Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
He motions for Abby to follow him out front. I wrap my arm around Holly and point her in the direction of a small waiting area.
“Sweetheart,” I say, “I’m gonna have you hang out here with Mike while I chat with my boss.”
“Are you in trouble?” she whispers.
I chuckle. “When am I ever not in trouble?”
I kiss her forehead, and then think, what the hell, and kiss her lips. When this is all over, I’m going to throw Holly over my shoulder and take her somewhere far away, where I can lock her in a room with a giant bed and maybe a big bathtub with jets and keep her there for days. I sit her down with her teddy bear in a chair next to Mike, then join my colleagues outside.
“Coates already filled me in on the broad strokes,” Harris says. “But I’m gonna need the rest of the story from you.”
I walk Lieutenant Harris through the events of the last three days, since I was put on leave. Holly coming to see me, our chat with Stephanie Heartwell, the break-in at my apartment, and the girls finding McKenzie at the abandoned mall. I neglect to mention the vast majority of the details regarding the visit my guys and I paid to Russell King.
“I’m still unclear as to how you learned the driver works for Reverend Davis,” Harris says.
I slide my hands into my front pockets. “Russell King volunteered the information.”
Abby cocks her head. “He just volunteered it?”
“More or less,” I say. “It’s probably best to consider King a reluctant confidential informant at this time.”
“Glad you two finally chose to let me in on your little side hustle,” Lieutenant Harris says. “Mind telling me why I wasn’t immediately informed about the flash drive that was stolen from Coates’ desk? Or the existence of the video footage, for that matter.”
I shoot Abby a questioning look. I didn’t ask her to bring Harris in on that little detail. She shrugs, her gaze apologetic.
“I asked Abby not to mention it,” I tell him. “I didn’t want to risk tipping off the leak.”
Lieutenant Harris squints. “Is that an accusation, Larkin?”
I have a lot of respect for Isaac, as a boss as well as a man. He’s good police. But respect only goes so far when you add greed to the mix. It’s possible Harris could be the leak. Maybe the pressures from on high finally got to him. He took a bribe, then another, dug himself a hole too deep to crawl out of.
“No, sir,” I say. “But these days, news seems to travel faster inside the department than it does outside.”
Harris takes a step toward me, his gaze level. “Someone didn’t just slip into Coates’ desk and steal a flash drive. That station is my house. Someone broke into my house, and I mean to find out who that someone is and make them pay.”
“I look forward to making that arrest,” I tell him. “Assuming this means I get my badge back.”
He scowls, pulls something from his back pocket, unclips one of his sidearms, and slaps them both into my hand.
My badge and gun.
“You’re still a pain in my ass, Larkin,” he says.
“Just doin’ my job, boss.”
Abby shoots me a wry smile. “Welcome back, partner.”
“Thanks,” I say. “Now, if we’re done here, I’d like to get the girls to a safer location as soon as McKenzie gets the go-ahead.”
“That’ll depend on Ms. Sommers’ condition, but I agree,” Harris says. “We can take the girl’s statements here. I’ll drive the evidence over to the lab myself. I want every speck of dirt under her fingernails analyzed.” He turns to Abby. “Coates, you and Larkin can take her statement once her physical exam’s complete. I’ll see if the hospital can spare a room for me to take Holly Clarke’s statement.”
“With your permission, lieutenant,” I say, “I’d like to take Holly’s statement myself.”
“After what I just saw in there? Absolutely not. You’re lucky I’m not pulling you off this case for conflict of interest.”
I sigh, knowing he’s right, but not liking the idea of Holly having to sit alone with a stranger and answer a bunch of personal questions. My desire to shield her from the process I’ve been a part of for over twenty years is not a feeling I’m used to. But she’s not just any witness sitting down to be interviewed. She’s my little girl. And all I can think is, Harris had better be nice to her.
Back inside the hospital, I introduce Holly to Lieutenant Harris and quietly ask him to go easy on her.
Abby and I take the elevator to the third floor to wait with Austin outside McKenzie’s exam room. The doctor comes out to tell us McKenzie has two broken ribs and extensive bruising, and that it’s okay for us to go inside.