Page 29 of Dirty Cops Next Door

I felt like someone poured ice water over me just as my stomach knotted up into a shriveled ball the size of a walnut. “Which cops?”

I knew the blood must have drained from my face, I felt it go, but Jack’s look of horror as he turned to me showed just how bad I was reacting.

“Are you alright? I know you’re new to this, but you have to take it easy. Learn to deal, okay? Take a deep breath.”

“Which…” A knot closed my throat and I had to work hard to get it to let go. “Which cops were involved?”

“Let me see.” He pulled out his phone and scrolled until he found something. “Grant Reed and David Marshall.”

Why did he look like the world wasn’t collapsing around us? Why did he look like everything was fine? I reached out a steadying hand as the world tilted to one side, but still stumbled.

“Damn, girl, do you know those two or something? What’s wrong with you?” Jack reached out to hold me up, his hand going around my waist as he guided me to the hood of my car. “Sit down for a minute.”

“Yeah, I know them.” I finally managed to get my throat to work. “What’s their, ahem, what’s their status?”

I watched his face, waiting for bad news. I knew something was up, I knew it!

“Grant’s status is unknown, apparently the ceiling collapsed on him and from what I understand, he was shot a few times. Then there was the fire.” He was going on about how the fire department had come to the rescue and saved the day, while I still didn’t know anything about David!

“Jack, shut up. Now tell me about David. Is he alright?” Grant was at the hospital at least. He was in good hands. Where did that leave David?

“Oh, he’s fine. Left under his own cognizance. I think he went to the hospital. Look, I know you know these two, but we have a job to do. Let’s get to it.” Jack moved then, heading in the direction of the Chief of Police. “Chief, hey, Chief! You want to fill us in on what is going on? Do the local paper a favor?”

He wandered off as I caught my breath. I was soon standing on my own two feet, my phone in hand and the voice recorder on. I had a job to do. I could fall apart later. David was fine, Grant was at the hospital. There was nothing I could do but the job I’d been sent on.

I moved up beside Jack and the chief acknowledged me. “Good to see you, Toni. I guess I can tell you what I know so far. Let’s go over here, we have a station set up where we’re coordinating everything. It’ll probably be on the news before you can print anything, and the local grapevine will have clowns and a posse of bikers out here by the time morning comes so you can set the record straight.”

“Chief, before I ask you anything else, how is Grant?” Every part of me was crying out to get back into my car and head straight for the hospital, but I knew, logically, that there was nothing I could do and the doctors wouldn’t tell me a thing. I wasn’t his wife or family, after all.

The last few years of suppressing every instinct in me so I could take care of Eric the way he deserved served me well now. I would do my job, then I would camp out at the hospital and wait to overhear news if that’s what it took.

“David’s heading over there now. I’ll know something as soon as he does.” He couldn’t hide the weight of worry from his features and I felt my heart warm to him. “I know things have been kind of difficult between us, Toni, but I appreciate you asking about him.”

“He’s my, uh, my neighbor, you know? Of course I want him to be alright.”

What could I really say? Hey, Chief, of course I care. Grant’s my fuck buddy? Or perhaps, he’s one of the men I’ve allowed to tag team me? Ugh, that was terrible!

No, I decided to keep it neutral until I knew where this was all heading. If it was heading anywhere after tonight. The chief had just told me Grant was alright so far, but things could change in an instant, as I was well aware.

“So, what happened here today?” I let him tell me the details, every sentence making my heart ache a little more. They’d both been so close to death, my two men, so very close.

“That’s all you can tell us for now then?” I prompted him for more, but I knew he wasn’t going to tell me anything else. He’d only tell me what he absolutely had to.

“Yep, that’s all I can tell you, Toni. We just don’t know anything else yet.” He sat back in a camp chair, similar to one he’d led me to, and closed his eyes. I could see the strain of worry on his face and glanced at my personal phone sitting in my lap. Still no word about Grant.

“Thanks, Chief. I’ll get this all sent in to Barbara then. I appreciate it.” I stood then and turned to leave.

“I know we’ve been hard on your brother, Toni, but I think he’d make a fine candidate for the force, once he’s had some training. That’s why I’ve been so hard on him. I’m sorry about that. I was hoping to keep him on the straight and narrow.”

It occurred to me to tell the police chief to shove it, what the hell kind of approach is that? But I let it go. Grant was far more important than an argument. I patted his shoulder before I left.

I madeit to the hospital after spending a few minutes typing up a report on my tablet. I had to keep Barbara happy and this would be tomorrow’s headline, I just knew it. I sent the draft in, and that was when I realized two things.

First, my name was going to be on the byline of the front page story! That was my number one bucket list achievement! At any other time excitement would have had me dancing around like a toddler, high on sugar. That’s when the second realization dawned and a feeling like nausea mixed with pain swept over me.

Grant had been shot and I was sitting in my car writing a report. I turned the key in the ignition with trembling fingers, breathing in through my nose and out through my tightly pressed lips. Anxiety was not my friend. Panic right now would not be a good idea, Toni, I told myself, waiting for the sensation to pass. You can do this.

After a moment, my hands were steady and my heart wasn’t racing anymore. I put the car in reverse and drove without incident to the hospital. I breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled into the parking lot. So far, so good.