Part 16 (1/2)
”Trying to keep out of sight,” she said, pulling the baseball cap down over her face.
”Yeah, good job,” he laughed as he pulled away. ”You had much trouble today?”
”Just the world's press camped outside my door and I've had to leave my job as well.”
”Sorry about that.”
”It's not your fault, Danny. I decided to get back on the horse and I can't act surprised that she's bucking hard.”
”Did your boss take your leaving okay?”
”She asked me to do a seance and talk to her mother.”
”s.h.i.+t, you can do that?”
She withered him with a look that answered the question. ”I'm not a circus act, Danny. None of this is an exact science. If it was, my life would be a whole lot easier. Where's our colonial cousin?” she asked.
”Said that he had some personal stuff to take care of.”
”Man, if I was him I'd be heading to the nearest airport and putting some distance between myself and this mess. There's no need for him to ruin his career; you think he'll show up?”
”Honestly, Jane, I don't know, but I guess we'll find out soon enough.”
”How does the story breaking affect us?”
”Well, we're definitely on a clock now. Chalmers will back one play and that's all the time that we're going to have, so I hope that you've got one h.e.l.l of an idea.”
Detective Sergeant Eileen Landing looked around the squad room with frustration and anger etched deeply across her face. This case should have been the one to make them all but now it was going to break them. Wilson was dead, Selleck was hiding, and Meyers was off on his own, no doubt working the case. After all the time that they had spent together, still none of them seemed to grasp the concept of being a team and a family.
She was helping Kim take down and box up the investigation, such as it was. She had never before worked on a case that had been so full of potential but ultimately so fruitless. Kim was oddly quiet and the woman seemed to be taking things as badly as she was.
The door opened and Tim Selleck walked in, looking sheepish.
”Where the h.e.l.l have you been?” Landing demanded angrily.
”Hey, I just go where I'm told,” he answered nervously.
”And who is giving you orders?”
”Oh..., you know..., when there's s.h.i.+t duty to be done it lands in my lap,” he replied evasively.
Before she could question him further, the door swung open again and the American walked in. He stood next to Selleck and exuded health and vitality next to the rather pasty young Brit.
”I thought that you were supposed to be helping?” she asked the agent.
”Well, Miss. I can a.s.sure you that I am helping you more than you know.”
”Well I've yet to see any evidence of that. I've got a dead colleague..., a friend..., and this whole d.a.m.n case is about to explode, taking all of us with it. They're going to blame us with everything that's wrong, whether we were even here or not. While you're sitting in a first cla.s.s seat on the plane back home, we're going to be labelled as either dirty or incompetent and personally I don't know which one's worse.”
”I wish that I had better news for you,” Bradshaw said sympathetically. ”I think that we're all out on a limb here.”
”What the h.e.l.l are you doing here, Bradshaw? I mean, what's your deal?”
”I'm a cop, just like you guys,” he shrugged. ”I get sent to consult on various cases, simple as that.”
”So why don't I believe you?”
”Is DI Meyers here yet?” Bradshaw asked, changing the subject.
”No, is he coming in?” she asked, hating having to do so.
”Any minute,” Bradshaw smiled warmly. ”Oh, and he's bringing a friend.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
ALARMS.
”What are you looking for?” Danny asked her as they walked through the lobby of Faircliff Police Station.
”Hookers,” she drawled in a fake American accent. ”In every movie and TV show I've ever seen, the police station always has prost.i.tutes cuffed to desks; where do you keep yours?”
”There's a special cell in the bas.e.m.e.nt.”
”Really?” she couldn't stop herself from asking before realising that he was teasing her. ”Why, Detective Inspector Meyers, whatever has gotten you quite so giddy with mirth? Love life picking up?”
He blushed slightly at that and she realised that she'd hit the spot.
”Well, good for you,” she said genuinely. ”You gotta grab your happiness wherever you can find it, Danny, trust me.”
He led her up the back stairs and out into the squad room where his team were waiting. She didn't need to be psychic to see that her presence wasn't appreciated. Bradshaw tipped an imaginary hat to her but his face was the only welcoming one.
”What the h.e.l.l is this?” a large aggressive woman demanded. ”Are you nuts bringing her here?”
”Easy, Eileen,” Danny said, holding up a placating hand. ”You're just going to have to trust me on this; that goes for you too, Tim. Kim, I understand if you want out - you don't have to be here for this. I'm sure that I can muster enough juice to transfer you to another department.”
”I'm staying, Sir,” the civilian aide replied firmly. ”We're a team and I'm here till the end.”
”Fair enough,” Danny nodded. ”As I'm sure that you all know, or at least could guess, we're on borrowed time here. This department, and everyone in it, is going to be cut loose. We're going to get the blame for everything that's gone before us as the suits above look to clean house.”
”Surely not, Boss,” a young, fresh-faced officer said, looking around anxiously. ”I mean, they can't blame us for everything. We weren't even here during the original case.”
”It's already in the works, Tim,” Danny replied. ”Trust me.”