him friend—had actually been his friend at one point in their lives—he realized that you made friends in police work the same way soldiers in battle made friends. It was a mutual dependency thing. Your partner was your friend because he was your lifeline; one day, when your life depended on it, that friendship might just save your ass.
Up until that incident ten years ago with Jack Higgins, Jennings thought he’d known Cavanaugh as well as any man could know another. But Jack was dead and Cavanaugh had at first been implicated and subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal investigation. Something about the whole incident smelled bad to Jennings, however, and since then he and Cavanaugh had constructed this wall between them. They were partners, yes. Close, no. Now he wasn’t sure he even knew the man. Did one person ever really know another?
He knew Cavanaugh had a dark side, but lately it had gotten out of hand. His shitty moods and verbal abuse of some of the lower ranking officers was downright disturbing. Now Jennings understood what was going on. And he wasn’t surprised that Kate had finally left him. At one time in the past Cavanaugh’s wife Kate had an extra-marital affair. When Cavanaugh found out about it he’d gone nuts and beat Kate nearly to death. She’d ended up in the hospital and subsequently filed charges against her husband. It was all over the news, and Wilder was the one who’d run with it, making Cavanaugh look like a scumbag. Cavanaugh had been put on administrative leave and forced to undergo psychiatric counseling which had really pissed him off. But Jennings knew he had been lucky to get off that easily. Only because it was a force thing and the force protected their own did Cavanaugh survive it. Eventually Cavanaugh and his wife had come to some sort of resolution. But evidently it hadn’t lasted. Now Kate was gone. Jennings wondered if maybe she’d been fucking around on him again and had left for another man. If so, God help her. Despite what he’d said earlier, Jennings knew that Frank Cavanaugh was a mean and unforgiving bastard and he would not let this go with a whimper.
But Jennings secretly believed that Cavanaugh had used up his last ‘get out of jail card’ with the force. If he fucked up again nothing could save him.
Chapter 25
Out on the highway Jennings’s cell phone went off. He reached in his pocket and looked at the caller ID before answering it. He pushed the button. “Jennings,” he said and listened for about a minute, his face darkening, his head nodding. “Right, I’ll be there in about a half hour. Make sure they all stay put. I want to talk to each one individually.” Cavanaugh was watching him intently.
“Okay,” Jennings said. “I’m on the way.” He folded his phone and threw it on the seat, hit the gas peddle and the Crown Vic leapt forward.
“What’s going on?” Cavanaugh asked.
“Got myself an interview with a rock ’n roll band,” Jennings said cheerily. “How exciting is that?”
Cavanaugh frowned intensely at Jennings. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“In time, Frank. All will be revealed in time.”
“Has it got something to do with Wolf?”
“Maybe.”
“You gonna talk to him too?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve got my reasons.”
Cavanaugh frowned. “You want me to talk to him?”
“Absolutely not. I mean it, Frank. You stay away from him.”
Cavanaugh sighed. “Why are you protecting him?”
“I’m not.”
“Seems that way to me.”
“Listen, there’s reason to what I do.”
“But you do want me to keep watching him?”
“Oh yeah, but keep your distance until I say otherwise.”
“I don’t trust the little bastard.”
“He’s not even a suspect yet,” Jennings said. “Just a person of interest, and I don’t want you blowing it. Understand?”
“Yeah, sure,” Cavanaugh said irritably. “But I still don’t trust him.”
Up until that incident ten years ago with Jack Higgins, Jennings thought he’d known Cavanaugh as well as any man could know another. But Jack was dead and Cavanaugh had at first been implicated and subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal investigation. Something about the whole incident smelled bad to Jennings, however, and since then he and Cavanaugh had constructed this wall between them. They were partners, yes. Close, no. Now he wasn’t sure he even knew the man. Did one person ever really know another?
He knew Cavanaugh had a dark side, but lately it had gotten out of hand. His shitty moods and verbal abuse of some of the lower ranking officers was downright disturbing. Now Jennings understood what was going on. And he wasn’t surprised that Kate had finally left him. At one time in the past Cavanaugh’s wife Kate had an extra-marital affair. When Cavanaugh found out about it he’d gone nuts and beat Kate nearly to death. She’d ended up in the hospital and subsequently filed charges against her husband. It was all over the news, and Wilder was the one who’d run with it, making Cavanaugh look like a scumbag. Cavanaugh had been put on administrative leave and forced to undergo psychiatric counseling which had really pissed him off. But Jennings knew he had been lucky to get off that easily. Only because it was a force thing and the force protected their own did Cavanaugh survive it. Eventually Cavanaugh and his wife had come to some sort of resolution. But evidently it hadn’t lasted. Now Kate was gone. Jennings wondered if maybe she’d been fucking around on him again and had left for another man. If so, God help her. Despite what he’d said earlier, Jennings knew that Frank Cavanaugh was a mean and unforgiving bastard and he would not let this go with a whimper.
But Jennings secretly believed that Cavanaugh had used up his last ‘get out of jail card’ with the force. If he fucked up again nothing could save him.
Chapter 25
Out on the highway Jennings’s cell phone went off. He reached in his pocket and looked at the caller ID before answering it. He pushed the button. “Jennings,” he said and listened for about a minute, his face darkening, his head nodding. “Right, I’ll be there in about a half hour. Make sure they all stay put. I want to talk to each one individually.” Cavanaugh was watching him intently.
“Okay,” Jennings said. “I’m on the way.” He folded his phone and threw it on the seat, hit the gas peddle and the Crown Vic leapt forward.
“What’s going on?” Cavanaugh asked.
“Got myself an interview with a rock ’n roll band,” Jennings said cheerily. “How exciting is that?”
Cavanaugh frowned intensely at Jennings. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“In time, Frank. All will be revealed in time.”
“Has it got something to do with Wolf?”
“Maybe.”
“You gonna talk to him too?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve got my reasons.”
Cavanaugh frowned. “You want me to talk to him?”
“Absolutely not. I mean it, Frank. You stay away from him.”
Cavanaugh sighed. “Why are you protecting him?”
“I’m not.”
“Seems that way to me.”
“Listen, there’s reason to what I do.”
“But you do want me to keep watching him?”
“Oh yeah, but keep your distance until I say otherwise.”
“I don’t trust the little bastard.”
“He’s not even a suspect yet,” Jennings said. “Just a person of interest, and I don’t want you blowing it. Understand?”
“Yeah, sure,” Cavanaugh said irritably. “But I still don’t trust him.”
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