Don't Leave Me

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  Tony didn’t move and said nothing else. He turned to see Hargraves in the bullpen, speaking with the fed one on one, and then both walked to an interview room. Great!

  “But I won’t,” Salinsky said. He suddenly sounded very calm, but at the same time, Tony knew he was far from it. This was that deceiving quiet his boss adopted right before he lost it, so Tony said nothing. Salinsky linked his hands together. “Listen up. The DA wants you in his office before the arraignment of Llewellyn, Jackson, Flores, and Patterson, which is scheduled for two o’clock this afternoon. But I want you to remember something, Martin: Before you talk to the DA, you need to get right clear on where you stand, because as I see it, there’s only one color we see in this district, and that’s blue.”

  He knew what his boss was saying. “Really? Well, I won’t protect murderers. Nothing of what those four cops did had anything to do with protecting and serving the public. Planting a weapon on a mom with two kids, letting her take the fall for a premeditated murder, an agenda to relocate the homeless, whose only crime was to be a victim of life’s bullshit? Seriously, I didn’t sign up for that. I won’t protect that,” he stated. He could feel the moment his boss was about to lose it, but Salinsky said nothing as he slowly wiped his hand across his jaw.

  “Well, lucky for you, you’re being assigned to the task force to clean up the city.”

  Tony just stared at Salinsky, wondering what he was talking about.

  “Late yesterday, city council approved an order to clean up the streets, the homeless living here. Move them across state lines.”

  It couldn’t be possible. What kind of sick bullshit was this? “I don’t understand. The order city council okayed was based on false information. With the fact that four dirty cops murdered a bunch of civilians and tried to blame it on the homeless, it can’t possibly still be going through.”

  This time, his sergeant cocked his brows, appearing dramatic, almost amused. “Oh, it’s very much in the works. Came down from the chief, including your name to head it up. Cuff and stuff them, all of the homeless, move them across state lines to California and dump them with a warning they’re not to come back. Let California deal with them.”

  “You’re not serious. Dump them in another state, and then what?” he said, taking in his boss, who, it wasn’t lost on him, didn’t appear to care.

  “Not our problem. They’ll be out of our hair and won’t trouble the good folks of Henderson anymore.” Then he flicked his hand, turning his chair and giving Tony his back. “Well, you’d better go on, get on over to the DA’s office.”

  He’d never dismissed Tony like this before, but the motion said everything, along with the fact Tony was expected to arrest and move the very same people the dirty cops had been targeting. This was so fucked up. Before all this, he hadn’t even given the homelessness issue a second thought.

  He pulled open the door and stepped out into the bullpen again. The phones were ringing, but all the cops stopped what they were doing and stared his way. It was unnerving, and he dug into each step out the door of the precinct behind two other cops, into the craziness, cameras flashing, a microphone in his face, and crowds screaming accusations his way.

  Chapter 25

  “So I won’t need you to speak at the arraignment, but I do want you there in the court room,” Assistant DA Dick Grieves said. He had thinning light hair and a round face with glasses and rosy cheeks, a man of average height and looks. Tony was surprised the DA himself, Roderick Holmes, wasn’t taking the case, but then, cases involving killer cops weren’t exactly the kind any DA was anxious to try.

  Grieves, though? Seriously, this guy wasn’t known for being overly aggressive. He was average, and Tony couldn’t help wondering how effective he would be, considering that for the past half hour he hadn’t looked over to Tony from where he sat across from him, going through the thick file, making notes. Again, why was he here?

  “Fine, I can do that. What about Zoe?” he said.

  Grieves looked up, appearing confused.

  “Doucette, Zoe Doucette, the homeless lady Llewellyn planted the gun on and tried to have take the fall for the shooting. You know, her,” Tony said, and this time Grieves sat back in his chair, which had a tall back and didn’t squeak. His desk was a cluttered mess, as was his table in the corner, which had stacks of files on it.

  “No, she’s still in lock-up,” he said and clicked the pen in his hand.

