He smiled at Patel and nodded. “Thank you, but you shouldn’t have to worry about me, you have enough to worry about doing your job.”
“You watch out for family, Cap. This team is family. Kinda crazy, but family.” They walked down the hall together.
“Don’t you mean dysfunctional?”
“Nah, we function better than any other team on the force. Besides, you have to be a bit cray cray to work narcotics. We will never win the battle, but we keep charging up that hill.” She peeled off to the left, and he headed right to his office.
He dropped his folders and his tablet on the desk before he made his way to interview room three. Mouse was his informant and about once every six months the woman would drop a text with an address. He’d send a team and pick her up. The girl traded information for a dry, safe 48 hours in the team’s holding cell, nutritious food, hot showers, and a full bag of hygiene products when she left.
He opened the door and concealed a wince. Mouse looked bad. She’d lost so much weight her face was skeletal, and her bones punched through the thin shirt she was wearing. The kid was maybe twenty-four years old, and it didn’t look like she’d see twenty-five.
He sat down. “Mouse. How you doing?”
“Not good.” She held a bottle of water in her hands, which were noticeably shaking.
Ryker nodded. “What do you need?”
“Remember, a lifetime ago, you talked about rehab?” Mouse opened the bottle and used both hands to bring it to her lips.
“I do. I offered to get you into a program and I also told you I’d buy you a bus ticket back home once you completed it.” He and Mouse went back about six years. She was fresh on the streets when he’d made that promise.
“If I had something really good… something that if I told you, it would get me ghosted. Could you send me to rehab out of the city and buy me that bus ticket?”
Ryker sat back in his chair. “I have little pull outside the city, Mouse, but I’d be willing to make some phone calls.”
“No names!” Mouse’s dark brown eyes shifted from the door to the two-way mirror.
“You have my word there isn’t anyone behind that glass or outside that door listening. You’re safe with me.”
“Not if I talk. If I tell you what I know, I’m dead.” Mouse coughed and put her water bottle down, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
“All right, say you had some intel, would you be willing to give a sworn statement to the DA in exchange for treatment and a ride home?”
Mouse sniffed and wiped at her nose. “Yeah, yeah, but no one could know where I was going.” Her eyes darted around the room again.
“Have you told anyone where your childhood home is?”
“No. Nope. Never. Not a soul.”
“Then how could anyone know? I’ll go with you to the bus station, buy your ticket, and put you on that bus myself. You know I’ve never lied to you.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Get the DA guy, but only him and you. Right?”
“Sure. Can you tell me what you have info on before I make that call?”
“Hit squad. Peña’s hit squad.”
“Everyone knows Peña’s crew takes out people for him. You need to do better than that, Mouse.”
“Yeah.” Mouse’s eyes traveled around the room again before she leaned in and whispered. “I saw Peña and Rubio with them. I was there when Peña told them who to kill.”
“When?”
Mouse shrugged. “I don't know, the days and nights run together. They were in a warehouse, man. It was where I was crashing. I woke up and there were voices like right there. What they were saying, it was some serious shit. I could see Peña and Rubio.”
“How do you know what Peña and Rubio look like?”
“Dude, everyone on the streets knows them.”
“Mouse,” he warned his informant. Broad statements like that would not cut it. He needed to know how his informant knew the kingpin and his second.
“Fine, I worked a party once; they were the hosts. Spent the entire night with them and their friends. They weren’t particular about who they used as a hole. Believe me, I know who they are.” She shrugged her shoulders and looked away.
Ryker held back the pity he felt for Mouse. Having to whore yourself to feed your habit was harsh. Life on the streets was a bitch.
“Anyway, I got a look at who else was there. I watched for five minutes or so. Heard everything. They told their guys to go to the burbs and follow a guy named Desoto, then kill the woman he met, but only after he got the last of the containers. Peña was bragging to Rubio that he’d figured out a different way to get the drugs in and couldn’t have anything that would come back to them. I heard enough. I fucking ran, but not before I heard what they said and saw who was doing the talking. I’ve been hiding. Eating out of dumpsters and stealing to get my needs. I can’t do it no more, man. They’re hunting me. Peña and Rubio have a bounty on me.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because Bingo tried to tie me up last night after we high-balled some H. Said with the money he would get by turning me in to them, he wouldn’t be living on the street no more.”
“How did you get free?”
“Fucker coasted on a highball. I ran while he was flying. Asked Alice to untie me and text that address to your number.”
“How’s Alice? Trustworthy?”
“She ain’t a fan of Peña. She doesn’t know whose number I gave her. She told me to leave town and not to come back, said if I didn’t, I’d be dust.”
“Where were you hiding?”
“Cardboard Cottages, some. Abandoned buildings past the harbor. Never anywhere long.”
“How did Peña know it was you in the warehouse?”
Mouse stilled and examined her fingers. Finally, she spoke, “I had my stash there. Clothes, my winter coat, gloves. My name was in my clothes so if they got stolen I could prove they were mine.”
“All right, Mouse. You hold tight here. I’ll send you in some food and then my guys will take you to the cells. You can take a shower and sleep until I get this all sorted.”
