by W L Knightly
“Well, someone had to look after the family business. But look at us now, both in a new city, both with new jobs, each of us the master of our skills.” He walked across the room and took a banana from the fruit bowl on the bar. The damned thing was nearly solid black, and O’Connor had meant to throw it out. But Clay peeled it like a candy bar from a wrapper and took a bite.
“You’re a glorified errand boy, Clay. What does your boss want to tell me? He had to send you down here to give me a message.” He had most likely wanted Clay to make sure he was still alive. Or to protect him.
“Patience.” He took another bite of the banana. “And here I thought we were bonding over memories. We’re not enemies anymore, remember? Besides, I know all of your dirt.”
O’Connor didn’t like his threats, which was exactly what he took the mention of his past dirt as. “Just tell me the message. Has Michael found the killer?”
“It’s being handled, but he wants to meet with you.”
O’Connor wasn’t about to invite the man into his home and resented that Clay had managed to impose himself there, but he really hated to go out with a huge target on his back. “He had better make it fast. I don’t know how long until the Hangman comes for me.”
“He won’t. We’re handling it.”
“Nina Kline is dead! You said you’d stop this asshole after he strung up Judge Mathews. Am I supposed to trust your competence?”
“Poor Nina. I saw her just before she was murdered. I guess I should have stuck around and fucked her like she wanted. But then, maybe we’d both be dead. Anyway, something is going down soon. Just be ready to meet Michael at the Rockford.”
“The Rockford? Really?” He had heard that was where Nina’s body had been found and couldn’t believe he would go there so soon after she’d died. He knew that Nina and Michael had their fun at times. He’d learned that from seeing them together at a party once.
“He has a private suite there. It’s where he likes to conduct business and a few other things.” He gave an evil grin. “Be there Friday. Just after midnight. He’s going to be around briefly, and he doesn’t want to be seen talking to you.”
“I’ve done everything he asked of me.” O’Connor didn’t understand why he needed to meet with him at all.
“And he’s grateful.” He walked over to the back door where the trash bin stood and dumped the other half of the banana. “You know, people say those things are better when they’re super ripe, but I disagree. That was fucking awful.” He spat in the can and then opened the back door and left.
O’Connor walked over and put his gun on the counter. What the fuck was going on now? Michael wanted to talk to him about what? It would be better if the two never met again, but he also knew he couldn’t afford to ignore the man’s requests.
Just when he was about to go back to his chair, the phone rang. He looked down and saw that it was Callie. “Hey, baby. How was your day?”
“Still missing you. I thought I might come back early if things get cleared up there.”
He felt a wave of panic course through him. “Don’t come back until I tell you, okay? Is everything all right? Are you and your sister having fun?”
“Yeah, I guess it’s fun. My sister is driving me nuts, but I didn’t expect the excitement of my trip to last too long. We went to the park yesterday and then to a movie. We’ve officially seen everything they are playing, and I’ve finally convinced her to get Netflix.”
“She’ll love that.”
Callie sighed. “Is everything all right? You sound a little down.”
“I was just thinking about my time on the force back home.” He might as well be honest with her.
“Why on earth would you think about that?” She had learned of most of the things he’d done, the deals he’d made. She had forgiven him ages ago for why they had to leave. Or so she’d said.
“This case is stirring up old ghosts. That’s all it is.” He hated to admit that he was ever that person. He had done a lot of good, but he’d also done plenty that was unforgiveable. He had made his new start with the help of Michael Young, and now he had a feeling his past was catching up with him.
“I love you, Patrick. Don’t forget that. I’ll be home soon, and we’ll take a cruise or something. Just the two of us.”
The last thing he wanted to do was take a cruise, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. She’d stuck by him through it all. The least he could do was support whatever she wanted out of life. “Whatever you want to do, I’m in.”
“I’ll talk to you later, honey. Don’t let all those old memories get you down. You’re a good man. We changed and made a better life.”
He knew she was right. He just wished he felt like a new man. Those old ghosts made it hard to let go. He walked over to the liquor cabinet and took out a bottle of whiskey. “It’s time to introduce my old ghosts to some old demons.” He turned up the bottle and closed his eyes.
Chapter 13
Jake
Thankfully, there was no investigation wall when he returned to the office. The photos he’d asked for were waiting on the other side of the desk with his empty coffee cup, which had been rinsed and was ready for a fresh pour.
“You’re too good to me,” he said as he took the hard chair on the other side of the desk. “Except you haven’t unassed that chair in a while.”
“I’m trying to break it in.”
“It’s broken in just fine and it fits my ass perfectly.” He passed the cup across the table. “Would you please, ma’am?”
“Of course, what else is a woman for, other than to make your coffee?” She rolled her eyes, then her chair.
“Oh, please. Don’t start that shit. I asked nicely, and besides, I need every minute on this case I can get. That quack stole half of my day.”
“I’m not offended. I’d rather make your coffee than have you make a mess.” She giggled as he gave her a sideward glance. “You sound like you had a horrible time with Dr. Meadows. You know, most men like going to see her.”
