by Elicia Hyder
Neither Essex nor I moved until Borg’s pickup squealed its tires pulling out of the parking lot. “Did you know he was out?” I asked, looking up at my boss.
He let out a breath like he’d been holding it for minutes. “Yeah. I was notified that he finally made bail a couple of days ago.”
I tugged on his arm. “Come on. I’ll buy you a drink.”
“We’re on duty soon.”
“Then I’ll buy you a sweet tea and have them put it in a frosted mug.”
He laughed and followed me toward the restaurant.
As usual, Delaney’s had a wait when we arrived. Essex looked at his watch and shrugged. “We’ve got the time if you want to—”
“Oh god, it’s the fuzz.” Chael Delaney was smiling and holding his wrists together as he walked toward me. “I hope you’re here to put me in handcuffs.”
Essex’s spine went rigid beside me.
Maybe this wasn’t a great idea.
“Chael,” I said.
The bar’s owner hooked his arm around my shoulders and planted a loud smacking kiss against the good side of my forehead. “Where have you been all my life, gorgeous? You haven’t been in lately.”
“I popped in a couple of days ago, but you weren’t here. Aside from that, I’ve been at home nursing my wounds.” I turned to show off the side of my head.
Chael cringed, made a fist, and bit into his knuckles. “Geeeezus. What happened to you?”
“Hit by a car during a traffic stop. I’m surprised you didn’t see it on the news.”
“Damn, no. I never watch it. Too depressing. I’m glad you’re OK though.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I turned toward Essex. “Chael, this is my boss, Tyler Essex. Essex, this is Chael Delaney. He runs this shithole.”
Chael laughed. “You sure spend a lot of time here for it to be such a shithole.” He offered Essex his hand. “Nice to meet you, man.”
Essex gave a tense nod. “Mr. Delaney.”
“Please, call me Chael.” He slapped Essex’s shoulder. “Come on back. I’ll find you a table.”
Had we not been in uniform, I might have hip checked Essex as we crossed the bar. He was stuck in full-blown cop mode: jaw set, glare fixed, fists ready to break shit.
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Chael always had that effect on other alpha males. He was confident and charming, built like a life-size action figure, and he had hazel eyes that seemed to change with his mood.
He led us to a round booth in the corner beyond the large mahogany bar. “Here you go,” he said, swiping a couple of menus from behind the bar’s cash register. “What are you drinking? In uniform, so no booze, correct?”
“Correct. I’ll have a water,” I said as I slid into the booth.
Essex didn’t make eye contact. “Sweet tea.”
Chael drummed his hands on the side of the table. “Coming right up,” he said, spinning away from us.
“He seems fun.” Essex didn’t look up from his menu.
“Yeah, he is.”
“Have you known him long?”
“Since I moved across the street last year.”
It was cute that he was pumping me for information, but if he was concerned, there was really no need. Chael flirted with everyone; I certainly wasn’t special.
Essex put down the menu, pulled his phone off his belt, and looked at the screen. “Looks like they’ve accounted for all the heroin the kid took to school. No one else should be in danger.”
For now. I felt sick again.
“You all right?”
“I’m worried. We both know there’s more of that shit on the streets.”
Essex crossed his arms on the tabletop. “You’re taking this really personally.”
He was right. I was taking it personally. And I couldn’t tell anyone—not even Essex—why.
“Maybe it’s the head injury,” I lied with a small smile.
“Is it because of your dad?”
I looked away.
“Nyx, I don’t care about any of that. I just worry about you.”
“Can I tell you something without you jumping to the worst conclusions?” I asked.
“Do I have a habit of jumping to conclusions?”
“No.” And he really didn’t. Essex was one of the most thorough cops I knew. He listened and watched, rarely acting before he understood all the angles of a case.
He leaned forward. “Your secrets are safe with me, Nyx.”
But I wouldn’t go that far.
“What if the cases are connected? Doesn’t it seem odd that the last time hypnox was on the streets, my father burned a man alive? Now it’s back the same week my father’s murdered.” I wanted to hear his opinion more than anything.
He nodded. “I know what you mean. The timing seems almost . . .”
“Otherworldly?”
“Something like that.”
I picked at the peeling plastic on the corner of my menu. “I never dreamed I’d wish for Elias to be around.”
Essex reached across the table and squeezed my hand. He jerked it back when Chael returned with our drinks.
“What can I get you guys to eat today?” Chael pointed at the shamrock-painted chalkboard tacked to the bar behind him. “The lunch special is the fish and chips.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Is it ever anything else?”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’ll take buffalo mac and cheese.”
“Ooo, bad day?”
“What makes you ask?”
“Because you only order good food when you’re stressed. Otherwise, it’s grilled chicken and tree bark.”
Even Essex chuckled.
“And for you, my man?” Chael asked him as he took my menu.
“The fish and chips, please.”
“Coming right up.”
“Thanks,” Essex said as Chael walked away. When he was gone, Essex picked up his tea. “He knows you pretty well.”
I squeezed the lemon slice from my glass’s rim into my water. “Is there something you want to ask me, Sarge?”
Essex drowned a smile with sweet tea. “No.”
