Part 26 (1/2)
”Let's start there.”
At the bank of escalators three police officers stood in front of a line of police crime-scene tape to keep anyone from going down.
”Who's in charge?” Muriel asked the first one who looked her way.
”Captain Hallman, but he's too busy to come up right now.”
”I don't want him to come up, I want to go down.” Muriel pointed at the escalator that someone had turned off, the steps frozen in position.
”They're still working the scene, so that's not going to happen.”
”Either you call him and get me cleared or I'll call his boss and get the same thing, your choice.”
”Let her down,” a man screamed from the floor beneath them.
”Alone.”
Muriel took the steps two at a time and stopped in front of Paul Hallman. He was two years from retirement, and to Muriel, he always appeared tired. ”That your guy in there?” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
”Rick worked for my cousin, Cain Casey, and he was here picking up a bag for a family member. When you're finished with your investigation, call my office so we can arrange to pick him up and take him to the funeral home.”
Hallman scratched his head,then tried to order his thinning hair with his fingers. ”That's mighty agreeable of you, Muriel. All the years I've known you, I pegged you for someone whose nails we need to shove bamboo under while we drip water on your forehead to get you to admit to your name. I do believe that's the most I've ever heard you say at one time.”
”I'm feeling generous, considering the situation, but that's not why I'm here. Our family will take care of Rick later. I'm here for Mr.
Romano.”
”Who?”
She laughed at the way he crinkled his brow. ”Don't start playing dumb now, Paul. You're too old for that. Lou Romano is in your custody, if I had to guess. Unless you have reason to hold him, I want him released to me.”
”Lou's last name is Romano?” Hallman laughed and led her to the security office. ”I sure as h.e.l.l didn't know that. Never heardhim called anything but Lou.”
”Why is he still here?”
”The guys told me he was the one who found your boy, and he volunteered to give a statement.” Hallman opened the door, and the same security guard that had put Lou in the chair still sat across from him. Lou was still cuffed. ”Why in the h.e.l.l didn't you take those off, you idiot?” The guard came close to falling backward when Hallman screamed at him.
”You okay, Lou?” Muriel asked.
”Just great.”Lou rubbed his wrists and stood up. ”Am I free to go?”
”Did you give a statement?” Hallman asked.
”That's going to have to wait. I need to go to the hospital and have my hands checked out from being cuffed so tight for so long.”
Paul nodded. ”I'll cut you some slack, but I want you in my office no later than tomorrow.”
”I'll have him there,” Muriel said.
They had started to leave when Hallman's gruff voice stopped them. ”You didn't see anything, did you, Lou?”
”Just my friend with a bullet hole in his forehead.”
”Let's say I believe you for now,” Hallman said slowly. ”Don't go doing anything crazy, okay?”
”Crazy isn't our style,” Muriel said as she wrapped her hand around Lou's bicep to keep him quiet.
”I'll see you around, then.” Paul stuck his hand out and offered it to Muriel first, then Lou.
”Let me know if you find anything that points to who did this,”
Muriel said. ”Cain's putting up a ten-thousand-dollar reward for information. That should help with the investigation.”
”I'll pa.s.s that along, and you remember to do the same. If you find something, phone me.”
Muriel just stared at him before smiling. ”I'm sure you'll be my first call.”
”You're full of s.h.i.+t, Muriel, but I like you anyway.”
She bowed her head slightly and just as quickly quit smiling. The cops had their job to do, and they had theirs. Whoever had killed Rick would face endless court dates or only one quick date with death. It depended on who won the footraceHallman or them.
Chapter Thirty-Five.
”You know what this might mean, don't you?” Cain asked Remi.
She was staring at the spot where Rick had been standing just that morning. After asking Merrick earlier she knew he was twenty-six years old. At that age she'd never thought about death much, until it became such a frequent visitor.
”The start of a war?If it is, it'd be nice to know who we're fighting.”
”We're fighting the future, Remi, and for once I don't know if we can win this fight no matter how hard we go at it.” Cain exhaled and shook her head to force herself to look away.
”You want to give up before we even start?”
”I'm tired, that's all. I've changed because I wanted peace. I wanted to enjoy my family and my wife without some a.s.shole constantly taking shots at me.”
Remi placed her mug in the sink and leaned against the counter. ”I can't see you retired and knitting booties somewhere.”
”But I can see her feeding cows somewhere for about a week,”
Ross said, interrupting them. ”After that, all your energy would drive you mad.”
”Are you wondering deep down if perhaps Carol was right? Your daughter could've picked safer,” Cain said.
”My daughter picked with her heart. Your life isn't always perfect, but unlike what that guy Kyle told me, the fight seems to always come to you without you looking for it. This would be the time to get up, brushyourself off, and kick the s.h.i.+t out of someone.”