I pulled my Glock from the holster and checked the mag. I went to the door and looked through the peephole. I didn’trecognize the man, but he had cop written all over him. “Hold your badge up to the peephole.”
The man chuckled and reached for the clipped badge on his belt, holding it up to the glass. I turned to Sean. “Are you expecting a detective?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“What’s the hold up?”
I glanced out the peephole again. A uniformed woman had joined the detective. A petite redhead with a nice figure—if one were into that.
“Let us in, or we’ll have to resort to drastic measures.” Her voice sounded bossy.
“Oh, that’s Officer Mathers. Let them in.”
I put my gun in the holster and opened the door. “Come in.”
They both walked into the condo, looking around before they closed the door behind them. There was another quick knock, and the cop opened the door this time. “You are?”
“I’m Mr. Fitzpatrick’s attorney, Spencer Brady.” The man slid inside without waiting for an invitation.
Sean nodded and walked over to Mr. Brady, giving him a hug. “Thanks for coming, Senator.”
That was when it clicked. Spencer Brady, former senator from Virginia. Lost the election because of an extramarital affair, or something. I remembered he came out, and his boyfriend was hot, not that the senator wasn’t a silver fox in his own right.
“Who are you?” The senator gave me the up and down.
I stepped forward and stuck out my hand. “I’m a friend of Sean’s. I’m here to look out for him.”
“Spencer Brady.” He turned to the cops. “And you are?”
“I’m Detective Michael Compton, and this is Officer Patrice Mathers. We have some questions for Mr. Fitzpatrick.” Compton turned to me. “Do you have a wear/carry permit for that Glock?”
I retrieved my wallet and pulled out my permit, handing it to the detective. He looked at it before handing it to Officer Mathers. She glanced and handed it to me with a grin. “Thank you for your service, soldier.”
I chuckled. “Takes one to know one. Which branch?”
“Army, same as you. MP. Too on the nose?” I assumed she was referring to her transition from military police officer to local law enforcement.
I chuckled and extended my hand to shake hers. “Hey, go with your strengths. How about we get down to the reason why you two are here?”
Officer Mathers nodded and turned to Sean, who was sitting at the larger dining table with another cup of coffee. He smiled. “Can I get you some coffee or water?”
I took a breath. “I’ll take care of it. What can I get the two of you?”
They gave me their requests, and I went into the galley kitchen to make coffee while still listening to the discussion. At least Sean’s lawyer friend was with him to keep him from saying something stupid.
Or so I hoped.
Chapter Five
Sean
Two cops. A hot former soldier with a gun. My friend and soon-to-be employee, who was a former senator. What a fucked-up coffee clutch.
I turned to Officer Mathers, not giving a fuck about the handsome detective sitting next to her. He wasn’t as wrinkled and oafish as I’d expected, thinking about the stereotype from old detective shows, but there was something about him that didn’t sit well with me.
Mathers came across as dismissive of Compton. Was it professional jealousy on her part? I wasn’t sure how police officers were ranked. Were detectives higher in the pecking order than uniformed officers, or were they on two separate career paths? Whatever was going on with the two of them, they didn’t appear to be comfortable in each other’s company, which was a bit unsettling to me.
Maybe Compton sensed Mathers wasn’t attracted to him, and it pissed him off? Some people wanted to feel as if they were desired by everyone, whether it was true or not.