“OK.”
He put his glass down. “Actually, yes.” He clicked off his body camera.
My brow lifted, and I did the same.
“How’d you know about Norina Grumley?”
My appetite vanished. “I told you.”
“And you know I’m not buying it.”
I took a deep breath. “Do you trust me?”
“With my life.”
I leaned forward. “Then trust that I have an informant I need to keep quiet.”
His eyes carefully studied mine. Finally, he nodded. “OK. For now.”
When we finished lunch, we went across the street to my condo. He waited in the car while I ran inside to get my paperwork from the doctor’s office. Bess was already gone, and she’d left a note on the whiteboard calendar saying she’d be in after midnight. I scribbled an addition saying I’d get off in the morning and that I’d need to sleep until after lunch.
I wondered how much good the note would do.
On the way back to the station, Essex and I stopped by his house to let Karma out to potty. “You’re coming in?” he asked when I opened my door to get out.
“Of course. Your dog loves me.” I followed him to the front door.
He stepped really close to the electronic door lock and checked over his shoulder before punching in his unlock code.
I crossed my arms. “Are you afraid I’ll see your code?”
“No.”
“You just used your whole body as a shield.”
“Did not.”
The door swung open, and Karma charged down the hallway.
“Karma, nein!” Essex shouted.
To his credit, the dog tried to stop, but his momentum was too great. His nails scrambled on the slick hardwood, and he starfished on the floor in front of us. Embarrassed, Karma whimpered.
I dr
opped to my knees by his snout. “Come here, boy.” He jumped up to lick my face.
Essex started straightening his living room. He closed his laptop and carried it, along with two shirts and pair of running shoes, down the hallway. “Can you take him out back?”
I stood, and Karma latched onto my leg, thrusting his hips against it. “Knock that off,” I said, shaking him free.
“Karma!” Essex said with a groan.
“Come on.” I started through the kitchen to the back door. When I opened it, Karma galloped outside.
In the yard, the dog lifted its leg on everything standing still, including a strange pile of chain-link fencing and metal poles shoved up against the side of the house.
The door slammed shut behind me, making me jump. I looked at the tree in the corner of the yard. Its leaves weren’t moving, so it couldn’t have been the wind. I opened the door and saw Essex hunched over the coffee table in the living room. “Damn it, Karma!” he shouted.
I glanced back as Karma ducked behind the shed.
“Everything OK in there?” I asked, inspecting the door for auto-close hinges.
“He ate the buttons off the remote control.”
I snickered as Essex walked toward me, holding up the remote for me to see. It had teeth scrapes all over it, and more than half the keys were missing. “Hey, is something wrong with this door?” I asked.
“What?” Essex stopped and visually scanned it. “Did he chew on it too?”
“No. It just shut behind me.”
“Oh. I thought it was you. Maybe the air-conditioning kicked on.” He walked to the laundry room, and I returned to the yard.
Karma didn’t come out from behind the shed until we both heard dog kibble clinking against his metal bowl. When the dog ran inside, I leaned in the doorway. Essex was at the sink filling a giant water bowl.
“What’s with the scrap yard back here?” I asked.
“Since he won’t stay in the fence, I’m building a big dog kennel onto the back of the house and adding a dog door to it from the laundry room.” He carried the water bowl back to the mat near the garage door. Karma’s nose was buried in the dog food. “I hate he’s stuck inside when I’m running late.”
I came in and locked the door behind me. “He’s lucky to have you.”
“He’s lucky I haven’t killed him yet. Did I show you the video of him climbing the fence?”
I leaned against the counter. “No.”
He took his phone off his belt as he walked over to me. His holstered gun brushed my Taser as he leaned next to me and held up his phone. He scrolled through some photos until a video appeared. Karma was halfway up the backyard fence, with his paws over the top, glancing back like he knew he’d been caught.
“They can do that?” I looked up at Essex. My throat cinched when I realized how close his neck was to my face.
“Apparently so.” His eyes met mine, and I watched the same realization flood his gaze.
God, he smelled tempting, like all my many months of abstinence soaked in Armani cologne and pheromones. My mind went blank, but I may have dragged my teeth across my lower lip because his eyes fell to my mouth.
Karma barked, snapping us both out of the danger zone. The dog was barking at the dining-room table. Confused, Essex looked at me, then back at Karma. “You weirdo.”
Dread churned in my stomach as I remembered a couple of nights before when Karma had barked at me in the hallway. Then there was the door slamming on its own . . .
We weren’t alone.
I stepped away from the counter. “You ready to head out?”
Visually noting the sudden distance between us, he seemed alarmed. “Nyx, I hope I didn’t do anything to make you uncomfortable—”
I waved him off. “Not at all.” Whoever was watching us was making me uncomfortable.
“OK.”
Karma was still barking at the table.
“Karma, shut up,” Essex said. He turned his back and opened the refrigerator. “Need anything for tonight? I’ve got energy drinks.”
“No, thanks. They make me jittery.” I walked to the front door.
Essex noticed. “You sure you’re all right?”