“Rehab, man? Out of the city? Not under my actual name. Peña’s connected. If anyone could figure out who I really am, he could.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Mouse whined, “Your best? Man, that could get me killed.”
He shook his head. “I won’t allow that to happen, but neither will I make promises I can’t keep.”
Mouse nodded and started rocking in the chair. “I got nowhere else to go. Try hard, yeah?”
“I guaren-fucking-tee it.” He rose from the chair and headed to his office. On the way past the pen, he crooked his finger at Rayburn and Watson, who followed him. He motioned to the door and Watson shut it. “You’ve got a new assignment. Mouse is your new best friend. Get her food, shower, clothes, and put her in a cell here, not in city holding. One of you cut out now and come back for night shift. Don’t leave her alone.”
Rayburn arched his eyebrows. “She must have some serious 411 this time.”
He nodded once. “Something that could blow shit apart for us.”
“You’ve got it, Cap.” Watson and Rayburn said the words at the same time.
“That was just fucking weird. Get out of here and you report to nobody but King, Theron, or me. Loose lips on this one will get people killed.” The men hustled from the office, and he walked to his door. “Theron! King! My office.”
Not a head in the bullpen turned his direction. They were used to his intercom system. Unless he bellowed their names, they kept working.
Terrence and Brody walked into the office and he once again nodded to the door, waiting for it to shut before he relayed the information Mouse had given him.
“I think Cliff would be very interested in this information.” Brody leaned forward as he spoke. “I know we can trust Cliff, but I got to tell you, information comes from the DA’s office when it is convenient for the DA. Is there a way
to handle outside of HCDA’s office?”
He nodded. “It was the hit ordered on Clare Edelman. We can tie it into the federal drug case. Federal prosecution.”
“How are we going to avoid briefing Fenton?” Terrence asked. “We can’t trust him to keep this to himself. He’ll spout the information at a press conference to make himself look good.”
“I’ll brief the Deputy Commissioner and tell her of our concerns. She can make the call who gets a brief.”
Brody rolled his shoulders. “I hate that we can’t trust one of our own.”
“The police force is a microcosm of our society. There’re good and bad people on the force, even though we’ve done everything we can to weed out the bad seeds. Hell, ninety-nine percent of the people on this force would stand in the way of a bullet meant for someone they’d never met. The one percent who abuse the power of a shield are the ones that give us a terrible reputation. Fenton grew up during the old regime, the old days of give and take and deals made under the table. He’s a product of his upbringing, but until he fucks up bad enough, he’s still in our chain of command.” Ryker eyed both of his... friends. “I and I alone will do anything that does not directly comply with department policy. Do we understand each other?”
Terry jolted in the chair he’d reclined in. “What the hell, Ryker? He’s after you. If we do something out of bounds, he’s not even going to notice.” Brody nodded his agreement.
“That’s where you’re wrong. He tipped his hand this morning. He wants to dismantle this team and he’ll take a shot at anyone to discredit us. No, I’ll go to the Deputy Commissioner. They have directed me to take anything involving Fenton to her. She’ll make the call. That way, we’re all covered. Brody, as always, you do not have clearance to speak to your father about any of this without going through the chain of command, just like any other officer on any other case.”
“I’ve never overstepped before, Cap. I won’t start now.” Brody shook his head. “Wish like fuck I could bend his ear, though. Fenton is a weasel.”
“That’s Colonel Weasel to you.” A corner of his mouth twisted up when both men belted laughs.
“Watson and Rayburn are babysitting Mouse. Is the surveillance set up for the FBI’s favor?”
Terry nodded. “Yeah, Brody and I just finished the roster. We have Cantrell and Lewis inbound. They said they got something from their CI.”
He thought for a moment. “They’re tracking the rumor of the cocaine shipments through the airport?”
“Yep. Mention of coke coming in via the airport has bubbled to the surface in three different interviews.” Terry glanced at his watch. “They should be here in twenty minutes.”
“Okay. You and Brody take this and run with it. Business as usual, except for Mouse detail. If anyone makes inquires, she’s not here. I don’t want to lose my best source of intel on the streets.”
“That works. Nobody’s going to ask, though. Not from this team, at least. We meet anyone asking about our shit with a stone wall. When we know our captain is being watched? Nobody is getting any intel.” Brody stood and nodded to the door. “Want me to close this?”
“No. I’m going to Central and speak with the Deputy Commissioner in person.” He grabbed his keys and followed his men from his office. He glanced at the clock and rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long fucking day.
Chapter 4
“I'm just about ready to get out of here. What about you?” Chef Roger peeked around the corner of the door.
Brianna glanced up from the deposit slip she was tallying. “I am. Hang on for just a minute and I'll walk with you.” She glanced at the clock on her wall. “Why are you still here?”
He shrugged. “Tomorrow is chowder day.”
“Ah, the sourdough bowls. Are they ready to go into the proofer? I can put them in the oven when I get here in the morning.” She could slip in early and then go to the gym with Ryker before the day started.