“The only thing she said that was useful was that I needed to look into these letters.”
“Why is she talking about the case?”
“Because she fancies herself a fucking detective of the mind, I guess.”
“Did she find anything in yours worth a damn?” Jo chuckled, and Jake cleared his throat.
“As a matter of fact, she did. She thinks I’m in love with you.” He kept his eyes on the pages until the silence that had fallen across the room was too deafening.
Jo looked like she didn’t know what to say or think, and not only that, but she looked positively petrified at the thought.
“I’m kidding, Jo.” He gave her a sideward look. “I was just fucking with you. Sorry. That was in poor taste.”
“I knew you were kidding.” She shook her head as if she’d dodged a bullet. “So, what did she say? Do you have to see her again?”
“I doubt I will. She spouted off some shit about me being a light in the killer’s life. That I needed to look deeper and keep an open line of communication with the Hangman. I think she thinks I want to date the man.”
“That does sound crazy. About as crazy as you being in love with me, which is so obvious by the way you look at me.” She smiled, put her head down, and continued looking at her phone.
“You’re a riot. I should have never made that joke, should I?” She was never going to let him hear the end of it.
“No, and I despise that you think our love is a game, Jake.” She couldn’t even keep a straight face while saying it, and Jake didn’t know what to fucking think about her reactions. She liked to tease, and while he was usually a no-nonsense kind of guy, she had made him way more playful.
“Why would he tell me he wished I’d stayed out of it and then turn around and taunt me, knowing I was going to stay?”
“He might just want you to know that he’s been paying attention to what you’re doing. It’s someone who knew you were retiring.”
“He almost acts like he didn’t want me involved one minute, yet now, it’s like he’s telling me everything it would take to get me to stay on this case. I think he has it out for me.”
“The Hangman said this was the beginning of the end for you, so I’d say that was a direct threat.”
“Right, and then he said that he knew I’d come. He knew he’d baited me right in. He even taunted me with that ‘you couldn’t save the others and you can’t save her’ bullshit.” He read the lines after that. “Justice finds everyone,” he read. “Yeah, it sure as hell does, and I’m going to find you, Hangman.”
“He wanted you here all along. It was never about trying to get you to quit. He needed you to be on the case.” There was a spark in Jo’s eyes as she read the first letter. “He even says you’re known as a hard ass. He knows your stubborn.”
“Exactly. And I fell right into it.” What was he supposed to have done, cower away from it? Left Jo to deal with it all on her own? He wasn’t about to let that happen. “He knew the case would be too tempting for me to leave.”
“He knows that in spite of you being sick of everything, you’ll still do your job when needed. He knows you respect it.”
Jake looked up and realized that Jo understood it. He wasn’t in love with the job. He respected it.
“Well, now that I know I’m right where I want to be, we need to keep on it. I think that we need to do something I’ve been tiptoeing around.”
“You? Tiptoeing?”
“I haven’t really interrogated the chief yet. I mean, yeah, I posed some feeler questions, but he is really going to have to answer some tough questions if we expect to save his life. And he should give them to us. See what this letter says?” He pointed to the line on the page. “Justice finds everyone.”
Jo nodded. “And the chief was named. He’s going to find justice sooner or later.”
“Let’s hope not sooner. Want to take a ride?”
She sprang to her feet. “I have your back on this one. Let’s not call ahead. I have a feeling he’s going to tell us to fuck off before we even get there.”
On their way out, they passed Sam, who was just coming out of Chief Milner’s office with a shit-eating grin. “Hey, where are you two off to?”
“We’re going to run away and elope,” said Jo. “Detective Hotpants here is in love with me.” She gave him a wink, but Sam played along.
“Oh, nice.”
“I said that was only a joke. She never said that.” He had to open his big mouth, and now he had the two of them on his ass. “One more mention of it, and I’m going to go ahead and retire and leave your ass here to fight crime with Officer Sam here.”
“We’re going to talk to the chief,” Jo clarified.
“She’s right in her office,” said Sam. “And she’s in a better mood than O’Connor would be this time of day.”
“Is that why you’re all smiles leaving her office?” Jake gave him a suspicious look, one he wanted to be insinuating.
“Hey, don’t even go there. You’re the only one in love with anyone in this building, not me.” He gave him a firm elbow to the ribs and then walked away.
“You just had to get that shit started? Now we’re going to be hauled in to talk to Milner, who will probably ask for my immediate retirement, thinking that’s true.”
“Please. She wouldn’t care. Think of all the people messing around in this station.”
“With Dannie. She’s not an officer. She’s a secretary. Just knock it off, would you?” He stormed out ahead of her, and she hurried along behind him on the way out to the car.
“I’m sorry. I was just having a little fun.”
“At my expense.” He was only bothered because he feared it true. “Let’s get this trip over, and we can go home. I want to have a burger at Speed’s, and I’d like to beat the evening rush.”
“Noted.” She got in the car and remained quiet on the way.
Jake couldn’t take much more of the silence, and as he turned down O’Connor’s street, he glanced over to see her frowning.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” She lifted one shoulder and kept her eyes on the phone.
