way now and that was the most shocking revelation to date.
“I’m guessing by that little smile that you do?”
“What?” Jerking his head up to look at Eddie, he hadn’t even realized he’d been smiling. “No, I’m not involved with anyone, not that way, not right now.”
“Hmm, mmm. Not right now? I heard that, which means that you have someone in mind for eventually.”
“Maybe, but we have a long way to go until I can even come close to pursuing that line of thought.” Brian frowned again as he refocused back on his problem. It would be hard to date Toni if she was dead. Last night sealed it. He wanted more with Toni. He wanted to explore that idea of forever, or a family with her, or hell, even an eventually, but first he had to keep her safe.
Thirty minutes later, they walked into the police department to be immediately met by the captain’s voice booming, “Barnes, Walters, get in here.”
They exchanged a look as they headed to the captain’s office. When they entered the room, he instructed, “Close the door behind you and have a seat.”
After typing some more on his keyboard, he cleared his throat and finally looked up at the two of them. Brian was surprised at how exhausted he appeared, with bags under his eyes, his grey hair disheveled, the wrinkles on his face more pronounced. “Tell me where we stand in the Morrow investigation.”
Eddie explained where the investigation was at, ending with the fact they were just waiting on the ME analysis of Mark Hunter’s suicide.
The captain lifted a folder. “That arrived this morning. According to the ME it was a cut and dried case of suicide. It’s a damn shame that boy took his own life this way since it doesn’t look like it’s adding up to much more than a slap on the wrists for those kids. It puts us in a very bad light.”
“Excuse me, sir?” Brian asked. “Why would they just get a slap on the wrist when they perpetuated felony assault on a minor, resisted arrest, public intoxication, and were driving drunk?”
“There’s a distinct lack of physical evidence of any of those things. The only thing we have is a questionable eye-witness.”
“Questionable?” Brian could feel his blood pressure rising.
The captain leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and met Brian’s challenging gaze. “She shot and killed her boyfriend, who just happened to be a cop, last year. That’s not exactly the sign of a mentally well-balanced person.”
“Yes, she did and thank God for that because he was a cop who was crazy and she saved two lives and probably more by doing so.”
“Detective Barnes, I realize why you wouldn’t have an objective viewpoint on this witness since I know you were one of those lives, but it’s time to drop this case and move on to more important things that need our attention.”
Brian shook his head and began to argue, but the captain shut him down.
“That’s an order, Detective.”
He ground his teeth together and tried to hold his tongue, but Nathan and Toni deserved better than this. They deserved to be able to live their lives without fear. “What if I told you the witness was threatened last night? These guys are not above murder and in fact, the guys that harassed her basically confessed to Mark Hunter’s murder. The ME is wrong. He didn’t commit suicide. Mark Hunter called me to talk about something. I think he wanted to confess and work a deal, but he never got the chance. Someone else got to him first. How many people have to die? Isn’t this our jobs to serve and protect ?” Brian ignored the angry gaze from his captain. “Would that convince you to take your head out of your ass long enough to realize there’s more to this case than meets the eye?”
The captain narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re over-stepping your place, Detective.” The captain rose from his desk, leaning over it, using every bit of intimidation he could. “I realize you’ve had a hard year, but this is not
“I’m guessing by that little smile that you do?”
“What?” Jerking his head up to look at Eddie, he hadn’t even realized he’d been smiling. “No, I’m not involved with anyone, not that way, not right now.”
“Hmm, mmm. Not right now? I heard that, which means that you have someone in mind for eventually.”
“Maybe, but we have a long way to go until I can even come close to pursuing that line of thought.” Brian frowned again as he refocused back on his problem. It would be hard to date Toni if she was dead. Last night sealed it. He wanted more with Toni. He wanted to explore that idea of forever, or a family with her, or hell, even an eventually, but first he had to keep her safe.
Thirty minutes later, they walked into the police department to be immediately met by the captain’s voice booming, “Barnes, Walters, get in here.”
They exchanged a look as they headed to the captain’s office. When they entered the room, he instructed, “Close the door behind you and have a seat.”
After typing some more on his keyboard, he cleared his throat and finally looked up at the two of them. Brian was surprised at how exhausted he appeared, with bags under his eyes, his grey hair disheveled, the wrinkles on his face more pronounced. “Tell me where we stand in the Morrow investigation.”
Eddie explained where the investigation was at, ending with the fact they were just waiting on the ME analysis of Mark Hunter’s suicide.
The captain lifted a folder. “That arrived this morning. According to the ME it was a cut and dried case of suicide. It’s a damn shame that boy took his own life this way since it doesn’t look like it’s adding up to much more than a slap on the wrists for those kids. It puts us in a very bad light.”
“Excuse me, sir?” Brian asked. “Why would they just get a slap on the wrist when they perpetuated felony assault on a minor, resisted arrest, public intoxication, and were driving drunk?”
“There’s a distinct lack of physical evidence of any of those things. The only thing we have is a questionable eye-witness.”
“Questionable?” Brian could feel his blood pressure rising.
The captain leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and met Brian’s challenging gaze. “She shot and killed her boyfriend, who just happened to be a cop, last year. That’s not exactly the sign of a mentally well-balanced person.”
“Yes, she did and thank God for that because he was a cop who was crazy and she saved two lives and probably more by doing so.”
“Detective Barnes, I realize why you wouldn’t have an objective viewpoint on this witness since I know you were one of those lives, but it’s time to drop this case and move on to more important things that need our attention.”
Brian shook his head and began to argue, but the captain shut him down.
“That’s an order, Detective.”
He ground his teeth together and tried to hold his tongue, but Nathan and Toni deserved better than this. They deserved to be able to live their lives without fear. “What if I told you the witness was threatened last night? These guys are not above murder and in fact, the guys that harassed her basically confessed to Mark Hunter’s murder. The ME is wrong. He didn’t commit suicide. Mark Hunter called me to talk about something. I think he wanted to confess and work a deal, but he never got the chance. Someone else got to him first. How many people have to die? Isn’t this our jobs to serve and protect ?” Brian ignored the angry gaze from his captain. “Would that convince you to take your head out of your ass long enough to realize there’s more to this case than meets the eye?”
The captain narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re over-stepping your place, Detective.” The captain rose from his desk, leaning over it, using every bit of intimidation he could. “I realize you’ve had a hard year, but this is not
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