“I’m great.” I forced a smile as the dog trotted over to me. Suddenly, a chill washed over and through my body, taking my breath and flattening my back against the door.
Whoever it was . . . they were gone.
Chapter Fourteen
After handing in my doctor’s note to admin, Essex and I were among the last members of our team to arrive at the weekly shift briefing. When we walked through the door, the room erupted in applause. I waved my hand, praying they’d stop. I slid into an empty seat at a table near the back of the room, and Eric Jones offered me a fist bump.
Essex carried his padded notebook to the front and sat at the table facing all of ours. “I’ll try to make this fast. Obviously, congratulations to Corporal Nyx for finding the source of the heroin at the school today.”
Everyone applauded again.
Essex lifted a hand and raised his voice. “This is still an evolving case, and our top priority at the present time is getting this shit off the streets, but I’ll let Gregg talk about that in a second.” He nodded to where Gregg was standing near the door before continuing.
“Same zones as last week. Nyx is on light duty, so she’ll be riding with me.”
Two tables ahead, I saw Baker and Rivera exchange a whisper. I didn’t think much of it until Rivera glanced back and looked directly at me.
I lifted my eyebrows to ask, “What?”
He turned back around.
Essex was in the middle of reading out zone assignments. “Baker and Legieza are in zone two, Everly and Jones zone three, McCollum zone four, and Rivera will be roving. Friday is weapons and car inspection. Please get your shit cleaned up, so I don’t have to hear about it.” Essex glared at McCollum, the Pig-Pen of our shift.
The door opened, and we all turned to look as Valerie from admin walked in with a sheet of paper. “Hey, Valerie. You need something?”
She pointed at me. “I just need to speak with Corporal Nyx a second.”
There were several “Ooos” around the room.
“Can I step out?” I asked Essex.
“Yeah, go ahead. I’ll fill you in later.”
Rivera and Baker exchanged another snicker. What the hell? God, sometimes the police department was worse than high school.
I stood and walked to the door. Valerie and I stepped outside. She grimaced and handed me the paper. It was my doctor’s note. On it, she’d highlighted the date in yellow. “Sorry, Nyx. This says you can return to light duty tomorrow, not today.”
I took it. “Are you serious? It’s a mistake.”
“Can you call and get them to change it?”
I looked at my watch. “No. The office is closed.”
“Sorry. We have to abide by the paperwork. Too much liability.”
I groaned. “I know. Damn it.” I handed it back to her.
“You can keep that copy. I have the original in my file. I’m really sorry,” she said again.
“It’s not your fault. I should have read it.”
“But you can work tomorrow,” she said, feigning her usual chipper attitude.
“Thanks, Valerie.” I was trying hard to mask my disappointment.
Chief Magnus rounded the corner. Valerie looked surprised. “Good evening, Chief. You need something?”
“I was hoping to catch Corporal Nyx.”
“Then I’ll get out of your way,” Valerie said with a wave before exiting down the hallway.
“Good work today, Corporal,” the chief said when she was out of earshot.
“Thank you, sir.”
He crossed his arms. “Lieutenant Gregg is questioning your mother tomorrow. Did you know?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you think she’s tied up in this somehow?”
“Honestly? I doubt it.” Without Elias, I
wasn’t sure how she could be. Part of me wished I could talk to my mother myself, without a body camera, but that would have to come later, if ever at all. “But whether she’s involved or not, I wouldn’t expect much cooperation from her.”
“I figured as much. How’s the head healing?”
“It’s getting better.”
“When are you back on regular duty?”
“The doctor said two weeks.”
He nodded. “Good. The sooner the better, but not before you’re a hundred percent.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Have a safe night. We’ll talk soon.”
I bowed my head, wondering what that meant. Talk soon about my mother? Talk soon about the new job? I didn’t dare ask.
When I returned to the briefing room, Essex was against the wall near the door, and Gregg was at the front of the room showing a slide presentation. A picture of the heroin they’d confiscated was on the screen.
I gave Essex the sheet of paper. As he read it, I listened to the spiel about the drugs. “Melatryptophine has a few street names. Hypnox is the most common. Other names are sleeping beauty, pixie dust . . .”
“Damn, that sucks,” Essex said, handing the paper back to me.
“I know.” When I turned my attention back to the meeting, Rivera was looking at me again. I nudged Essex. “What’s with Rivera and Baker? They keep whispering and looking at me.”
“Everyone’s looking at you. You made the most important arrest of the year today.”
“No. This is something else.”
“Want me to talk to them?”
“Nah, it would only make it worse.”
Gregg was still talking. “Melatryptophine is one of the most dangerous drugs we’ve ever seen hit the streets. It’s highly potent, and it absorbs quickly and easily through the skin. If you come across it in the field, call narcotics immediately.”
Essex raised a hand to interrupt. “Until this stuff is eradicated, no one searches cars alone. If you suspect drugs, you call for backup.”
“What good will backup do on a car search?” Jones asked with his hand in the air.
“If your skin comes in contact with it, you’ll need someone to call an ambulance,” Gregg said.
“Everyone carries extra Narcan,” Essex said. “And no one field tests anything that looks like heroin. It all goes straight to the lab.”
