gave Mike a look. He immediately glanced away.
“Then there are partners. A gang member will go to any extreme to avenge a fellow member’s death. A police officer would surely do the same if the law didn’t stop him, and we all know there are cases when a police officer finds a way to do that anyway.”
Koontz fidgeted in his chair. Mike wore a self-conscious smile.
“So you see,” Dr. Mayes concluded, “you already have a great deal in common with Vee. You simply need to approach him calmly, man to man. He cares about his mother, you care about yours. He’s protective of his sister. Most likely you are protective of yours. He is an experienced member of the streets, just as you are experienced members of the law enforcement community. Engage him in a conversation, treat him respectfully, and hopefully he’ll cooperate.”
“Or pull out a gun and blow us away,” Koontz said stiffly.
“It’s possible.”
“Don’t worry,” Mike told his partner. “I’ll do the talking. You know no one can resist my Cajun charm.”
“Yeah, like a thirteen-year-old straight shooter is a sucker for bedroom eyes.”
“Works on you, doesn’t it?”
“Rawlins, my partnering with you is nothing more than a pity date.”
“Lasting eight years?”
“I got a big heart.”
“Gentlemen,” Sandra interjected. “Not to break up your pillow talk or anything, but I’d like to keep us focused. How close are you to finding Vee?”
Mike shrugged. “We struck out at the school. They can’t think of anyone who writes like Vee or has a sister with a scarred face. Either she was hit with the bullet after graduating, or she dropped out of school.”
“Do you have any fresh ideas?”
“We’re going to try the hospitals next. Of all the information we’ve got, a bullet wound to the face still seems the most unique. Maybe an ER doc or trauma surgeon will remember something.”
“What about plastic surgeons or orthodontists who are covered by Medicade? If it was a facial wound, some reconstruction was probably done and they see fewer patients than an ER doctor. Their memories might be fresher,” Sandra said.
Mike looked surprised and impressed. “Nice,” he said thoughtfully. “We’ll do that.”
“Just trying to help out,” Sandra said, feeling absurdly pleased by the praise. She was drifting closer to Mike when Dr. Mayes spoke up.
“Might I suggest something?”
“Please do.”
“Why don’t you go to the source? You are trying to find a thirteen-year-old gang member. You should talk to the kids on the street.”
Koontz looked horrified. “Hey Doc, we’re trying to find one of them. No way are they going to give a straight answer.”
“You assume they are liars?”
“I assume their interests and ours conflict, and they’ll resolve that conflict by lying, yeah.”
“Maybe, maybe not. You won’t know until you ask, Detective.”
Mike clapped his partner on the back. “I’ll do the asking. You just look mean.”
“Freakin’ job,” Koontz said.
“Nothing we haven’t done before.”
“Yeah,” Koontz muttered after a moment. “Yeah.” But Sandra thought something else was still bothering him. She could tell by Mike’s covert glances that he thought the same.
“Well,” Sandra said after a moment, “I believe we’re done. Dr. Mayes, please come to my office. Rusty and Mike, good luck with the doctors.”
She ushered Dr. Mayes out of the room. Behind her, Mike whispered in her ear, “Nice suit.”
Sandra walked faster.
Chapter 6
A t seven that evening, Sandra was still hunched over her desk. A police radio was on in the corner of her office, volume turned down low. Not much activity tonight, but she could hear tension in her officers’ voices as they called in reports. Everyone was watching and waiting. Fearing what might happen next. It was a hell of a way to perform an already difficult job.
“Late night.”
Sandra started, jerking up anxiously, then
“Then there are partners. A gang member will go to any extreme to avenge a fellow member’s death. A police officer would surely do the same if the law didn’t stop him, and we all know there are cases when a police officer finds a way to do that anyway.”
Koontz fidgeted in his chair. Mike wore a self-conscious smile.
“So you see,” Dr. Mayes concluded, “you already have a great deal in common with Vee. You simply need to approach him calmly, man to man. He cares about his mother, you care about yours. He’s protective of his sister. Most likely you are protective of yours. He is an experienced member of the streets, just as you are experienced members of the law enforcement community. Engage him in a conversation, treat him respectfully, and hopefully he’ll cooperate.”
“Or pull out a gun and blow us away,” Koontz said stiffly.
“It’s possible.”
“Don’t worry,” Mike told his partner. “I’ll do the talking. You know no one can resist my Cajun charm.”
“Yeah, like a thirteen-year-old straight shooter is a sucker for bedroom eyes.”
“Works on you, doesn’t it?”
“Rawlins, my partnering with you is nothing more than a pity date.”
“Lasting eight years?”
“I got a big heart.”
“Gentlemen,” Sandra interjected. “Not to break up your pillow talk or anything, but I’d like to keep us focused. How close are you to finding Vee?”
Mike shrugged. “We struck out at the school. They can’t think of anyone who writes like Vee or has a sister with a scarred face. Either she was hit with the bullet after graduating, or she dropped out of school.”
“Do you have any fresh ideas?”
“We’re going to try the hospitals next. Of all the information we’ve got, a bullet wound to the face still seems the most unique. Maybe an ER doc or trauma surgeon will remember something.”
“What about plastic surgeons or orthodontists who are covered by Medicade? If it was a facial wound, some reconstruction was probably done and they see fewer patients than an ER doctor. Their memories might be fresher,” Sandra said.
Mike looked surprised and impressed. “Nice,” he said thoughtfully. “We’ll do that.”
“Just trying to help out,” Sandra said, feeling absurdly pleased by the praise. She was drifting closer to Mike when Dr. Mayes spoke up.
“Might I suggest something?”
“Please do.”
“Why don’t you go to the source? You are trying to find a thirteen-year-old gang member. You should talk to the kids on the street.”
Koontz looked horrified. “Hey Doc, we’re trying to find one of them. No way are they going to give a straight answer.”
“You assume they are liars?”
“I assume their interests and ours conflict, and they’ll resolve that conflict by lying, yeah.”
“Maybe, maybe not. You won’t know until you ask, Detective.”
Mike clapped his partner on the back. “I’ll do the asking. You just look mean.”
“Freakin’ job,” Koontz said.
“Nothing we haven’t done before.”
“Yeah,” Koontz muttered after a moment. “Yeah.” But Sandra thought something else was still bothering him. She could tell by Mike’s covert glances that he thought the same.
“Well,” Sandra said after a moment, “I believe we’re done. Dr. Mayes, please come to my office. Rusty and Mike, good luck with the doctors.”
She ushered Dr. Mayes out of the room. Behind her, Mike whispered in her ear, “Nice suit.”
Sandra walked faster.
Chapter 6
A t seven that evening, Sandra was still hunched over her desk. A police radio was on in the corner of her office, volume turned down low. Not much activity tonight, but she could hear tension in her officers’ voices as they called in reports. Everyone was watching and waiting. Fearing what might happen next. It was a hell of a way to perform an already difficult job.
“Late night.”
Sandra started, jerking up anxiously, then
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