“Any new leads?” I ask Carl and Luke, who are leading the team on the investigation.
“We’re interviewing a new eyewitness who says she saw the killer leaving the fire escape,” Luke informs me. “I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but it brings all the damn kooks out of the woodwork.”
“It’s Halloween,” Carl and I say in unison. We both laugh. There’s never been a more correct statement.
These two are my guys. When half of the station was arrested and charged with corruption and countless other atrocities, few were left standing. I’ll admit there were whispers about some of the guys — not all — but Carl and Luke weren’t among them. Sometimes I don’t know what to feel about any of it. I know that’s the way the cookie crumbled, but how anyone can take bribes, cover up investigations and misuse or lose evidence is astounding to me. It has made my job all that much harder because we have a new team, and I don’t know them or how they operate. That takes time. I don’t doubt there will always be crooked cops, but I won’t be giving second chances or looking the other way. Not gonna happen. It’s nice to know, however, I can still trust at least some of the team. I know I would never admit that out loud, because I’m supposed to have faithin everyone until proven otherwise, but excuse me if my nerves have been a little shot.
“When is the new witness arriving?” I ask.
“In about half an hour.” Luke thumbs behind him. “Interview room three. Like I said, don’t get your hopes up, this guy is good.”
The rooftop killer has been terrorizing the neighborhood of East Riverside for the last few months, but so far his patterns are erratic. I fear we’re no further along in finding him than we are with the cold cases my father is working on, but we have to have a breakthrough soon. It’s all over the news, and when we don’t get results, that’s when the pressure is put on the entire team.
I’ve ordered nightly patrols of the area, and made several statements to the public — especially to the women in the area to take extra precautions until the killer is caught. He will slip up soon, but his MO is yet to be determined. Right now, establishing his type and motive are both proving difficult because it’s like he strikes at random. I sincerely doubt that is the case, but fewer things have baffled me like this one.
“You good, boss?” Luke asks as I snap out of my reverie.
“Yep.”
“Hey, if you want us to keep Haze out of your office, just say the words,” Carl adds. “I know he’s contracted and all, but that doesn’t mean he gets full access to you whenever he wants, we can keep him away.”
I want to laugh, even though I know I shouldn’t. They’re just doing their jobs, and they’re loyal. I can’t tell them right now about our plans to potentially reconcile because that’ll get back to the higher ups and then I really have to think about my explanation. It isn’t as though they don’t know I was married to Haze (granted, they also don’t know we’renotdivorced). However, I’m also conscious of how it will look in their eyes. Despite Haze’s persistence that I’m somehow ashamed of ourrelationship, I’m not. I just haven’t got it all figured out. I’m also not going to let them decide who I can and can’t be with. That just isn’t happening.
I pique a brow. “Can you keep him away?”
Luke nods. “Yep, we can. Despite his pushiness, we’re still in charge here.”
“You sure about that? I need to find this asshole in East Riverside, not worry about Haze and what he’s doing.”
“What he means is, we’re worried about you,” Luke says, a little more gently. “There’s a lot on your shoulders, boss, and we just wanna lighten the load where we can.”
I give him a look. “While I appreciate that, you don’t have to worry about me or my relationship, guys, I’ve got this. Truly.”
Both look at me skeptically. Would I usually let anyone even bring this up, much less at work? Not a chance, but we go way back. When I was partners with Callaghan, the four of us often worked cases together, and we got to know one another pretty well. Carl is married with a baby on the way, and Luke is a serial bachelor. The four of us couldn’t be more different, but our team worked. I wouldn’t be where I am now without them.
“Just so you know, we’ll always have your back,” Luke says. “No matter what.”
I give them a begrudging smile. I know they mean well, and I appreciate it, but it’s like having two big brothers who constantly look out for me whether I want it or not. Not that I’m complaining, they’re buddies, and I wouldn’t want it any other way, but they also get on my nerves. I already have one protective little brother, and while Max hasn’t been around the last couple of years — something I’m still coming to terms with — Callaghan, I know he’d put himself in harm’s way to protect me. I just truly hope my brother has finally found his calling and made peace with the past.
He’s a Sinclair, so that’s highly unlikely. We come from a long line of procrastinators and even Max, the loose cannon of the family, rarely makes a decision without seeing it through to the bitter end. Sometimes those decisions have landed him in jail.
“I get that, and appreciate it,” I say with a nod. “I have your back, too, but before we hold hands and sing Kumbaya, let’s get back to it.”
“Yes, boss,” they say in unison.
I flip them both the bird and head back to my office, a smirk on my face.
It’s not until I get to my floor that I hear laughing from one of the offices I pass by. Several female officers are loitering around the doorway, and I stop to see what’s going on. Then I understand. Narrowing my eyes, I clear my throat and several of them jump in surprise.
“What’s going on in here?” I demand, my eyes finding Haze.
All I can see through the throng of women is his lazy smile. And I do not like it one single bit.
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
Haze
