Part 52 (1/2)
He tried to explain. ”Meredith, if they find this, I'll be in jail in a New York minute. There's still people who would like to see me crucified. At the very least, I would be tied up administratively for days.”
He could call and report it, of course, but his superiors might well have already heard from an anonymous caller. They would claim he called only because someone tipped him off.
She stared at him, and he saw her weigh the alternatives as well. Then she nodded.
They were still hunting when there was a loud knocking at the door.
He hoped to h.e.l.l they had found it all.
He opened the door. Four officers--two NOPD and two DEA agents--stood there.
He knew the NOPD sergeant. ”Joe, what in the h.e.l.l are you doing here?”
The sergeant gave him an embarra.s.sed but determined look. ”We had a tip that you had drugs here.”
”Convenient,” he replied.
Meredith stood next to him. ”Do you have a warrant?”
Joe looked at him inquisitively.
”My attorney,” Gage said.
Joe Tipton blinked, then handed the warrant to Meredith. She looked it over. As she suspected, the tip came from an unidentified source.
She stepped back. ”Go ahead,” she said. ”But don't tear up the place.” She turned to Gage. ”Want to make me one of your great cups of coffee?”
He looked down at her. She had on her attorney's face. Blank. Yet something danced in her eyes.
”Great idea,” he said. He opened the door to the kitchen wide. They all entered. Mack was sitting in a chair, a magazine in his hand.
The sergeant stopped. ”Mack?”
Mack stood. ”Joe. What are you doing here?”
Tipton looked embarra.s.sed. ”We had a tip we might find drugs here.”
Mack's brows furrowed together. ”Here? Strange. Everyone knows how much Gage hates drugs. He spent years trying to save his brother. They gone nuts over there?”
Tipton's face reddened. ”We have to look.”
Mack lumbered up out of the chair. ”You can look here if you want.”
Gage watched Meredith's lips twitch. If nothing else, this had served to break into her grief. ”What about that coffee? Mack, you want some?”
”I'd rather have a beer.”
”Done,” Gage said.
A DEA agent stayed with them. He stood and watched as Gage poured water into a percolator and took the can of coffee from the cabinet. The DEA agent stopped him. Looked inside. Sifted the contents. Then returned it.
Gage noted the agents were more careful than they usually were. Apparently they had been given rather specific information as to where to find the drugs.
When the coffee was ready, he poured a cup for himself and Meredith, then opened the fridge and took out a beer. He offered it to the agent. ”Want to check it before I give it to Mack?”
The agent looked embarra.s.sed. ”No. I think we got a faulty tip.”
”I have a lot of enemies,” Gage said.
”Don't we all?” the agent replied, looking as if he would rather be any other place than in a fellow cop's kitchen.
Mack gulped down his beer. Meredith sipped her coffee. If Gage hadn't been so angry, he would have enjoyed watching her play the game. He also realized that now this hadn't worked, more drastic means might be employed.
After another thirty minutes, Tipton returned with one of the other officers. ”Sorry about this, Gage. I told them they were crazy but...”
”Do you know who received the tip?”
”Someone from Public Integrity. They pa.s.sed it on to the drug unit.”
The second DEA agent came in. ”Nothing,” he said with a disgusted grunt.
”Anyone in the department will tell you I hate drugs,” Gage said. ”I've never used them, and I despise anyone who sells them.” He couldn't hide the quiet fury in his voice, nor did he want to.
Tipton shuffled on his feet. ”We had to check it.”
”And now that you have, you can leave,” Meredith said quietly. ”I buried my mother today, and Gage and Mack were kind enough to look after me. An anonymous tip may be sufficient grounds for some judges, but I find it very questionable. The department, and the judge who signed the warrant, will hear from me tomorrow.”
”I'm sorry,” Tipton said again.
They left quickly.
She slumped down in a seat. Emotionally and physically exhausted.
Mack went to the door. ”I'll be outside in my car,” he said.
They checked on Beast. He was still sleepy but his eyes were brighter. He managed to get up and go outside, though he had a lolling gait like a drunken sailor.
She felt better, though, watching him. Whatever he'd been given wasn't deadly. Perhaps that would have been a real giveaway that drugs were planted.
When he came in, Gage kissed her lightly good night. ”You go ahead to bed. I want to do some work tonight.”
”I'll wait.”
”No, you won't. You look exhausted. I'll be in later.”
He was being a gentleman. Too bad she really didn't want a gentleman at the moment.