“You find anything, Rook?”
She turned to see Tang standing at the bathroom door. He whistled.
“You could say that.” She glanced over her shoulder.
“Yeah, looks like it. CSU and the rest of the gang shoulda been here by now.”
“What did you find in the kitchen?” Haley asked. She heard an approaching siren. It was close.
“Dead bodies. These guys fucked each other over pretty good.”
“It’s a damn waste is what it is.” She had to say the words out loud. Haley shook her head. The guy in the bedroom looked to be about her age.
“It’s not called the Zoo for nothin’. Don’t understand why they’re killin’ each other.”
There were a bunch of reasons why. She wasn’t stupid. “If you don’t need any more help in here, I’m gonna go get some air.”
“You okay?” Tang asked.
“Yeah, I just like it better when somethin’ good comes outta shit like this.” Haley walked toward the door and pressed the button on her radio. “Waller, I’m comin’ out. Can you come cover the bathroom with Tang?”
Her radio crackled. “Be right there.”
Tang went quiet and Haley stepped out of the doorway when she saw Waller.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Drugs and money. At least they didn’t kill each other for nothin’.”
* * *
Haley sat at an empty desk. She was few lines away from completing her report on the Edisburgh call.
“All right, Rook.”
She glanced up. “Hey.”
“I need to get outta here.” Tang was in street clothes. His bag was slung over his shoulder.
“You gonna be okay?”
He shrugged. “It is what it is.”
“I know. I’ll call you later.”
Tang sighed and looked heavenward. “You don’t have to check up on me.”
“I can do what I want.” Haley stared him down.
He shifted his bag to the other shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll see you in the mornin’.” He walked away.
Haley watched him go and then turned back to the computer, where she checked to make sure his report had been filed. There were drugs, guns, and murder involved, so the paperwork needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later. It was there, but not submitted. She could at least do that for him. It wouldn’t be the first time, especially lately. Doing so could get them both in big-time trouble, but Haley knew for a fact that the practice was commonplace.
She saved what she’d written so far, then logged out and back in under Tang’s login. Maybe he didn’t submit it because he wasn’t finished. If that was the case, what the hell was he thinking?
Haley skimmed his report. In fact, he wasn’t done. She picked up her cell phone to call him to come back. God, she really was his work wife. She breezed through the rest, and his account of the initial encounter was very close to hers, but he had additional information since he’d played a bigger part with CSU and stayed with the evidence. Haley stopped cold. He’d listed the money at twenty-four thousand dollars. There had been more in that bag. She had just taken a quick look, long enough to get a decent estimate to put in her report. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe…
She blinked. Haley’s doubts didn’t keep away the sick feeling that filled her stomach. She listened to her gut. Someone had sticky fingers. Haley pressed three on speed dial. Tang needed to know about this.
He didn’t answer.
Money and drugs had to be guarded at all times by at least two officers. Before the place was crawling with law enforcement, she had been one of only three people who’d had extended time with the evidence.
Haley went over everything in her head as she texted Tang and waited. She’d been in the bathroom with Tang when Waller came in to take her place. Sure, she’d turned her back for a minute or two, but it was Tang. There was no way he would do something that stupid.
He didn’t reply to her text.
Haley took a deep breath. She was overreacting. She had to be. There was no way he’d steal money from a crime scene. It had to be someone who came in later. She texted him again.
Okay, he was ignoring her, but that could have been because he didn’t want to be bothered, especially five minutes after they just spoke. Haley took another deep breath. She used to doubt him all the time in the beginning, but not anymore.
She swallowed down a sudden gush of nausea. If the detectives investigating this whole thing found something wonky with the money, it would fall back on her since she’d made the initial discovery.
Alone.
“Shit.”
Either that or IAB would think that they were both in on it.
“Fuck.” She leaned back in her chair. A white-hot sliver of fear shot down her spine, and for a second, Haley couldn’t breathe. When she could, she sucked in several deep ones until she felt less shaken.
