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I’d gone through it as an MP. No one—man or woman—was safe from being teased, but once you established that you had a thick skin, the teasing pretty much ended or became playful jabs, much of it to blow off steam in high-stress situations. But some people were assholes and didn’t know when to stop.
“This time, the trooper felt that he had singled her out. Made inappropriate—not sexual—comments, such as now that she was married, maybe she should find a less dangerous job.”
“That’s...odd,” Jack said.
“Her husband is also a cop, a deputy with Maricopa. They met on the job. And that’s what stands out to me—Carillo worked with this woman for two years with no issues, but after she got married, Carillo started singling her out for harassment. But the kicker—the cause for the complaint—was when she called for backup in a DUI situation and he was first on scene. He let her take lead, and as she approached the driver, he became belligerent and hit her. She ended up taking him down, but Carillo didn’t step in to help. She had a split lip and black eye. Carillo stood there and watched, told her that she looked like she could handle it.”
“Bastard,” I muttered.
“Her husband nearly went after Carillo—a couple cops had to hold him back—and in the end, the trooper transferred to Glendale PD. Carillo got a mark on his record and a one-week suspension.”
“Does he have problems with other female officers or troopers?” Jack asked. “I thought that bullshit was mostly gone.”
“You’ll always have a few numbnuts who don’t like female cops, but the training process is rigorous and most cops who have gone through the academy together don’t have issues because everyone has to pass the same tests.”
“Considering how he treated his wife,” I said, “he probably has this warped worldview that once a woman gets married, her life should focus completely on her husband.”
“That’s my take,” Rick said, “especially after I talked to Officer Nunez. He’s been helping Sullivan with the investigation into Annie’s disappearance. He didn’t put this in his report, but told me off-the-record that Carillo appeared to have separated Annie from friends, that he frowned on her doing anything without him. No one has seen physical abuse. The common theme is that Carillo worshipped Annie...but Annie was quiet, introverted, and generally skittish.”
“How does this help keep Carillo away from Rafe and Margo?” Jack asked.
“He’s losing it,” I said. “Breaking in here, confronting Rafe, threatening him—” I stopped when I saw the expression on Rick’s face. Shit.
Slowly, he said, “He broke into your house?”
“I can’t prove it.” Damn, damn, damn.
“Is that why you put cameras up?” His voice was too calm.
“I want to set him up,” I said. “He’s going to cross the line.”
“He’s already crossed the line,” Rick exclaimed. “Why didn’t you file a police report? Get it on record?”
“Because he didn’t take anything and I had no proof that it was him.”
“CSI could have printed the place. Talked to neighbors.”
“I talked to my neighbors. They didn’t see anyone or anything. He’s not stupid, Rick—he likely wore gloves. I have nothing here that can lead him to Annie, and I can’t prove he broke in. Drop it.”
Rick glanced at Jack, but didn’t say anything else.
“I’ve been thinking about how to get him to trip up,” I said. “Going after Rafe was a mistake—a big one. I don’t know that he’ll do that again.”
“He could go after you,” Rick said.
“He’s doesn’t want to jeopardize his job or risk being arrested, so whatever he does, he’s going to be subtle. If I can get him to escalate—in a controlled environment—that would be the best of all worlds. I’m thinking on it. Jack and I already talked, and he’ll back me up.” I glanced at my brother. Always, he mouthed.
Out loud, Jack said, “The more we can learn about the investigation into Annie, the better.”
“Sullivan doesn’t know you’re involved—yet,” Rick said. “He and Nunez are going through security cameras in the neighborhood, but Sullivan thinks the best option for Carillo is to file in family court.”
“He’ll do it, go through the motions,” I said, “but it won’t be enough for him. Too slow, too bureaucratic, and since he doesn’t know where Annie is, it’s going to take months—years—to find her, if they do. I need to be visible, in his face.”
“What do you mean by that?” Rick asked.
“Be someplace he can see me to channel his anger and frustration.”
Rick shook his head. “There has to be a better way.”
