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“Detectives?” Officer Clay knocks on the war room door and pokes hishead in, gulping when our eyes lazily come around. “The team is all here. So I figured?—”
“Time to assemble.” Fletch takes a sip of his coffee and nods toward the door. “Line ‘em up and have them ready to report. Malone and I will be there in about two minutes.”
“Yes, Detective.” He dips his chin once, twice, three times as he backs away, then he spins and leaves to warn the troops.
“Kid can get so fuckin’ nervous,” I chuckle. “Don’t know why. He’s the best in the bunch.”
“Bit of humility never hurt anyone.” He comes around to my side of the table and smacks my shoulder, right where a bullet tore me up earlier this year. He knows it, because he quickens his steps and practically fucking dances out of the room before I can retaliate. “How’s Delicious doing over in New York?”
I peel myself out of my chair and stride through the door to catch up. “She’s okay. Felix kidnapped her, so that’s a contentious issue I’ll have to discuss—at length—eventually.”
“Yeah?” He snorts. “Kidnapping seems to be his M.O. He’s unaccustomed to being told no, so on the off chance it happens, he resorts to stealing instead.”
Come to dinner, Arch.
No.
Come to Thanksgiving, Arch.
No.
We’ll come see you, Arch.
No.
“Seems that way.” I sip my coffee and weave through desks. Some overflowing with paperwork, and others suspiciously empty. Some have detectives sitting at them, and others, coffee rings and food crumbs. “I’m not sure what time Minka’s being called to the stand, but it’s going on noon over there now, so I know she’s been sitting a while.”
“Noon probably means lunch break, right? Can’t say I’ve ever known a judge to skip a meal.”
“Maybe.” I snag my phone from my pocket, the device vibrating with a text, as though she sensed us talking about her. Unlocking the screen and opening our chat, I find hours and hours of constantly exchanged rocks. She sends one to me, and then I send one back. If I go more than an hour without replying, her rock turns to a, ‘Where the hell are you, Malone? Check in!’
Hitting reply, I merely copy the rock, paste it down, and hit send. Then I type quickly, knowing I have seconds before I walk into our larger, crappier war room. ‘I love you. Heading into a briefing now. Don’t forget to eat.’ Hitting send, I slip the phone back into my pocket and bring my eyes up to find Fletch’s burning the side of my face. “What?”
He shakes his head, smirking as we stride through the door. “Nothing. Good to have us all back here again.” He makes his way to the board at the head of the room. “Thank you all. We’ve had surveillance placed across the city overnight and eyes scouring old case files. Detective Malone and I each have fresh theories we’d like to follow up. But first, we want an update.” He looks at Clay, since his will have the most substance. “What have you figured out since we split last night?”
“Raymone Terrabone. Drugs connections. Guns connections. And he made a public threat toward Detective’s Wright and Mercer late last year when his wife died.”
Curious, I rotate the warm cup in my hand and attempt to puzzle this connection out. “Did our vics kill Terrabone’s wife?”
“No, Detective. But they had him in custody at the time she died. He claims they detained him unnecessarily, and while he was away, an enemy swooped in and gunned her down. That enemy is behind bars already, but Raymone made his threat and has those connections. So I consider it a viable avenue for investigation.”
“Definitely viable,” I agree. “Let’s add him to the board.”
MINKA
My phone overflows with calls and texts. Emails. Even littlefind my phonealerts that I think belong to Aubree…perhaps her way of tracking me? Striding out of the courthouse, my briefcase in one hand and my phone in the other, I look left, then right, before I make a choice and head across the street in search of food.
I have my reply from Archer, proof of life and a reminder to eat, so I leave him in peace for now and instead hit dial on a different name. Bringing the phone to my ear and following my nose, I walk through New York City Streets and let nostalgia wash over me.
“Finally!” Aubree’s voice bursts into my ear, her energy somehow sucking mine away. It’s her superpower, I’m certain. It’s how she remains so loud while the rest of us who surround her—me, Fifi, even Tim—are devout introverts. “I’ve been trying to call you all morning, Chief.”
“I’ve been in court.” I step up onto the opposite side of the street and continue south, where I know for a fact a little bodega serves delicious sandwiches and fresh squeezed juice. “Is there an emergency, Doctor Emeri? Or are you simply feeling a little loud?”
“The second, mostly. Flynn caught a dead cop case that made my heart stutter.”
I come to a screeching stop and catch a shadow doing the same via the windowpanes reflecting back at me. “A third cop has beenkilled?” I inch my head around, attempting to see behind me without being overtly obvious about it. But I see no one.
Well… I’m in New York. I seecountlesspeople. But none that stand out as a threat.