Haley closed her eyes for a few seconds. She couldn’t do any of this right now. There were too many unanswered questions and too much speculation. She’d talk to Tang in the morning and try to make sense of the whole mess. She logged back in under her own name and finished her own report.
As she got in her truck to leave, Haley tried like hell to clear her head. It didn’t work. She needed a distraction, a tall, sexy one with curly hair. Nothing else existed when Tonya was around, and Haley needed that tonight more than ever.
Chapter 25
Haley couldn’t sleep. She stared up at Tonya’s ceiling and tried to quiet her mind to the point where she could doze. Tonya was draped over her and had her face pressed into Haley’s neck. Her warm breath heated Haley’s skin, reminding her that, in at least one thing, she was content.
Then, there was Tang. She’d hope to have everything cleared up by now, but he had taken the day off yesterday. His report still wasn’t finished and submitted. That alone put him in deep shit, but that wasn’t even the half of it. The fact that he was avoiding her screamed guilt. At first, she didn’t want to believe it, but now it was hard to avoid. He still hadn’t answered her calls or texts; hell, he wouldn’t even answer his door.
Haley was way past angry. She was fucking livid.
The Tang she knew before would never have done something like this, but the desperate person he was now? Yes, goddammit, he would. Money would make his life a lot less complicated.
It made sense, but it also made him a thief.
And there was a little voice in her head, reminding her that Tang could throw all this shit squarely in her lap, playing it out as a nice little setup.
No, just no. But that voice wouldn’t go away.
Tonya kissed Haley’s shoulder. In return, she ran a hand down Tonya’s back and pulled her closer.
“Are you ready to talk about it yet?” Tonya’s voice was hoarse from sleep.
Haley didn’t say anything at first. She couldn’t talk about it, not right now. Things were way too sensitive, but she wasn’t going to hold it all in for long. She couldn’t. Not from Tonya. “No, it’s—”
“Don’t say things are fine when they’re not.”
Haley dipped her head to look at Tonya. “I wasn’t gonna. It’s just complicated as all hell.”
“Work? Your friends?”
Didn’t she just say she didn’t want to talk about it? Haley didn’t fight the irritation growing inside her. Lack of sleep and lack of answers were good fertilizers for it. She sighed. “Can you just drop it?” Her tone was a lot sharper than it should have been. She knew Tonya was just trying to help.
Tonya stiffened.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t called for.”
“I shouldn’t be prying. Obviously, there are places I’m not allowed.”
Damn, Haley hadn’t expected that response. It was kind of a low blow, but shit, tit for tat.
Tonya moved to the other side of the bed.
It got cold rather quickly. Haley needed to fix it.
“Maybe I should just go? I don’t wanna ke
ep you up.”
That was so not what she’d meant to say. That was Aggravated Haley talking.
Tonya didn’t respond. She turned on one of the lamps.
Haley glanced in her direction. She’d seen that look on Tonya’s face before, hurt and confused. Mainly when she talked about her father. “Are you trying to pick a fight with me?”
“What? No.” Was she? Shit, now she wasn’t sure.
“If you are, it’s ridiculous. If you’re looking for an excuse to leave, leave. If you want to stay, stay. That needs to be your decision.” Tonya crossed her arms over her chest, covering the logo on the T-shirt.
“Don’t talk to me like I’m a kid.” Haley’s heart flipped over in her chest. Fuckity, fuck, fuck. What was she doing? She needed to just shut up.
Tonya’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t, but if this is going to turn into some kind of weird tantrum, I might have to.”
Haley pressed her lips together to keep more crap from spewing out. She needed to get ahold of herself.
Tonya glared at her. This was not good, but it was nice to know that Tonya wasn’t exactly in control of the situation either.
“Well?” Tonya asked.
Haley felt helpless, but she met Tonya’s gaze. “I…” She paused and took a deep breath. “We need to stop. This is stupid.”
