He smiled and nodded at her, then felt a slap on his arm. He jumped and looked around, not realizing his wife had been standing behind him the whole time.
“That was just mean.” She grinned.
“What? I’m just a concerned parent,” he joked, as he turned to his wife and grabbed her around the waist to pull her in for a kiss. “You know, now that I don’t have to drop Jen off, I have twenty minutes to spare.”
“Well, I don’t, so you’re going to have to hold that thought until later.” She pushed him away and headed back into the house.
The rejected husband sighed, shook his head, and followed his wife indoors. When he got inside he noticed that she had cleared everything away from the breakfast table.
“Hey, what happened to my bacon?” He scanned the kitchen.
“You said you had to go and it had gone cold. It’s in the trash if you want me to dig it out,” she joked, as she busied herself to get ready to leave the house.
“No thanks.” He was ready to leave, so he picked up his car keys from the worktop and kissed her. “As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll decline and just head over to Coop’s. By the way, I will be holding that thought until tonight.”
The impish grin on his face made Kim’s cheeks flush red. Even after all these years he still knew how to make her feel special.
“Get out of here. Go protect and serve.” She gave him another kiss, then turned around to pack her laptop in its carry case.
“I’ll see you later, babe.” He took one final look at her, then left.
***
His journey was an unusually pleasant experience. For once, no bad drivers had pissed him off, and the image of a terrified Miller driving away from his house kept Andy smiling. That, coupled with the soft rock that emitted from the car’s speakers, had put him in a very good mood indeed.
The Eagles “Life in the Fast Lane” was blaring out as he pulled into Coop’s. He knew that song would be in his head for the rest of the day as he entered the diner, singing it under his breath. He was pleasantly surprised to see Maria sitting at the counter.
A half-eaten stack of pancakes and a coffee cup about to be refilled in front of her told him that she had been there for some time. Coop looked up as he finished pouring Maria’s coffee.
“Morning, son. How are you today?” he asked with his usual enthusiasm.
“Pretty good this morning, Dad.” He sat next to his partner. “Can I get the usual, please?”
“Sure. Coming right up.” He filled a mug with piping-hot coffee and placed it in front of the new arrival before going into the kitchen to prepare his breakfast.
“Morning, partner.” The male detective nodded at his colleague, who was shoveling pancakes and bacon into her mouth like it was her last meal.
She nodded in his direction and continued eating.
“Seriously, what is going on with you?” He looked closer at her. “No red eyes. You’re up early, showered, eating a hearty breakfast.” He sniffed the air around her. “You don’t smell of alcohol. I’m not sure I even recognize you anymore.”
She swallowed the mouthful of breakfast she had been chewing.
“Well, you better get used to it.” She took a sip of her coffee. “I kind of like not feeling like shit every morning.”
The old man returned from the kitchen and placed his son’s breakfast on the counter.
“What do you think, Dad? Will this new, improved Detective Hernandez last?” He didn’t take his gaze off of her.
“You know, son, I think it will.” He gave her a little wink.
She finished chewing on the last mouthful of food and swallowed it, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and let out a bellowing belch.
“That was fantastic, Coop,” she said with genuine enthusiasm.
Her partner gasped and feigned a look of complete disgust. “You really are something, Hernandez.”
Before she had a chance to retort, her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and jumped up from her stool. “I’ve got to take this. Be right back,” she said over her shoulder as she went outside.
“So, what do you think of this new Maria, Pops?” Andy asked, and continued to watch her through the window.
“I like it. She’ll make a great cop; great instinct and plenty of balls. I’m glad she’s not throwing it all away because of the booze. And let’s face it, son,” he tapped his index finger on the counter to emphasize his point, “We have seen many a good cop that has done just that.”
Andy nodded in agreement. Both men had indeed seen it too often; good cops who, due to the stresses of the job, had hit the bottle and found it hard to give up, often resulting in broken homes. Ironically, the only thing that was left in their lives was their job.
“Well, I hope she does stick to it because the lieutenant is just waiting for an excuse to get rid of her,” he confided in his father. “He knows she’s a good cop, but all he sees at the moment is her being a total liability.”
“Jack’s a fair man. If she sorts herself out he’ll be the first to forget about her misgivings,” Coop said, and nodded his head as if agreeing with himself that what he was saying was true.
They fell silent as the female detective returned. Andy started to attack his omelet with vigor. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until that first mouthful kick-started his taste buds, sending the signal to his digestive system that something good was on its way.
“Everything all right?” Coop asked, referring to her phone call.
“Yeah. Just family stuff,” she said, a little downbeat. “You know how it is.”
“I sure do. Family can be a real pain in the ass,” he said, and glanced at his son, who looked up from his food but kept quiet.
There was an awkward moment as Andy looked into his father’s eyes, waiting for another sermon on how bad he had been as a teenager, something his dad always came up with at the most inappropriate times. He waited in anticipation to defend himself. The moment seemed to last forever until the elder of the two burst out laughing. The detective sighed with relief and went back to his omelet, completely devouring it before gulping down his coffee.
