Madison didn’t wantto do this. Not with this man. She knew some of Haldyn’s history with her parents. And it wasn’tgood.She didn’t even think Gordon Harris had bothered going to thehospital to see Haldyn after she’d been shot. Haldyn’s sisters had shown up about an hour after Haldyn had been brought out of surgery, but Haldyn’s parents…no.
He looked like his daughter in some ways. Hair and eye color were the same. The same mouth, too. But the man was big and burly and snarly. Haldyn was delicate and graceful and quiet.
He just had a scowl in his eyes when he looked at her. "You work with my girl."
"I work with Haldyn, yes. She is the head of my department. And she's a good friend, Mr. Harris."
"Commander Harris. Retired."
He’d said it like he expected her to automatically give him respect. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. This man…had hurt his daughter. Had abandoned her, too. She knew, had long suspected, there had been physical abuse in Haldyn’s childhood, just from things Haldyn and Powell had said in her hearing. He wasn’t deserving of a moment of Madison’s respect.
"Mr. Harris. I'm just here to process you. Gather what forensic evidence I can find."
"Never did buy into all that bullshit scientist crap. Good investigator uses his gut. Finds what he wants. Gets it out of people when needed."
"Well, in my experience, far more cases are solved by forensic evidence than somebody beating it out of their suspects." She wasn't going to sugarcoat this. She didn't like this man. He was a total asshole. His daughter had been shot a month ago, and he hadn't even bothered showing up at the hospital to check on her once. What kind of parent did that? Madison’s mother had stayed by her side the entire time Madison had been in the hospital after the choir hall shooting. Because she loved her. "Just so you know, she's recovering. She's happy now, too. In case you care."
"Heard she’s paired off with that damned Foster boy instead of McKellen’s kid. Fool girl never did have any common sense. McKellen is heir to some serious cash. Idiot girl."
"Haldyn is one of the smartest, most loyal, kindhearted people I've ever met," Dom said, with a warning in his tone. “She and Jarrod care about each other very much. He’ll make her happy, and he adores her. Isn’t that what you want for your daughter?”
Neither one of them wanted to be there. Not hard to miss. But Madison had been next up when the call had come in.
She studied the man's injuries. Put into simple terms, someone had worked Haldyn's father over pretty good. Madison had to wonder why.
"Tell me, Harris, who's got it out for you?" Dom asked. He stood right there next to her, muscled arms crossed over his chest, as he glowered. Dom was the king of the glower, after all.
“What do you mean? This was just some punk wanting some quick cash. Hardly worth Major Crimes strutting in like he’s some god. What the hell ismajor crimes,anyway. Getting fancy now? Or that just a way to help yourselves to some funding?”
“Apparently, a division that was needed a long time ago. Clean up the dirt polluting the TSP. You know anything about that?” Dom asked. “Everyone knows there were dirty cops going back years. You got any names I should check out?”
“Not a damned thing. I don’t like what you are insinuating.”
“Tough. You getting mugged on one of the safest streets in the city, just a handful of weeks after your daughter is nearly killed intrigues me, Harris. She was attacked byyourformer partner. Not so sure I believe in those kinds of coincidences. Even if I am a god.”
Madison just stayed quiet and did what she had to do, while Dom and the jerk went around and around. Everyone knew Gordon Harris was lying. And he wasn’t very good at it. Haldyn’smother just stood there behind him, not saying a word. Haldyn was built like her mother, but that was where the similarities ended. There was an empty look in the other woman’s eyes. Madison didn’t understand it at all. The woman had three daughters—she didn’t even have a photo of them on her walls.
"Harris, these bastards put a bullet in your daughter. She almost didn't survive, in case you missed the memo. Now here you sit, a month later, having been turned into hamburger. And you're telling me you don't know why someone might want to target you? That's bullshit. We know you and Kimball were pals for years. Funny enough, your name came up in our investigation already. Good old Sol kept very detailednotes."
Haldyn’s father’s face tightened then. He looked away.
She knew Dom was going through Kimball's logs. She had not known that Haldyn's father was one of the names on the list. This was going to hurt her friend. She was so tired of the good people being the ones that were hurt all the time. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair.
"What is it one more time, Harris? Either you start cooperating, or I'm going to get the warrant myself. Have you brought in on obstruction charges."
"You can't make that work. I've not done anything. I’m just the victim here."
"Material witness. And I know you're hiding something from me. Now you either cooperate, or it's a lot more difficult for you now."
There was silence. It stretched out between them.
"I can stay here all day," Dom said. “So what will it be?”
“Fuck off, Acardi. All I am going to say isifthis had something to do with Sol Kimball, that bastard, you’ll find what you’re looking for in his damned notes. Idiot kept a journalevery damned day so he wouldn’t miss anything. Practically a woman that way. Would get so fussy when you touched his fuckingdiary.So sure he was going to miss something. Sol was a good cop, though. Didn’t realize he’d gone so bad. Never would have thought he’d do what he did, though. Shame. Heard he’s going to be nothing more than a lump for the rest of his days. Hadn’t he suffered enough with what happened to his daughter?”
Seriously? He was concerned forSol Kimball?More concerned for that man than for his own daughter. It disgusted her completely.
“What about what happened toyourdaughter? The men who orchestrated it all—they nearly killed her. You just wanting to let them get away with doing that to your kid?”
