Drabyak to write the guy up—did I mention the guy was her partner for Christ’s sake?—gets him bounced back down to patrol. Figured she’d skate right into the top slot.” He laughed derisively. “Like the rest of us were going to let that happen. That bitch didn’t know what hit her, trust me. Not a soul on the force—except for the old man there, of course—no one had a word to say to her.”
“You mean you shunned her?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah, we all just stopped talking to her, wouldn’t have anything to do with her. Worst thing that can happen to a cop, you know? Not knowing if anyone would respond to a call for backup. Never knowing if anyone had her back. Made her life a fucking hell. She finally quit. Good riddance. She wasn’t that good anyway. Stupid bitch.”
“What exactly had she told Drabyak?” Charlie had asked.
“What difference does it make? What kind of cop rats out her own partner? You tell me that.”
Charlie had opened his mouth to speak at the same time the door opened and Joe Drabyak stuck his head in.
“Toricelli, I need you in my office.” The chief had glanced from one man to the other. “If you’re done bending Wanamaker’s ear.”
“Yeah, I’m done.” Toricelli had nodded. “Good to meet you. Looking forward to working with you.”
“Thanks, me too,” Charlie had replied.
He hadn’t really given the incident much thought until this afternoon, when he’d realized that the woman in the park was the much-maligned former Detective Russo.
From the little he’d already observed, he’d put his money on Russo any day. Interesting that Drabyak had so readily agreed to having him share information with her. That had to be a bit off the books, even for a small city force like Conroy’s.
Charlie turned the key in the ignition of his BMW, thinking Drabyak didn’t look like the type of guy a woman like Mallory Russo would be interested in.
I could be all wrong on that, God knows I’ve been wrong in the past when it comes to reading women. But somehow…her and Drabyak…uh-uh. Don’t see it.
So if that part of the tale was wrong, what did that say about the rest of it?
He wondered if he’d ever get the chance to ask.
Then again, maybe having Mallory involved was Drabyak’s way of covering his ass should Charlie turn out to be a bad decision on his part.
Not that that could happen,
Charlie told himself. He’d been damned good in Philly, and he’d be damned good here as well.
Drabyak’s faith in Mallory didn’t seem to be misplaced, though, Charlie’d give her that. He liked the way she’d walked the crime scene and played it out in her head, piecing it together. And finding that bit of fabric on the other side of the fence, well, that was heads-up work. While he believed that, on his own, he’d have checked both sides of the fence for evidence, he had to give her credit for having thought of it first. He was impressed by her quick mind and her focus on the case. Obviously she still had it in her blood or she wouldn’t be putting so much of her time and energy into the case. A case, he reminded himself, she wasn’t even getting paid to work.
Or was she? He’d asked her who she was working for on a whim, and she’d slammed that door unexpectedly fast, surprising him. He wasn’t even sure why he’d asked; he hadn’t thought about it before the question came out of his mouth. After years on the job, you just develop a sixth sense about things, he rationalized. But once it was out there, he’d expected any answer other than the one she gave. He hadn’t consciously thought she was on someone’s payroll, but if she was, why wouldn’t she just say so?
Doesn’t matter,
he told himself. She’s good at what she did, and let’s face it, she’s damned easy on the eyes. He’d have to be blind not to notice the woman was exceptionally well put together. He’d always been a sucker for a pretty blonde, and Mallory was more than just pretty, with those
“You mean you shunned her?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah, we all just stopped talking to her, wouldn’t have anything to do with her. Worst thing that can happen to a cop, you know? Not knowing if anyone would respond to a call for backup. Never knowing if anyone had her back. Made her life a fucking hell. She finally quit. Good riddance. She wasn’t that good anyway. Stupid bitch.”
“What exactly had she told Drabyak?” Charlie had asked.
“What difference does it make? What kind of cop rats out her own partner? You tell me that.”
Charlie had opened his mouth to speak at the same time the door opened and Joe Drabyak stuck his head in.
“Toricelli, I need you in my office.” The chief had glanced from one man to the other. “If you’re done bending Wanamaker’s ear.”
“Yeah, I’m done.” Toricelli had nodded. “Good to meet you. Looking forward to working with you.”
“Thanks, me too,” Charlie had replied.
He hadn’t really given the incident much thought until this afternoon, when he’d realized that the woman in the park was the much-maligned former Detective Russo.
From the little he’d already observed, he’d put his money on Russo any day. Interesting that Drabyak had so readily agreed to having him share information with her. That had to be a bit off the books, even for a small city force like Conroy’s.
Charlie turned the key in the ignition of his BMW, thinking Drabyak didn’t look like the type of guy a woman like Mallory Russo would be interested in.
I could be all wrong on that, God knows I’ve been wrong in the past when it comes to reading women. But somehow…her and Drabyak…uh-uh. Don’t see it.
So if that part of the tale was wrong, what did that say about the rest of it?
He wondered if he’d ever get the chance to ask.
Then again, maybe having Mallory involved was Drabyak’s way of covering his ass should Charlie turn out to be a bad decision on his part.
Not that that could happen,
Charlie told himself. He’d been damned good in Philly, and he’d be damned good here as well.
Drabyak’s faith in Mallory didn’t seem to be misplaced, though, Charlie’d give her that. He liked the way she’d walked the crime scene and played it out in her head, piecing it together. And finding that bit of fabric on the other side of the fence, well, that was heads-up work. While he believed that, on his own, he’d have checked both sides of the fence for evidence, he had to give her credit for having thought of it first. He was impressed by her quick mind and her focus on the case. Obviously she still had it in her blood or she wouldn’t be putting so much of her time and energy into the case. A case, he reminded himself, she wasn’t even getting paid to work.
Or was she? He’d asked her who she was working for on a whim, and she’d slammed that door unexpectedly fast, surprising him. He wasn’t even sure why he’d asked; he hadn’t thought about it before the question came out of his mouth. After years on the job, you just develop a sixth sense about things, he rationalized. But once it was out there, he’d expected any answer other than the one she gave. He hadn’t consciously thought she was on someone’s payroll, but if she was, why wouldn’t she just say so?
Doesn’t matter,
he told himself. She’s good at what she did, and let’s face it, she’s damned easy on the eyes. He’d have to be blind not to notice the woman was exceptionally well put together. He’d always been a sucker for a pretty blonde, and Mallory was more than just pretty, with those
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