“Are you pouting?”
She looked up at him as if he were crazy. “Pouting? Why would I be pouting? Because I’m a girl? Because you snapped my head off over a joke?”
“I didn’t snap your head off.” He couldn’t believe she was upset with him.
He slowed the car and pulled into the drive. “Do we need to talk about this?”
“No, why bother? It doesn’t matter anyway. You’re leaving soon, and I’ll make other friends in the department who aren’t as overly sensitive about everything.”
“Everything? Boy that escalated quickly. Look, we’re here. We’ll talk later. I’m not mad about anything, and I don’t know what you’re upset about.” The woman was a fucking mystery.
“Come on.” She opened her door and headed toward the front door.
Jake caught up with her before she could rap her hand on the door. “Do it louder.” He reached up and hammered on it a few times.
Jo folded her arms. “Oh? Now I knock like a girl?”
Just when Jake opened his mouth to speak, the door opened. “What the fuck are you two doing here?” Chief O’Connor had a bottle in his hand, and his speech was a bit slurred. “Whatever it is, a phone call would have sufficed.” He held his hand up and glared at Jake with bloodshot eyes.
“Is this how you want to be when the Hangman shows up to collect you?” He couldn’t believe the man had gotten drunk in the middle of the afternoon.
“It’s been tough sitting around, waiting to die.” He turned and waved them in.
Jake caught up with him. “You’re not going to die,” he said as he took the bottle from his chief’s hand.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” He grabbed the bottle and gave it a tug, trying to pry it from Jake’s hand.
“I’m not letting go. You need to sober up before you get any worse.” He looked at the bottle, which was a little more than half gone. “Was this full when you started?”
“No, I’ve had a few shots is all. I’m an Irishman, god damn you. I can handle my liquor and my punches.” He held up his fist. “I’ll belt you a good one if you keep fucking with me.”
“You’re sauced.” Jake wondered if this could work to his advantage. Sober Chief wouldn’t tell him anything, but drunk Chief just might.
“We’re here to talk to you about the Hangman.”
“I hope you find that son of a bitch and nail his cock to a block.” He looked over at Jo. “Sorry for my language.”
She pulled Jake aside. “We can’t question him like this. He’s out of his mind.”
Jake took her hand and pulled her into the kitchen as O’Connor went across the room to the liquor cabinet for another bottle. “We just came to talk, and if he happens to give us something, then what could it hurt?”
“You know what it could hurt. The investigation. I don’t want to compromise it.”
“Don’t you want to find out what he’s hiding? Look at him. He’s liable to spill his guts.”
“Bad pun,” said Jo.
“I didn’t mean it like that. Come on; I know you’re still mad at me.” He moved in closer. “I only got defensive earlier because…” He didn’t want to say it.
“Well?”
“Because Dr. Meadows did accuse me of being in love with you. I’m sorry I made a joke of it.”
“You say it like it’s a crime to like me,” she said. “You set her straight, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I did.” He shrugged. “Of course.”
“Okay then, so we’ll let it go. I accept your apology. It’s ridiculous for us to fight over that nonsense anyway. It’s not like you do, right?” She took a deep breath and turned around to see the chief as he kicked back in his recliner. “Fuck it. Let’s do this.”
Jake had rarely heard her
utter a bad word, and while he wanted to clarify his feelings, he let it go. There was time for that train wreck later. He had a chief to coax.
He sat on the couch, and Jo followed, taking the cushion next to him. “So,” he said. “Jo and I were talking about theories, and I still believe the Hangman is going after people for revenge.”
“He thinks he’s above the law,” O’Connor said. “I mean, it might not be the least corrupt system in the country, but we have to obey our laws for a reason. I came here to Washington to do just that. A fresh start, yessir.”
“You’ve never done anything you regret, right, Chief?”
O’Connor looked at Jake with narrowed, bloodshot eyes and was quiet for a minute. “Is that why you came here, Jake? To ask me if I’ve done horrible things, and that’s why the Hangman targeted me?”
Jake turned and looked at Jo. “Um, well, if you wanted to tell me anything, I’m listening. I would understand.” He didn’t want to anger the man and have him go off in a different direction, which would end badly for them when he sobered up.
“That’s the problem with you, Jake. You think it should all be good and bad. We’re the good guys over here. They’re the bad guys over there. But I’m here to tell you, that’s all bullshit. Sometimes, the good guys have to do things that they don’t like. Just like we had to get rid of those parking tickets for your little informant. Where is that little piece of shit, and has he stopped talking yet? They usually do when you give them what they want. They give you a fake lead, something just juicy enough to make your mouth water for more, and then they skip town.”
Jake could feel the anger rolling inside of him. This wasn’t going how he wanted it to, but he had no choice now but to sit and take it from the man. And what was worse, it was in front of Jo. He couldn’t even look at her.
“She should know all about how sometimes people you love and respect have to do things you hate. And you have to tolerate it to get the things you want out of it.”
Jake looked over at Jo, and she shrugged.
He put his bottle down and stared through her. “You’ve had to do it your whole life, haven’t you?”