  “So get her out. Why is she still in jail? I got the confession. She should have been released already,” Tony said. Usually she would’ve been, but then, there was nothing straightforward about this case.

  Grieves shook his head. “Doesn’t work like that. She signed a confession. Yeah, I get the fact your boy is good for that, but she’s got no residence to speak of, lives on the street, and will be needed as a witness at trial. As it was also pointed out, she stole the shopping cart that her so-called belongings were in, so she’ll be staying where she is.”

  Tony didn’t know what to say. He felt his body jolt forward, knowing that if Zoe were anyone who mattered in this country, she’d have been out and home already. “That’s bullshit. You get her out of there. Doesn’t she have to go before a judge still? I don’t give a shit about the signed bullshit confession. Get it thrown out. You have the wiretap and what Llewellyn said. She did it for her kid, for promises that he’d get her kid medical help.”

  Grieves leaned forward again, focusing on the file. “Well, that’s the thing. Justice doesn’t work that way. The courts don’t work that way. The cops still have to be charged, and the wiretap will have to be ruled admissible…”

  Tony wasn’t sure he’d heard right. He stared at Grieves, taking in his mouth, which was still moving. “Stop. Are you fucking kidding me? I was there, Agent Alexander, the feds. We have a confession all on tape, and don’t forget…” He stopped before saying Claudia’s name. Of course, there was Claudia, who had seen Llewellyn stuff that gun in the shopping cart. She’d seen it all along with Zoe, but he’d be damned at this point to let Claudia step into the line of fire, because then she too would become a target. He was convinced, even more so now, considering what a fucked-up morning this had become.

  “Listen, if I were you, I would drop the attitude and fall in line,” Grieves said. “This is not going to be open and shut, and Zoe Doucette will not be walking the streets any time soon. Her kids are better off where they are.”

  “Away from their mother, in a state home, with strangers?” Tony knew he sounded sarcastic.

  “Yes, Detective, as a matter of fact—away from their mother, who couldn’t keep a roof over her kids’ heads. At least they have a warm bed, a hot meal, and don’t have to worry about being on the streets anymore. Listen, you want to do something for those kids? Leave them be,” Grieves said.

  Tony had to fight with everything he had to not hit the prick. “Well, this is just perfect. So let me get this straight, because from where I’m sitting, it looks as if Zoe Doucette has been charged and convicted already for being poor. When was it that being homeless became a crime?”

  He knew the answer already, though. Across the country, cities were passing ordinances all over the place to make homelessness a crime, from rules forbidding camping and lodging outdoors to civility ordinances that prohibited people from sitting or lying on sidewalks. He knew law enforcement across the country were harassing many of the homeless, but he just hadn’t realized until this instance that the divide between the wealthy and powerful and the poor and invisible was increasing at an alarming rate.

  “So are you done with me?” he said, standing up, wanting to walk out of there before he could be forced to do the bidding of those with a voice, those who were in power. It sickened him.

  “Yeah, just don’t forget court. Be in the front row so the judge can see you, two o’clock.”

  Tony pulled open the door, furious, because he’d never signed up to work for the wealthy. He had become a cop to uphold the constitutio
n and protect everyone from those who tried to hurt them and violate their rights, but in an odd twist, he realized it was exactly the opposite that was happening. He wondered when that had happened, or had it always been this way and he just hadn’t realized because it had never applied to him? He pulled out his phone, scrolled through the numbers, and dialed Vic McCabe.

  “McCabe” was all he said, a man of few words.

  “I’m just leaving the DA’s,” Tony said as he jogged down the stairs, making a point not to look at anyone. “The cops will be arraigned at two, but it’s not looking good. That fed friend of your brother’s has developed a sudden family emergency and disappeared, and Zoe still has her ass parked in jail. By the sounds of it, she’s likely to be lost there for an indeterminate amount of time. Her kids, too. I already suspect she won’t get them back. They’re in the system, and she has nothing going for her. Worse, I’m getting the distinct impression that the wire I wore last night and Llewellyn’s confession may not be as solid as I thought. This whole case seems to be unravelling around me, as if everything’s already been decided regardless of the facts.”