“I already told you that,” Tonya snapped.
Haley stared.
“Sorry,” Tonya said.
“No, I’m sorry for bein’ an asshat in the first place.”
“God, I hope all the arguments we have end like this. That was almost easy.”
“Wait. You expect there to be more?”
It was Tonya’s turn to stare. “Some will even be as silly as this one.”
Haley rolled her eyes. “Yeah, of course we’re gonna argue.”
“We are.”
“I’m sure most of the time it will be my fault.”
Tonya grinned. “Probably.” Her smile slipped slightly. “And I don’t need to know everything that goes on with you.”
Haley nodded, but she felt guilty as hell. She had every intention of clearing the air after she confronted Tang. “I’ll try to steer my irritation away from you.”
There was a look in Tonya’s eyes that Haley couldn’t identify, but it was gone before she could get another crack at it. “Okay, you should try to get some rest. It’s barely three.”
Tonya turned over, away from her. Haley didn’t like the distance. She scooted closer and pulled Tonya to her. She wasn’t sure if she did it to give Tonya solace or herself.
* * *
She practically moaned when she took her first sip of coffee. Haley hoped it would banish any leftover cobwebs. She’d been able to sleep for a few hours, but the alarm and reality had interrupted far too soon. At least she’d brought her uniform, so she didn’t have to leave early. Haley topped her mug off again before fixing Tonya’s. She glanced over her shoulder when someone entered the kitchen.
Robert glared at her.
She hoped he was going to give her the silent treatment. Her emotions were way too close to the surface for anything else.
“Why are you here?”
Well.
Haley decided to ignore him. She put raisin bread in the toaster.
“I know you’re not deaf.”
She sighed. She could be cordial. She could, even in the face of his obvious dislike. “I thought it was rhetorical.”
Okay, she needed to try harder. This was Tonya’s father.
“Tonya wants me here.”
“If she likes women who look like men, she might as well be with one.” He spat the words out like they tasted nasty.
Haley bit the inside of her cheek, hard. Tonya did not need to walk in on this. She was so proud of the progress she’d made with him. Haley turned, leaned against the counter, and offered him a tight smile. “I don’t think that’s up for us to decide. She knows her own mind.” She kept her tone light, conversational, which wasn’t easy.
Robert shook his head. He crossed his arms over his chest, and Haley recognized the gesture for what it was: stubborn, willful blindness. “In most things. She was fine before you came along. Now she’s throwing this mess in my face.”
Haley focused on her breathing. Her heart was ramming against her chest. “Don’t do this. All she talks about is how glad she is that you guys have made some progress. Don’t ruin it. Let this go. You’re gonna lose her.”
His eyes widened, and he sneered. “She’s not going nowhere. Yah heard me? She takes care of her family, and you don’t tell me what to do. I live in a freak show. I tried, but I can’t just let it happen.”
“Try harder,” Haley demanded.
“And what are you? Eighteen?”
“Daddy, that’s enough!”
Haley closed her eyes. She hadn’t heard Tonya come down the stairs. Her heart fell into her stomach, sending acid up her throat.
Tonya stood on the last step. Her eyes were wide and her face was red. She looked shocked and hurt. Haley couldn’t blame her. “I’m sorry.”
Tonya smiled softly at her, but she didn’t look less tortured. “Don’t, it’s wasted on him. He meant what he said. Didn’t you, Daddy?”
His jaw clenched. His expression was much like hers as he glanced at Haley and then back at his daughter. “How much did you—”
“Just about everything, and that’s all you have to say? I thought we’d found some common ground.”
“We did. I just can’t—”
“All the pain I went through was a part of me, and so is this. It’s who I am.” Tonya was shaking.
Haley couldn’t just stand there. She went to her. She didn’t care that Robert was watching. Haley stopped in front of her, blocking Tonya’s view. There were tears in her eyes. Tonya didn’t wait for Haley to reach out for her. She grabbed hold, and Haley welcomed it.
