trace preserved in a pocket formed by a piece of cloth and the chains, keeping it from dissolving in the water.”