  “Well, there’s more,” Vic said. “Chase and Aaron went to pick up Claudia. Get over here. We need to talk.”

  Tony didn’t know why, but he felt the giant pressure that had been building in his chest ease at the thought that Claudia was no longer alone at his place. “That’s great. I was about to go and get her.”

  “She’s here now. Got to go,” Vic said, and then the line went dead.

  Tony walked out of the city building to where his car was parked and took in the smashed windshield, which appeared as if a rock had been thrown at it. It was a mess, the entire passenger side. He looked around, wanting to yell, to stop and ask anyone, everyone, to demand they tell him what they had seen, but he knew it was pointless. He walked to the driver’s side and pulled open the door, and there on the driver’s seat was a dead rat.

  Chapter 26

  She was in the bathroom, staring in the mirror at her red hair, which wasn’t quite the vibrant color it had once been. However, with the help of the color remover her mom had picked up for her, she had removed almost all of the jet black that Tony had insisted she dye her hair with.

  She understood his worry, but that was before he had gone and pulled that knight in shining armor move to take down the dirty cops, wearing a wire, putting himself in the line of fire in front of her and all those innocent homeless people. If she hadn’t already fallen for him, that move alone would’ve sunk her. He was a guy who actually cared about making a difference and righting a wrong instead of ignoring it.

  She wasn’t about to hide anymore, so she stepped out of the bathroom in her father’s tiny house, showered and dressed in a clean pair of capris and a black and white dressy tank. Even though the air conditioning was cranked, the house had an unusual heat that went past the ninety degrees it was outside. It was the tension, which she could feel as she stepped into the living room and saw her brothers lingering, and then there was Tony.

  She hadn’t heard him come in. They were now all quiet as they took in her newly reclaimed look. Whatever they’d been talking about before she stepped in, she knew it was about her, about this case, the cops, and what was likely around the corner.

  She went straight to Tony where he leaned against the wall opposite Aaron. Her mom, her dad, and Chase were the only two sitting in the easy chair and on the sofa. Vic had taken a spot by the window as if keeping a bird’s eye view on all the activity outside.

  “You changed your hair,” Tony said.

  She was in his circle, and he lifted a long loose strand. “I did. This is who I am, and I’m not hiding anymore.” She found herself searching out her mom as if she would understand what Claudia had done, but what she saw there was confliction, she thought. All this stress couldn’t be good for her.

  “You stand out again now,” Tony added, and no one else said anything.

  Vic turned back to the window, giving it all his attention, staring out as he brushed aside the curtain. “Claudia needs to leave,” he said.

  She couldn’t believe he was saying this again, and she felt Tony slip his arm around her, running it over her lower back, pulling her closer to him so she could feel every hard line of him pressed against her. “I’m not leaving,” she said, crossing her arms, “and you may as well tell me what you were all talking about. What happened with work? I’m sure my brothers already filled you in on the call to the house saying it would be best for me to forget what happened.”

  As Tony stepped out in front of her, taking in her brothers, the expression on his face said everything. They hadn’t told him that part.

  “Your boy here was just filling us in on the case,” Aaron said.

  Claudia glanced over to Tony, who seemed a lot on edge now. “And?” she said.

  Vic was still looking out the window, and Chase seemed unusually unreadable, or maybe it was that she didn’t have a clue how to read him.

  “Wait, stop,” Tony said. “Who called with that threat?”

  “I don’t know who it was,” Claudia’s mom said. “All I know was it was a man who knew my name and my husband’s, and he stated clearly that it would be best for Claudia to forget what she saw—best for everyone involved.”

  Her dad was tapping his hand on the chair arm, saying nothing. She still couldn’t help wondering how the cops knew so much about him. All she knew about his past was what Vic had shared, and he had a way of being cryptic.

