Page 14 of Cold Sacrifice

No problem. Let me know if you need help.

I couldn’t help but grin. What was Bastien going to do if I asked him to come? Not that I would, but I had to admit to being curious. I sent him another text.

Joe’s driving, and he’s nervous.

His reply came a couple of seconds later. Joe looks intimidating enough for the police to take a second look.

Then the policeman was at the door.

Joe put down the window. “Evening, officer,” he said, making me snicker.

“Were you aware you were speeding?” the cop asked.

I squinted at his name tag. “Officer Wang, we’re on the job and currently heading to an emergency.” I showed him the laminated card with the red stripe. “We’ll be more careful.”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Officer Wang said. He put his stare back on Joe. “I asked you a question, sir.”

And I knew immediately that we were definitely going to be delayed.

“Sonofabitch,” I muttered. I hated to call Rick, but the clock was inching its way toward five in the morning, and dawn wasn’t far enough away to ease my mind.

“Kait?” he answered. “What’s wrong?”

He’d been asleep, of course. His voice was thick and low, and I could picture him holding the phone, likely wearing only a pair of thin pajama bottoms.

I cleared my throat. “There’s some trouble in Alexandria,” I told him. “Joe and I are on our way there, and we need to hurry. We got pulled over, and the patrolman doesn’t give a fuck about my ID.”

“Put me on speaker.”

“Done,” I said. I held the phone across Joe and close to the window so the cop could hear him. “Go ahead, Rick. You’re speaking with Officer Wang.”

“Wang, this is Detective Rick Moreno. You’ve pulled over Kait Silver. She’s working an active case under Mayor Hedrick’s authorization. I need you to get them on their way.”

“I appreciate your concern, Detective Moreno,” Wang said, “but I stopped the driver for speeding, and I’m issuing him a citation.”

“Fine,” Rick growled. “Write him the ticket and get them on their way.”

Wang leaned down to look at me through the window. “Ma’am, end the call and step out of the vehicle.”

I heard rustling as Rick got out of bed. “Why are you ordering her out of the car?”

Wang ignored him and kept his stare on me. “End the call, ma’am, and get out of the vehicle.”

“Officer,” Rick said, his voice sharper. He was fully awake now. “What’s the problem?” And when Wang continued to ignore him, Rick’s voice went cold. “Wang. Call your sergeant.”

And finally, Wang decided to answer him. “That won’t be necessary.”

“I’m telling you it’s fucking necessary. Get your supervisor out there. Now.”

Wang went back to ignoring him. “Ma’am, I’m not telling you again to end the call. Put the phone down and step out of the vehicle.”

“All right,” Rick said. “I’m calling your sergeant.”

Wang’s expression hardened but he hesitated.

“Your traffic stop is about to become something your supervisor has to come clean up,” Rick said, almost softly. “How happy is he going to be about that, Wang? When he asks why I dragged him out there, I’m going to tell him how you ignored a credential issued under Mayor Hedrick’s authority and deliberately delayed a consultant working an active case for this department.”

Wang’s lip curled. Just a little, but I noticed. “The DSA is not this department.”