K-9 Hideout
Page 21
After several tense seconds, the detective finally spoke up.
“Listen. The reason I’m no longer with the Chicago PD is because I refused to abide by the department’s shady code of silence. So if I suspected there was any corruption going on within Gattenburg’s law enforcement agency, believe me, I’d be the first one to call it out.”
Samantha resisted the urge to slam her fist against the hood of his car. “Says the man who joined the force literally a month ago...”
“Wow. Okay,” Gregory sighed, running his hand down his thick, closely cropped black hair. “Samantha, I understand that you and your friend are hurting. But please know that this force’s only objective is to do the right thing. I may be new, but I’ve had connections here in Gattenburg for years. And I don’t believe there are any cover-ups happening. So, with that being said, maybe we should end this conversation before it goes too far—”
“Fine,” Samantha interrupted, taking a step back. “And with all due respect, Officer Harris, I think you’re being a bit naive. If nothing else, I do hope you’ll continue following my blog. It’ll open your eyes to the truth. And with that being said, have a good night.”
Before the detective could respond, Samantha climbed inside her car and sped off.
* * *
GREGORY FELT A pull in his chest as he watched Samantha drive away. Bumping into her had been such a pleasant surprise. He’d barely been able to control the shudders of excitement in his gut during their conversation. But that buzz completely fizzled after their encounter ended in disaster.
He drove somberly down the street before noticing Samantha stopped at a red light up ahead. The detective quickly maneuvered his car alongside hers and rolled down the window.
When he glanced over, he noticed tears trickling down her cheeks.
“Hey! Sam!” he called out, frantically waving his arms.
She stared straight ahead. As soon as the light turned green, she jetted off.
Gregory hit the accelerator and followed her. Before he knew it, he’d trailed her all the way home. When she noticed him parked in front of her house, she stormed over to his car.
“Here we go...” he muttered, opening the door and stepping out.
“What are you doing?” Samantha snapped. “Did you really just follow me home?”
“I did. I, uh... I wanted to apologize for the way I responded to you.” He tried to ignore the rush of energy he felt at the sight of her curls blowing seductively across her delicate face.
Focus, he thought, shoving his hands deep inside his pockets.
“I know that losing a friend so tragically can’t be easy,” he continued, “and I hope I didn’t seem insensitive. I’m just very protective of my brothers in blue. But I should’ve been more sympathetic toward you.”
“Humph,” Samantha huffed, tilting her head to the side and studying him closely. “Well...thank you for that. I accept your apology.”
Gregory felt his taut muscles relax when he sensed that she had dropped her guard a bit.
She shook her head and stared up at the sky. “This all just feels so surreal. I’m not used to covering cases that hit so close to home. And the fact that this one hasn’t been solved really hurts. It actually makes me wish I would’ve followed in my father’s footsteps and gone into law enforcement. But that didn’t end well.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“My dad was killed in the line of duty back in Chicago. The fire went out of my desire to join the force after that.”
Gregory moved in closer and gently placed his hand on Samantha’s arm. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize your father died on the job.”
“That’s what brought my mom and me here to Gattenburg. We needed a fresh start in what we thought would be a safe town. And now this. Which is why I can’t just stand by and do nothing. I went through that once with my dad’s killer. I refuse to go through it again.”
“Wait, what do you mean? Your father’s murderer wasn’t apprehended?”
“No.” Samantha sighed, dabbing her fingertips against the corners of her damp eyes. “The offender was a big-time drug dealer who’d been paying off several city officials. Apparently that dirty money meant more to them than justice for my father.”
“You certainly have my sympathies, Samantha. But when it comes to Jacob’s case, I’d be remiss if I didn’t advise you to use caution.”
“Why?”
The detective hesitated, struggling to choose his words wisely. “I’ll put it this way. Chief Wentworth and Gattenburg’s judicial powers that be have a very...amiable relationship. They make special efforts to look out for one another. And while I now know that the investigation into Jacob’s death concluded somewhat hastily—”
“Somewhat,” Samantha interjected.
“—it could in fact be because Collin is Chief Wentworth’s son,” Gregory continued, purposely ignoring her sarcasm. “And I’m not saying that Collin was involved, because that I don’t know. I’m just going off what you’re telling me. But what I do know is that Chief Wentworth is a trusted leader in this community. As far as the higher-ups are concerned, he can do no wrong. And while I do respect the chief, I’ll admit he can be one relentless son of a bitch.”
Samantha backed away from him. “I’m not afraid of the chief! He may have a hold on this town, and he’s clearly got all of you under his spell. But he’s got nothing on me.”
“I’m not saying you should be afraid,” Gregory lamented. “Just be careful.”
When Samantha waved him off, he pressed on.
“Listen to me. Chief Wentworth has a lot of power. And when it comes to his son, he does appear to be jaded. If you even insinuate that Collin’s involved some sort of illegal activity, the chief could see to it that Jacob’s case is never reopened.”
Samantha threw her arms out at her sides. “It shouldn’t matter who’s involved in Jacob’s death. The bottom line is he deserves a proper investigation. And that starts with Chief Wentworth putting an end to the nepotism and doing his job. He should want to get Jacob’s killer off the street, even if it is his own son. Now, if you’re not with me, then you’re against me. So thanks for letting me know where you stand. We’re done here.”
She spun around and stormed up her walkway.
“I’m not against you, Samantha!” Gregory called out. “It’s just that...” His voice faded as the sting of remorse burned his throat.
He waited until she was safely inside the house before hopping in his car and speeding off, anxious to get home and check her blog to find out what she’d reported on Jacob’s case thus far.
Copyright © 2021 by Denise N. Wheatley
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ISBN-13: 9780369709011
K-9 Hideout
Copyright © 2021 by Elizabeth Heiter
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons,
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