My eyebrows shoot up. The cheeky little shit. “Side piece?” I sputter. “Either you’ve been doin’ a little too much homework, or you’ve been sent to spy, which is it?”
“Neither,” she says. I can tell she has a little sass in that tone, and in her nosiness. “I’m helping out with my first big case, as it happens.”
“You a rookie detective?”
She looks young, maybe early twenties. “Yep.” She lowers her voice. “And I’m in trouble already.”
I grin. “Why’s that?”
She lowers her voice. “I, uh, well, you could say I annoyed the captain.”
“What did you do?” This I’ve got to hear. If she’s spilling her guts to me, there’s clearly something she needs to get off her chest.
“I’m kinda the one that arrested her brother when I was at my station in Mississippi, I got transferred recently,” she says, biting down on her lip. “It was my second or third day on patrol. Talk about shit outta luck.”
I pique a brow. “And she knows?”
She sighs. “Oh, she knows. That’s why… I was kinda wondering…”
“You didn’t just wander in here, did you?”
Her face screws up, and she winces just a little. “No, I knew you were here. I thought you might put in a good word for me. So far the captain doesn’t even know I’m alive, which is cool and all, but I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot.”
I laugh. “Uh, huh. And why would I put in a good word for you? I don’t even know you.”
“Because I was just doing my job, and she’ll listen to you. Plus, I’m a hard worker, loyal, and by the book. I’m always the first to arrive, and the last one to leave, but she doesn’t seem to see any of that.”
“Right, and you think I can help because she’s my wife? Presumptuous much?”
“I wanted to bring it up, but the opportunity hasn’t arisen yet,” she sighs. “So, yeah, I’m going out on a limb here, bud. Could you help me out or not?”
“What case are you on?”
“I can’t tell you?—”
“I’m not gonna say anythin’,” I say.
“You know the rooftop killer over in East Riverside?”
I nod. I’ve heard about it because it’s all that’s been on the news lately. “So, if you’ve been put on that case, it doesn’t seem like the boss has anythin’ against you?”
“I’m babysitting. Running errands and getting coffees,” she whines. “Seriously, this sucks. I was top of my class back home, now I’m back at the bottom of the pond again.”
“Good detective work involves being a little more incognito,” I say. “And sometimes you’ve gotta start at the bottom to get to the top. That’s life.”
“Right, you know that from all your experience in the force?” she throws back.
I point to my worn patch. “You see this?”
She nods.
“You know what it means?”
She nods again.
“And you’re not afraid of it?”
She shrugs. “I guess it’s intimidating, but you’re trusted by the boss, so it’s really not such a big deal. It’s not like you’re gonna do something bad in a building surrounded by cops.”
