“Hey there, Shannon,” he said, a huge smile breaking across his face as he shook hands with the detective.
“Hey there yourself, ACA Campbell!” Shannon Nash said, gripping Colin’s hand. I hear you’re tearing the place up over here.”
Colin shot a quick glance at Clayton who frowned as he motioned Colin to a chair. “Colin, we had another abduction last night, this time it was a young man. Same MO, not far from the Culbreth Theater.”
Colin nodded in response. He threw a fake punch at the shoulder of the campus police officer who stood next to Clayton’s desk. “Good to see you, Donnie.” He glanced around at the group. “Are both of you assigned to this case?” he asked as he took a seat.
“Yes,” Clayton said, “through the joint task force. They’re both going work with me to resolve this thing, and I want you as liaison between my office and local police forces, making sure everyone has the most up-to-date information.”
“When was the young man abducted?” Colin asked.
“Around eleven last night as best we can figure out from talking to his girlfriend,” Donald Thompson told him. “She’s a student who was at the Culbreth rehearsing a play for the junior class. She’s a set designer. He was supposed to pick her up at eleven, but never showed up. He left his job at around ten-forty and hasn’t been seen since.”
“She contacted us this morning,” Shannon added.
“Any leads?” Colin asked. “Witnesses? Anyone see or hear anything?”
“Not so far as we know,” Shannon told him. “But we are still canvasing the area. We may get lucky and come up with something.”
“If you do,” Clayton said, “touch base with Colin right away. He’ll make sure that all of us are advised of any new leads or pertinent information.” He glanced at his watch and moved from behind his desk, without a glance at the other men. “I’ve got a meeting. Colin, I’ll expect you to be on top of this.”
Colin nodded and got to his feet, refusing to respond to Clayton’s condescending tone. “Yes, sir.” It was a struggle for him not to react, particularly in front of two police officers with whom he had worked closely for years, but he held his tongue and his temper and watched as Clayton stalked from the room.
“Jesus,” Donald said, his lip curling as he watched Clayton move down the hall. “What adick.”
Colin glanced at his friend, his mouth quirked on one side in a half-amused smirk. “Yeah,” he drawled out, then gave his head a quick shake. “Thanks, guys,” he said. “You both have my number. Call me the minute you get anything.”
“Sure thing, Colin,” Nash said, then laid a hand on his arm. “You like this better than wearing a badge?”
“Colin doesn’t likeanythingbetter than wearing a badge,” Donald said, grinning in Colin’s direction. “But I’ll bet Josh likes it a lot better.”
“Josh is happy that I no longer walk out the door with a gun on my hip, I’ll say that,” Colin said.
“I’ll bet he is,” Shannon Nash said. “He went through a lot when you were shot.”
“We all did,” Donald remarked, then patted Colin on the back. “I’ll be in touch, Irish.”
Colin shook hands with both men, then wandered back to his office. He fell into his chair and sat staring at the wall, as he worried a fingernail.Well, I wanted to be part of the case and now I am. I hope I don’t end up regretting it.
* * *
Colin had completedhis court appearances for the day and was back at his desk when his phone rang. “Campbell,” he said in greeting.
“Colin, it’s Shannon. The kid was dumped in the Barracks Road shopping center parking lot. He’s been transported to University Hospital, and I’m headed there now to see if he’s able to talk.”
“Thank god he’s alive.”
“From what I gather, just barely. He’s beat within an inch of his life.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Colin said, then hung up the phone. “Goddammit!” he hissed out, then quickly called Donald Thompson to inform him of this latest development. On his way out the door, he spotted Norman Clayton seated in his office. He knocked once on the doorframe, then leaned inside. “The abducted kid was dumped in the Barracks Road parking lot,” Colin told him. “He’s been taken to the hospital, and I’m headed there now to see what I can find out.”
Clayton nodded. “Get on with it then,” he snapped. “Report to me when you get back.” Without looking up, he waved Colin out of his office.
Colin hesitated. His upper lip drew back over his teeth as the urge to challenging Clayton’s arrogant dismissal clenched his stomach. But seeing no real point to it, he steeled himself and stalked from the building.
At the hospital, he located Shannon Nash in the fifth-floor lobby, talking with a young girl who Colin assumed was the victim’s girlfriend. After a moment she turned away and Shannon walked to his side.
“Not much so far,” he told Colin. “He’s conscious and gave us a description that fits with the other abductions.” He glanced at Colin, his gaze shadowed. “He’s in pretty rough shape, physically and emotionally.”
