be able to do my job. You don’t won’t that on your conscience, do you?”
“I’m going to work, and so are you.” She poured two cups of leftover breakfast coffee into mugs and set them in the microwave. “I’ll do a search of the files and see if anything comes up. Okay?”
He shook his head and took the mug she handed him. “You know best, but don’t think I will forget this.”
“Oh, I know you won’t.” She dumped the coffee in the carafe into the sink. “Thank you for coming over. I’m okay now.”
“Take this seriously, Carmen.” He rinsed his cup and gazed steadily at her. “It has all the stink of someone wanting to get even.”
Before he left, Carmen was aware of Don’s looking at her window locks and deadbolt on her door. He wasn’t stealthy enough to fool her. His concern warmed her heart, and she knew why she loved him.
Alone, Carmen went through the apartment to satisfy herself that the place had been locked tight. She left for work, knowing there would be little time for personal problems once she walked in the door.
With twenty minutes to fill before the new shift arrived, Carmen closed the door to her office and sat at her desk. She ran a checklist on her prior arrests made in the past year and took notes of the most sinister threats thrown at her. Filthy names didn’t count.
None of them proved to be likely suspects, and most of them were serving sentences. She’d never worried about empty threats made in anger from the garbage. They were pissed because they’d been caught, nothing personal.
What a job, and you asked for it
.
She sat up straight when her door opened and Gentry stepped into her office. “What can I do for you, Detective?”
He glanced at the screen of her computer. “Busy?” He sat in the chair in front of her desk. “Gotta say, Captain. You’ve cleaned this place up nice.”
Carmen hadn’t been fooled by his tea time conversation. He wanted something.
“Yeah, I’m a real homemaker.” She closed out the screen on her computer. “What is it? A gripe from the ranks?”
“Not out loud.” He laughed and straightened his flower-patterned tie. “I thought maybe you’d like company tonight on your rounds.”
“Don put you up to this, didn’t he?”
“Who?”
“You don’t play stupid very well, Gentry.” Carmen leaned across her desk to look him in the eye. “I don’t need a babysitter.” She looked up to see sergeant Rosen standing in the doorway. “Sergeant. I’ll be out before the officers go on patrol.”
“Well, that’s not exactly what I wanted to see you about, Captain.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “There’s something you need to see in the men’s public restroom.”
“Okay.” She didn’t find it amusing as Gentry apparently did. She stood and followed Sergeant Rosen to the hall leading to the restrooms.
“I hate to ask you to come in here, but it’s important.” He went in first and opened the last stall door. “In here, ma’am.”
Gentry followed close on her heels and leaned over her shoulder to read the magic marker graffiti. “Son-of-a-bitch.” He scrubbed his hand over his mouth before apologizing. “Sorry, Captain.”
She waved her hand to dismiss the apology. The crude drawing of a woman with a penis in her mouth didn’t startle her. The name under it did. Captun Hore Redstone, blazed out at her in printed bold letters, underlined. An arrow pointed from the drawing’s mouth to her name.
Inhaling a shaky breath, she crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s plain enough.”
“We’ll get that cleaned off pronto.” Sergeant Rosen was visibly angry, his dark eyes narrowed and words clipped as he added. “Sorry that happened.”
“Don’t you people watch who comes and goes in this place?” Gentry glared at sergeant Rosen.
“I just came on duty, Detective.” Rosen glared back at the man who’d insulted his competence. “We can’t lead all of the crazies by the
“I’m going to work, and so are you.” She poured two cups of leftover breakfast coffee into mugs and set them in the microwave. “I’ll do a search of the files and see if anything comes up. Okay?”
He shook his head and took the mug she handed him. “You know best, but don’t think I will forget this.”
“Oh, I know you won’t.” She dumped the coffee in the carafe into the sink. “Thank you for coming over. I’m okay now.”
“Take this seriously, Carmen.” He rinsed his cup and gazed steadily at her. “It has all the stink of someone wanting to get even.”
Before he left, Carmen was aware of Don’s looking at her window locks and deadbolt on her door. He wasn’t stealthy enough to fool her. His concern warmed her heart, and she knew why she loved him.
Alone, Carmen went through the apartment to satisfy herself that the place had been locked tight. She left for work, knowing there would be little time for personal problems once she walked in the door.
With twenty minutes to fill before the new shift arrived, Carmen closed the door to her office and sat at her desk. She ran a checklist on her prior arrests made in the past year and took notes of the most sinister threats thrown at her. Filthy names didn’t count.
None of them proved to be likely suspects, and most of them were serving sentences. She’d never worried about empty threats made in anger from the garbage. They were pissed because they’d been caught, nothing personal.
What a job, and you asked for it
.
She sat up straight when her door opened and Gentry stepped into her office. “What can I do for you, Detective?”
He glanced at the screen of her computer. “Busy?” He sat in the chair in front of her desk. “Gotta say, Captain. You’ve cleaned this place up nice.”
Carmen hadn’t been fooled by his tea time conversation. He wanted something.
“Yeah, I’m a real homemaker.” She closed out the screen on her computer. “What is it? A gripe from the ranks?”
“Not out loud.” He laughed and straightened his flower-patterned tie. “I thought maybe you’d like company tonight on your rounds.”
“Don put you up to this, didn’t he?”
“Who?”
“You don’t play stupid very well, Gentry.” Carmen leaned across her desk to look him in the eye. “I don’t need a babysitter.” She looked up to see sergeant Rosen standing in the doorway. “Sergeant. I’ll be out before the officers go on patrol.”
“Well, that’s not exactly what I wanted to see you about, Captain.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “There’s something you need to see in the men’s public restroom.”
“Okay.” She didn’t find it amusing as Gentry apparently did. She stood and followed Sergeant Rosen to the hall leading to the restrooms.
“I hate to ask you to come in here, but it’s important.” He went in first and opened the last stall door. “In here, ma’am.”
Gentry followed close on her heels and leaned over her shoulder to read the magic marker graffiti. “Son-of-a-bitch.” He scrubbed his hand over his mouth before apologizing. “Sorry, Captain.”
She waved her hand to dismiss the apology. The crude drawing of a woman with a penis in her mouth didn’t startle her. The name under it did. Captun Hore Redstone, blazed out at her in printed bold letters, underlined. An arrow pointed from the drawing’s mouth to her name.
Inhaling a shaky breath, she crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s plain enough.”
“We’ll get that cleaned off pronto.” Sergeant Rosen was visibly angry, his dark eyes narrowed and words clipped as he added. “Sorry that happened.”
“Don’t you people watch who comes and goes in this place?” Gentry glared at sergeant Rosen.
“I just came on duty, Detective.” Rosen glared back at the man who’d insulted his competence. “We can’t lead all of the crazies by the
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