Tonya’s father left the kitchen.
A door slammed.
Haley sighed and pulled away slightly. So did Tonya. She wiped at her eyes. “Thank you for defending me, defending us.”
“It was easy. You okay?”
“I’m going to have to be. I thought he’d get past this eventually, but I guess it was just wishful thinking. I can’t believe I still wanted his approval after all this time.”
“He’s your father.”
“And I have to love him regardless? He can’t do the same for me.”
“He’s not you,” Haley said softly. She brushed a thumb across Tonya’s cheek.
Tonya slid her hand over Haley’s and pressed it onto her cheek. “What do you see when you look at me?”
Haley tried to find the words. There were none. She just stared.
Tonya’s breathing intensified, and she made this sound Haley couldn’t describe.
“No one’s ever looked at me like that before.”
“But, I didn’t say—”
“Yes, you did.” Tonya kissed Haley’s palm, then leaned in to do the same to her lips. “If my father could look at me a fraction of the way you do…” She paused. “Go to work. You have enough on your mind.”
“Tonya—”
“No, there’s nothing you can do right now. Just be there if—”
“You don’t even have to ask.” Haley hated this, and she’d already decided she was going to stay close to make sure Tonya got off to work okay.
“No, I don’t, do I?”
Now that was rhetorical. Haley kissed her again, letting her lips linger.
“I’ll be fine. He’ll probably refuse to come out of his room.”
He’d said some pretty shitty things. Hard to face up to that head-on, especially with a woman like Tonya staring at him. “I hope so.”
* * *
Tang was at roll call, and Haley wasn’t surprised that he wouldn’t even look at her. She tried to burn a hole in the side of his head, and for the first time, she wished she had heat vision.
When it was over, they both sat there
as everybody else started clearing out. Someone stepped in front of them. Haley glanced up. It was the lieutenant.
“You’ve been on the force what? Six years, Tim?”
Tang nodded, but he looked wary.
“So where’s my report on Edisburgh? Your partner is shining. She got hers in on time.” The lieutenant glanced at Haley, then back at Tang. “You know what? Let’s save her virgin ears from this. Get in my office, now.” He left and didn’t bother turning around to see if Tang followed.
Tang stood. Haley grabbed his arm. “We need to talk.”
He jerked away. “Take a fuckin’ number.”
Haley was waiting in the squad room when he came out of the lieutenant’s office. His expression was virtually unreadable, but he nodded for her to follow. The questions burned her throat; she had to get them out.
He led them out back toward the dumpster, but she’d had enough. She was done following him. Haley grabbed his arm again.
Tang pulled away and turned. “Don’t fuckin’ touch me!” he whispered harshly.
Haley stepped forward. “I’ll do what the fuck I want. You do. What the hell, Tang? You took the money, didn’t you? You fuckin’ ignored me. If I had any doubts, doin’ that got rid of them really fast. I can practically smell the guilt all over you.”
“Shhh!” His eyes widened and he looked around.
“Don’t shush me. You’re not even gonna deny it? The whole thing was sloppy and stupid.”
He looked away. “There’s no point in denyin’ it. I knew when you started blowin’ up my phone that you knew somethin’ was up, and I didn’t wanna lie to you. We can work this out. I’m the only person who could’ve done it. Unless you think me and Waller worked together.”
“I don’t know. Did you?”
“No. There was an opportunity and I took it.”
“What did you do, stuff the money in your pants when my back was turned?”
“Around my waist.”
She glared. “You know, when we first started workin’ together, I was convinced you were dirty. Six years as a beat cop and no promotion? You’re offensive. But you have a good heart, and you were a decent officer.” Haley paused. She had to take a deep breath. She couldn’t remember ever being this angry. “And a good friend. Now you got both of us lookin’ like crooks. Either I was coverin’ for you, we did it together, or you can pin it all on me!”
Between the Lines Page 31