“You ready to roll, partner?” he asked Maria as he pushed his plate across the counter.
“Sure. You go get the car started and I’ll take care of the check.” She pulled out her purse. “What do we owe you, Coop?”
“Hey, I am definitely liking this new you. I’ll be in the car.” He nodded to his dad. “See you later, Pops.”
The retired cop watched his son leave the diner before leaning in to Maria. “So, what did the child unit say on the phone?” he asked, lowering his voice.
“How the hell did you know that’s who it was?” she asked accusingly.
“I didn’t until now.” He grinned. “The oldest cop trick in the book. You still have much to learn, young grasshopper.” He winked and then laughed to himself.
“You rat bastard!” She smiled. “Anyway, they said another kid went missing last night.”
“Is this one going to be of interest to us, or is he just another runaway?” he asked, almost whispering.
“He fits the profile of our other kids. That’s all I have for now.” She looked out of the window to check that Andy was in the car. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll swing by after work. Hopefully with more details.”
“I’ll be here,” he confirmed.
The detective threw down a twenty dollar bill on the counter “Will that cover breakfast?”
“Plenty.” He picked the money up and put it in his shirt pocket. “See you later.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you later, Pops.” She turned and scurried out of the diner to join her partner in the car.
As Coop watched the car peel out of the parking lot, he grabbed the phone from the counter and dialed a number. “Hey, Herb, it’s Coop. Listen, old friend, I need some information. Are you going to be around in about an hour?”
The Genesis Chamber
Chapter 15
The bookin
g area of police HQ was completely empty except for a cleaner who was buffing the floor with a large industrial polisher. It was a complete contrast to the chaos of Monday mornings. The sound of Andy and Maria’s footsteps echoed around the booking area. As they approached the front desk, Sergeant Simon Percival looked up from his computer screen.
“Good morning, Detectives.” He waved as they passed. “One moment, I’ll buzz you in.”
“Morning, Percy; how’s the wife?” Andy inquired.
“Still a pain in my ass, but, aren’t all women?” Percival winked at him as he reached under the counter and pushed the button to release the lock on the door to the office area.
Andy looked at Maria, expecting her to burst into a tirade at the sexist comment, but she seemed oblivious to what had been said.
“I’ve got to say it again.” Andy nudged her. “I really do like this new you.”
“What?” She looked mystified.
“Percy.” He nodded towards the desk sergeant. “If anyone had said something like that to you this time last week we would be mopping up the blood by now.”
“Said what?” she asked, looking back at Percival.
“That… about women… are you okay?” He tilted his head to one side and looked at her with a look of curiosity.
“Me?” Maria looked back at him. “I’m fine. I, err… just can’t be bothered this morning.”
She continued to the Homicide Office with Andy trailing a few paces behind. The curiosity was still evident on his face as he rubbed his forehead.
They reached the office, but before they got to their desks they were stopped in their tracks by a familiar, thundering voice.
“Cooper, Hernandez. My office. Now!” Regan bellowed across the room.
The detectives looked at each other. Maria rolled her eyes and gestured with her hand for Andy to lead the way. Regan was perched on the corner of his desk by the time they entered the office. He signaled for the detectives to take a seat. They shuffled to their seats like a pair of school kids who had been summoned to the principal’s office.
“Right, where are we with the investigation into the execution?” the lieutenant asked.
“Randell can’t give us a name on this—” Andy was cut short.
“Can’t or won’t?” his superior demanded.
“I’m fairly sure if he had a name for us, sir, he’d give it up.” Cooper sat back in his seat with confidence. “He has nothing to gain by keeping any information from us. He also knows I would never sell him out.”
“I don’t like that slimy bastard, and I certainly don’t trust him.” Regan shifted around on the desk as if he was trying to get more comfortable as he spoke. “Go lean on him some more. I want you to be one hundred percent certain he’s not holding back on us.”
“I agree. He is a horrible little weasel fuck,” Maria said as a matter of fact. “But Andy’s right, sir. Randell doesn’t know anything. He strikes me as the type of guy who would sell his own mother out for a plate of refried beans. If he had any information he would have told us yesterday.”
“We’ll head back down there later and talk to him again. Knock on some other doors.” Andy looked for approval from Regan.
The lieutenant pondered for a few moments in silence.
“Worst-case scenario is the Haitian community will see we’re doing something about this.” Cooper continued.
“All right, that sounds good to me. Take a couple of uniformed units with you to let people see we’re all over this.” He paused for a second. “Are we still marking this down as a gang-related execution?”
“I can’t see it being anything else at this time.” Andy looked to Maria for confirmation.
“It seems that way to me too, sir,” she agreed.
“I’m going to level with you guys. The mayor has got wind of this and there’s a shitstorm rolling downwards. The chief has a meeting with the commissioner and the mayor tomorrow morning. He wants something positive to say.” The lieutenant looked deflated. “Guys, I need you to get me some good news on this, and quick.”