  Tony dragged his hand over his face. A few days of not shaving was really beginning to show. “Yeah, well, not surprising, considering how everything seems to be rolling out.”

  “Like what?” Claudia said. “Come on, you all seem to have talked about it while I was cleaning up.”

  “You mean changing your hair color back?” Tony said. “Not a good idea, Claudia. Now you stick out again. You can’t keep a low profile, looking the way you do.”

  Okay, so he sounded mad.

  “I’m not hiding anymore. Things have changed,” she said. She could see Tony wasn’t easily convinced by anyone else’s thinking, just like her brothers. What was it about difficult men that was so damn attractive, she wondered as Tony ran his hand over a piece of her hair again.

  “Actually, you’ve got that right, Claudia, but not as you think,” Chase said. “It seems as if the entire case against the cops is unravelling right in front of us—not that I should be surprised, but I didn’t expect it to happen as it has, including with Alexander disappearing. I’ve left three messages for him, and he hasn’t returned any of them, and Zoe Doucette is still in jail.” He lifted his wrist, looking at his watch. “We should get moving, anyway. The arraignment is in an hour and will likely be packed.”

  So that was it.

  “Wait, aren’t you helping Zoe?” she asked and stared across the room to Chase. Was that why he seemed so off?

  “I was—am, but it seems Zoe isn’t quite as willing to speak with me. I tried this morning, but now, as I’m hearing from Tony, Alexander is gone, and in his place is a new guy, Dawson, who no one I’ve talked to knows anything about. Suddenly, using the wiretap to get Zoe out has gone from a formality to a problem. Then there’s Sawyer. Anyone know what’s happened there?” Chase was now standing again, and she noted his faded jeans and loose green T-shirt. He too appeared not to have shaved, a rough look for him.

  Everyone stared at Tony, who seemed to be forced to handle everything. He gestured helplessly before pulling out his phone, pressing it to his ear, and turning away.

  “I hate to say this, kid,” Aaron said. “I’m all for love, but with the heat here, Vic’s right. I think you should be moved out of state. Go to Vic’s, and Mom and Dad, too.”

  She hadn’t expected that from Aaron. “Yeah, no…”

  “What the hell do you mean he’s gone? Check again!” Tony shouted, and Claudia wondered what was going on now. He threw one hand in the air and faced them again before hanging up
his phone and pocketing it.

  “Checked out. No details, just that they’re gone. So either the feds moved Sawyer somewhere else…” Tony said, and Claudia noted how Vic turned back to the window and seemed to keep watch. It was unnerving. Chase was rubbing the back of his neck and swore. Aaron just seemed to watch them all, not saying a word, and she found herself just noticing his face, the cut above his brow, the faint bruising on his jaw, which looked a bit swollen. A fighter to the core.

  “Well, I’ve got to get to court,” Tony said and then walked in a circle before stopping in front of her. She could see how on edge he was.

  “I’ll go with you,” she said.

  He shook his head. “No, there’s no way I want you there. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and at the same time, I hate to say it, but I think you do need to leave the state, go with your brother.”

  “No,” said her mom, who had been so quiet.

  “Shelley, I think the boys are right,” her dad added.

  Claudia took in her mom, who was now standing, her hand fisted.

  “As much as I want you to be safe, Claudia, and I do, the fact is that there are four dirty cops out there who, I might remind everyone here, did an eeny, meeny, miny, mo yesterday to decide who would make the best patsy, Claudia or the homeless woman, and it’s only by the grace of God that Claudia isn’t the one locked in jail now. Instead it’s an innocent woman who had her kids taken away and was forced to sign a confession to something she didn’t do. From the sounds of what I’m hearing from all of you, those cops pulled off a premeditated killing that would have anyone else sitting on death row, but they’ll likely get away with it.” Shelley was looking straight ahead at Vic. Claudia didn’t know why. He nodded just once.