Devils Among Us (Devin Dushane Series Book 1)
Page 26
“Ma’am the state police would be honored to escort you to the State Capital building.”
“Bill! What are you doing here?”
Bill Ellroy, head of the Virginia State Police Detectives, stood holding open the back door of a black Town Car, wearing one of his baggy, ill-fitting suits and down-home smiles.
“We’re here as a protection detail to safely transport you to the ceremony.”
She slid past him into the buttery-soft leather interior. “I think they normally use State Troopers for that sort of thing.”
“So sue me for wanting to talk to an old friend.”
Devin raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, so maybe I really want to know how you feel about returning to the Richmond PD. Congratulations on the hearing, by the way.”
Her smile was guarded. “Thanks. But what do you mean, how do I feel about returning?”
“Does the detective bureau in Richmond still feel like home? Does the city still feel like home? Don’t answer. Just think on that for a minute.” Bill paused to look out his window as if the words he needed would fly by on the breeze and he could just grab them out of the air. “Devin, I know how you feel about state jobs you’ve always been chasing the fed, but I’ve got a new position open that I want you for. You’d be a hybrid detective—still responsible for investigating crimes within the region you cover, but you would specialize in major crimes. So you could be called into Fairfax, Norfolk, Bristol—anywhere in the state, depending on the type of crime. It’s kind of what you do now, just expanded on statewide level.” He paused, but she continued to stare at the scenery. “Danny’s already on board and he’d be your partner. They’ve wanted to get out of Richmond for a while now.”
Devin snapped her head around to look at him. “What office is this based out of?”
“Well there’s not a defined detectives’ satellite office in that part of the state, but we could relocate it, maybe even to Fenton.”
“Fenton? The office would be out of Fenton?”
“It could be, or in that general vicinity.”
“Don’t you want to be sure all my tendons and ligaments are going to grow back together and function properly before you start offering me jobs?”
His belly laugh filled the car. “Are you kidding me? A little thing like severed tendons stop the infamous Devin Dushane? I don’t think so.”
They came to a stop before the steps of the State Capital building, where a crowd was gathering for the ceremony.
Bill nodded towards the grand architecture of the building. “Look, already you’re gaining recognition from the governor and not just the mayor.”
She was unimpressed. “What makes you think I would be interested in this now?”
Bill stepped out of the car and gave her a hand out on to the sidewalk. “Something tells me you’re ready to move on, and Fenton has a lot to offer you.” He motioned over his shoulder for her to look at the crowd.
The usual cast of characters was there—Carter, his sisters, and Mama Dushane. Marcy had come, and Captain Morris. Now, though, she had Shane, looking more handsome than anyone had a right to in his dark suit, holding roses for her. Beside Shane were the Christiansons, Henry, Sheriff Bittner, Casey and, their family and at least two-thirds of her self-defense class. Devin even recognized a few faces from the gym and the Lucky Ox.
The sun wouldn’t set for a few hours, but she didn’t need its warmth. Looking at her adopted hometown family, Devin finally felt the light within her begin to flicker and reach some of the dark protected corners of her soul. She was going home.
Epilogue
The smell of burnt instant noodles and cheap incense did a poor job of covering up the stench of unwashed hallways. Devin pounded on the door again, shaking its frame and sending peels of gray paint floating to the filthy floor. When she had called her father’s number, it was disconnected, and Mickey hadn’t seen him at the garage in over two weeks. She wasn’t holding out much hope for his apartment. At least she thought this was his apartment; it was the last address Devin had for him.
The door across the hall was yanked open by a twelve-year-old kid dressed in gang colors.
“What is with d’noise? Man I’m gonna put a cap in somebody’s a—”
Devin flicked her badge in the kid’s face and sent him into stutters.
“What are you popping these caps with? Something legal?”
“No ma’am…uhh I mean…I was just talkin’ smack. It was loud, and I was trying to watch TV, is all.”
“Uh-huh.” Devin clipped her badge back on her belt and nodded at her father’s door. “Who lives here?”
“Nobody. An old white dude used to, but he split in the middle of the night a couple weeks ago. Why?”
“None of your business. You can go back into your apartment now.” He hesitated as if unsure he wanted to leave without more information. “Or I can arrest you on charges of threatening an officer.” The door couldn’t shut fast enough.
She waited long enough for him to lose interest at the peep hole and then picked the lock to her father’s apartment. The kid was right—the place was deserted. A few odds and ends that didn’t make the last-minute packing cut were strewn about but nothing of consequence—until she reached the bedroom closet. A splintered picture frame lay face down in a pile of broken glass. Picking it up gingerly, Devin could see her father had tried to remove the picture unsuccessfully and cut himself on the glass. A smear of his blood was dried on the largest piece of glass. The picture was of him holding Devin when she was about five years old, her arms wrapped around his neck. They were both all smiles.
Gently she slid the picture out and tossed the frame back in the closet. Taking one last look around, she spoke to the empty room.
“I did it, Pop. I brought her killer to justice. It wasn’t your fault.” Even though her last words were a whisper, they echoed in the empty space.
“And it wasn’t my fault.”