But all I could think about was her.
Those silver eyes were so full of hurt and pain. We may be over, and I’m still hurt from it, but the last thing I ever want to do is cause her pain.
I’ve spent the afternoon talking with Reid. He and Oakley have been working nonstop to hack into the precinct’s security footage, and they finally get the break we’d been hoping for.
“Are you sure?” I ask once he relays what they discovered.
“I’m watching the footage now. It took us some time to decode the AI loop they embedded, but Oak got in. The genius fucker,” Reid says with a hint of pride in his voice. “Looks like Gainey is the one letting them in, and he’s not working alone. Someone with advanced knowledge of AI and hacking skills is helping. My guess is someone with security access.”
He pauses.
“We’re sending this to you now. Watch it and see if anything looks familiar to you: mannerisms, body language, the brief exchange with Gainey. The devil is in the details. We both agree that it could be a female based on the build and movements alone, but let me know your thoughts.”
“Copy that,” I say.
I’m about to end the call when Reid asks, “Have you talked to Dad about what’s going on?”
I sigh, pushing my hand through my hair. “I don’t want to worry him with this, not with everything going on with Mom.”
“He’d want to know. Regardless of what’s going on with Mom.”
I do know that, but if I tell him, he’ll stress himself out about it, and so will my mother. That’s the last thing either of them needs right now.
I rub my forehead. “Have they found anything yet?”
“Still waiting on more test results,” he replies, voice laced with concern.
Silence hangs heavily between us. The uncertainty about what’s going on with our mother and her health was a constant worry between my siblings and me. Pretty sure our father was out of his mind with it. He’s the backbone of our family, but our mother is the heart, and if anything happens to her…
“I’ll call him,” I say, reassuringly.
Reid grunts his approval before ending the call. I pull up the encrypted video on my phone and watch it several times, noting the timestamp, date, and the exchange. Everything. But nothingstands out.
The knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts. When I open the door, I find Karmen standing on the other side, my weak heart kicking up at the sight of her.
“Hey,” I greet, and she gives me a weak smile as she enters.
I shut the door, then turn to take her in. She’s wearing jeans today with a loose-fitting sweater, and her hair hangs in waves around her shoulders, framing her beautiful face. She’s much more casual today, but there’s tension in her body that unsettles me.
I collect a step forward, opening my mouth to speak, to apologize for yesterday, for hurting her, but before I can get the words out, she asks, “So, what do we have?”
I decide not to push her. Instead, I show her the video. We watch it together several times, noting the suspect enters after the Bravo shift ends at 6 p.m., when most of the administration is gone for the day. Gainey lets the suspect in at precisely 6:12 p.m. They have nothing in their hands, but when they come back out of the locker, they’re holding two large duffel bags, one in each hand.
“The body is small compared to the bags,” Karmen notes. “I agree. Definitely a female.” She points to the screen. “Wait, there.”
“What is it?”
She takes the phone from my hands and rewinds it, zooming in on the wrist. “Do you know anyone on staff with that tattoo?”
I study the tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve. It’s a tiny sliver of skin between the hem of the shirt and the black leather gloves they’re wearing, but then I see it.
Well, fuck me.
“I know who it is.”
“Lieutenant Emily Parker,” Benson confirms as I pull up her file on my laptop, along with her image.
“Graduated from the academy seven years ago. Been with Metro ever since and started on patrol. Works under Captain Gregory Foster’s command as a lieutenant. No children. Never married. No write-ups or warnings.” I continue reading her psychological evaluation. Nothing glaring, but that doesn’t mean shit. “Seems like a big job for her. She can’t be doing this alone. Do you think Foster could be involved with this?” I give him a pointed look.