“We’ll head straight down there now, sir,” Andy reassured Regan, and signaled to Maria. They stood up, ready to leave.
“Just one more thing.” The lieutenant stopped them. “Have we got a name for the John Doe at Surin’s place?”
“Not yet. Forensics has had no luck with his prints,” Maria informed him.
Regan stood and walked around his desk. He fanned a few files that were stacked next to his phone and studied them for a few seconds.
“Okay. New plan of attack.” The lieutenant sat in his chair. “Andy, you get down to Little Haiti. Kick some doors down. Make some noise; lots of noise. Take four marked units and partner up with Zamora.” Before he could finish doling out his orders, Maria interrupted.
“Hang on; what about me? I want to kick doors down!” Maria exclaimed.
“No. I want you to head to forensics and find out who this mystery guy in the Surin shooting is. He might be more connected than we first thought.” Regan started filling in a requisition sheet. “If the execution is in retaliation for his death, then we need to know who the hell he is.”
Before Maria had a chance to object, Regan thrust the completed form in Andy’s direction.
“Let me know when you have something for me,” he said, without looking up from the paperwork he was reading. “Close the door on your way out,” he added.
They left the office in silence, and closed the door behind them. They had only taken a few steps when Maria started on Andy.
“Come on, partner, can’t you talk to him?” she pleaded. “I should be there with you. This is what I do.”
“For once I actually agree with you. This is right up your alley,” Cooper agreed. “But I’ve seen that look on his face before. He won’t change his mind, so it’s pointless asking.”
Andy showed genuine disappointment that he wouldn’t have his partner with him in Little Haiti. For all of her faults, he knew that Maria was exactly the kind of backup you needed in situations like this. Little Haiti was a notorious hotspot, and things could flare up and escalate very quickly.
“This is bullshit!” Maria’s frustration was apparent.
She sat behind her desk and reluctantly started checking on her computer for the latest information on the Surin case when she noticed the piece of paper that Coop had originally given to Andy.
“Hey, if it looks like it’s going to go bad down there, make sure you call me.” She picked up the note. “I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”
“Will do.” Andy nodded as he put his bulletproof vest on. “In the meantime, keep your head down, and try not to piss anyone off, especially Regan.”
He checked his weapon and radio. “I’ll call you if I need you.”
“I’m on my way to Forensics.” Maria stood up. “Call me on my cell.”
“Will do,” Andy acknowledged as he started to leave.
“Hey, partner!” she shouted after him. “Be careful.”
He waved his hand in the air and headed for the door.
***
Andy returned to the office later that afternoon and found Maria busy tapping away on her keyboard. He noticed eight to ten files neatly stacked in her ‘Out’ tray, and only two in her ‘In’ tray. There was also a file open on her desk that she was taking notes from and logging them into the police database.
“Wow, you’ve been busy.” He pointed to the files in the out tray. “You’ve gone through all these?”
Maria had been so engrossed in her work she hadn’t noticed her partner returning and was quite startled when he appeared next to her.
“Hey, you scared the shit out of me! Didn’t anyone ever tell you to never sneak up on a cop?” She looked at Andy for an apology.
He gave her a grin and nodded in the direction of the paperwork, giving her a cue to tell him what she was up to.
“Yeah, I’ve needed to get through these for a couple of weeks now.” She continue
d, “So today came in handy, really. How did you get on?”
“It was as we thought; nobody is talking. I don’t think the marked units helped.” He sounded deflated. “The people in Little Haiti simply don’t like or trust cops.”
Andy went over to his desk and took off his bulletproof vest before sitting down and starting his report for Regan.
“What about you? Anything on the John Doe?” he asked.
“I went to Forensics; they got nothing on the prints and are still waiting on the DNA results.” She flicked through the files in the ‘Out’ tray and retrieved the one for the Surin case.
Maria opened the file and thumbed through the pages until she found what she was looking for.
“The cell they found at the scene was a drop phone. No numbers on the call log, but there were a couple of messages in a media app. I’ve got Palmer trying to make sense of it.” She looked up from the file. “It looks like the guy was involved in some kind of delivery.”
Maria was very matter of fact as she went through things, only listing the important parts. It was a common cop trait, to alleviate any confusion when giving details on the progress of a case.
“Well, that backs up the theory we had at the scene. A drug deal gone wrong.” Andy tapped his pen on the desk while he thought through what Maria had presented to him.
“I’ll write it up later and wait for Forensics to come up with a name for us. Good work, partner.” He gave her an approving nod and continued to fill in the Little Haiti report sheet.
The detectives busied themselves with their paperwork until Andy abruptly threw down his pen and checked his watch.
“Hey, listen, I’m going to shoot over to AppTech and check up on Jen.” He stood up and threw his jacket over his shoulder. “I’ll swing back here later and pick you up when I’m done.”
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
Andy thought for a second. “Not sure. Miller picked Jen up this morning in that Porsche of his. There’s something about that guy that just doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Holy shit, a young girl getting picked up in a Porsche by a guy with loads of money?” She paused and looked Andy in the eye.
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