“No, that's okay. We should be fine. Carol is coming in early to help me. The new fishmonger is dropping off our clams first thing. We are going to have a coffee and then get to shelling those clams.”
“You know we could order them shelled.”
“But why? It costs you more and we don't know how fresh they are. This way, I know my food is as fresh as possible.” His bright green eyes flashed, and he smiled.
“You'd go harvest them yourself if you could, wouldn't you?”
“I would, and that is a perfect segue into this topic. What do you think about opening an organic, sustainable ingredient restaurant?” Roger leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.
Okay. That was one hell of a leap. “You realize that I'm just now turning a profit on this place, right?” She set her pen by the receipts she'd tallied.
“I do, but I also realize that this business was in very poor shape when you bought it. You not only had to rebuild it, you had to change people's perception about the establishment to bring the city back through those doors, and you've done that. We have a line out the door for lunch service and reservations for dinner are booked solid for almost three weeks. This place is about to make you rich.”
She laughed, “And you want to put me in the poorhouse again.”
“Not quite. I have a proposition for you. I'd like to go in fifty-fifty on the new place. I'd be the chef, take care of the kitchen, just like here. Together we hire the staff, manage the front of the house, and take care of the accounting.”
She blinked as a chill went down her spine. “And where would that leave Horizon?”
“With me as the Executive Chef over both establishments. What we'd do is bring in a young chef who is hungry. One who wants to succeed. If he or she works out, we offer them this restaurant as executive chef and I push on with the organic place.”
“You've been thinking about this for a while now, haven't you?”
“I have. I've watched the way you've run this place. You are a natural. You have zero staff turnover. Do you know how extraordinary that is? Most people cycle through waitstaff and kitchen help. Hell, most places need a revolving door to keep up with the flow of people in and out. But not you. You treat your people well, pay them well, give them benefits.”
She nodded. The idea of another business set her nerves on edge, but it was exciting, too. “I'll admit, I'm interested. I'd want to run it past my advisor, but after that, I'd be willing to take a hard look at what I can do.”
“Advisor? You mean for finances?” Roger nodded. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“No. Well, I mean yes. I'll have to get with my accountant and then the bank if we go forward, but Justin, my cousin. He's the one who advised me that this would be a wise investment, but it would take work. He's the one that pointed to you and told me I'd be a fool not to make you an offer.”
“Justin King? As in the man with the Midas touch? The billionaire? He noticed me?”
She gaped at him. “He's not a billionaire.”
“He must be.” Roger nodded.
“No.” She scoffed at him. There was no way Justin... no... “Can't be. He owns a few restaurants.”
“A few? I guess if you consider at least six Michelin star restaurants around the world, franchises across the globe, and owning an entire building in the heart of New York City as the average Joe, then… yeah, okay.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you playing me? How do you know that?”
He dropped his jaw and blinked. “How can you not know this? He's been on the cover of every culinary periodical for the last decade.”
“I don't know if we are talking about the same Justin King. My dad said he had a few successful places. I called him and he and his wife came up. We'd only met a couple times throughout the years. I told him I wasn't afraid of hard work, and that I wanted the place to succeed.”
“Well, that's probably why he helped you. His work ethic is legendary.”
“Huh. Okay, I'm still not convinced we're talking about the sa
me guy, but anyway, I'm going to ask him what he thinks before I go forward.”
“Can I meet him? I have a huge man-crush on the guy.” Roger bounced in his chair and then laughed like a loon. “Justin-freaking-King!”
She shoved the money into the deposit pouch and laughed. “I'm telling you, you're thinking of a different guy.”
“I don't think so. Big guy, good looking, black hair, green eyes, sexy as all get out.”
She stopped what she was doing. “Just how much of a man-crush do you have?”
“Enough that I put him on my list.”
“List?”
Roger cocked his head at her and pursed his lips. “The list you and your spouse have? You know, if you ever do it with a celebrity, you get a free pass?”
What? “You plan on cheating on Matthew?”
“What? No! Every couple has a list. Ask your man. Bet he has one. Oh, and don't forget your prime rib dinners. They are in the cooler with a bottle of wine.”
“Thank you, and I've never heard of this magical list. I think that may be a Roger and Matt thing.”
“No honey, that's an everybody thing. You've led a sheltered life.” They moved from the office and she turned off the light as they left.
She squared her shoulders and retorted with all the conviction of a three-year-old throwing a tantrum, “I have not.” She stuffed the deposit into her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder.
“Mmm-hmm.” Roger opened the cooler and produced two takeout boxes and a bottle of wine. He shoved the wine in her purse on top of the deposit and nodded to the door. He grabbed the containers. “I'll take these for you.”
“Thanks, you go first and I'll set the alarm.” He opened the door, and she keyed the alarm, quickly ducking out and shutting the door behind them. She locked all three of the locks on the door and followed him down the stairs.
“Brie, you have a flat.”
“What?” She stepped next to him and groaned. “I don't have a spare.” She was supposed to get one... almost two years ago after a massive pothole on Millers Road devo'd her tire. “Damn it.” She walked forward and bent down to look at the– “Aw man, who would do that?”
Ryker (Hope City Book 5) Page 4