by Barbara Gee
It had taken Ryan a while to decide to try for the top spot in the department, but once he made the decision to go for it, he had quickly become excited about the possibilities. One other officer had thrown his hat into the ring, but Ryan wasn’t too worried about him. True, the man had a sister on the city council, but he couldn’t compete with Ryan’s resume—military experience, a master’s degree, five years with the department, and the backing of the current chief.
Since deciding to go for the promotion, Ryan had felt nothing but support from his fellow officers. He’d sensed no resentment, and no one had discouraged him. Which made what was happening now that much more unsettling.
His jaw clenched as he continued to look over the room. Apparently that unanimous support was eroding. Fifteen minutes ago Ryan had learned that someone was scheming to not only take the promotion away from him, but potentially ruin his whole career. And although he was having a real hard time believing any of the people he worked with would do such a thing, who else would have the motive? It made him feel physically sick.
“Come on, Ryan, let’s go talk to Chief Ashton before he hears it from someone else.”
Ryan turned to look at his best friend in the department, Officer Olivia Neal. She was the one who had come to him with the devastating news, which they now needed to break to the chief. Ryan was glad to have her in his corner.
“Hang on a sec,” he said. He deliberately walked out into the big front room, hiding his emotions but keeping sharp eyes on those around him. He walked to the coffee maker, which immediately got him some shouted warnings about the foul brew. The people he passed smiled and greeted him normally, and Ryan responded in kind. In spite of his careful observation, he picked up on absolutely no bad vibes from anyone in the room. No one avoided his gaze, and no one looked anything but pleased to see him. No one looked sorry for him, either, which indicated that none of them had listened to WCHN radio’s late night call in show last night.
He filled a cup with coffee he had no intention of drinking, then returned to the hallway where Olivia waited. “Okay, let’s get this over with,” he said darkly.
Chief Doug Ashton’s door was open, as usual. He always wanted his officers to feel free to come to him at any time, so unless he was in a meeting or had a good reason to keep people out, his door remained wide open. It was a tradition that Ryan had planned to carry on when he became chief. Now his good intentions appeared to be moot.
Olivia tapped on the door frame.
“Hey, Chief, got a minute?” she asked.
Chief Ashton looked up at them with a welcoming smile.
“You bet, as long as that coffee’s not for me,” he said, eyeing the steaming cup in Ryan’s hand.
Ryan entered the office and set the coffee on a credenza by the window. “I wish bad coffee was the only thing you had to worry about this morning, Chief,” he said heavily.
The big man’s smile faded as he took in the grim faces of two of his best officers.
“What’s up, you two? Looks like the sky has fallen.”
Olivia turned and closed the door. “It has, Chief. Someone’s out to get Ryan.” She took out her phone and held it up. “I have a recording on here from a local radio show last night. I didn’t hear it myself, but my sister did, and she recorded it and sent it to me this morning. It’s not a very popular station, and Ryan hasn’t had any calls about it yet, but it’s just a matter of time before it hits the news.”
“What kind of show is it, and how does it affect Ryan?” the chief wanted to know.
“It’s a call in show. The host is a local pot-head type who takes calls from midnight to two o’clock every weeknight. Usually the topics are things like alien sightings and legalizing drugs and stuff like that. But my sister said last night someone called in complaining about a speeding ticket they got, and from there it turned into a cop hate session. And then this person called.”
Olivia opened an app on her phone and laid it on the desk. “My sister didn’t get the first part of the call, but as soon as she heard Ryan’s name she used her phone to record the rest of the show. It was only ten minutes until 2:00, which is when the show ends, so thankfully the stuff about Ryan doesn’t go on any longer than that. To summarize, the first caller says she used to work here at the department, and one of the detectives assaulted her on a regular basis. She said he never actually raped her, but he touched her and made her do things to him. You can hear the rest for yourself.”
She started the recording, and Ryan clenched his jaw as he listened to it all for the second time. The caller had at first refused to name her abuser, but after some coaxing by the show host, she said it was the guy who everyone said was going to be the next Chief of Police, Detective Ryan Anderson.
“What the heck?” Chief Ashton murmured as he listened to the accusations.
“It gets worse,” Ryan warned.
They listened as a second caller piled on, claiming that he had heard that very same detective make a racial comment at the scene of an arrest. The third and last caller said she had gone out with Ryan and when she refused to go home with him, he’d called her a slut and slammed her head into the brick wall of the bar they were leaving.
The radio host, obviously thrilled with the sensational calls, had gotten all the gory details from the callers, but had been unsuccessful in getting them to give their own names. He had ended the show with a plea that if anyone else had stories about their future police chief, please call in the next night for more “discussion.”
Olivia shut off the recording and the chief sat back in his chair, obviously shaken. “Any idea who’s doing this?” he asked, looking intently at Ryan. “Don’t think for one second that I believe any of this, Ryan, but if you have enemies who are willing to tell these kinds of tales to take you down, I need to know.”
“No one, Chief. I honestly can’t think of a single person who would do this to me.”
“Well if it’s no one you know personally, we need to come up with a list of the people who would benefit from not having you as the next chief.”
“It’s more than just the chief job. This kind of thing could get me kicked off the force altogether.”
Chief Ashton shook his head. “It won’t come to that. We’ll figure out who’s doing it and clear your name long before you’re in danger of getting kicked off the force. My concern is the promotion. Whoever did this timed it well. The city council is set to choose the next chief in two weeks, and I’m afraid we aren’t going to be able to put this thing to bed before the vote.”
Olivia sat forward. “Would Noah do something like this?” she asked, naming the other officer who had asked to be considered for the job.
“Your thoughts, Ryan?” Chief Ashton asked.
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t see it. Noah and I have actually discussed the fact that we’re both going for it. He told me his decision to try for chief is nothing personal, and if he loses he’s fine with me getting it. It’s just that he feels he has to go for it now because I’m so young and it could be a long time before the spot is open again. Reading between the lines, I think he knows it’s a long shot, but he’s hoping his sister the councilwoman can influence her fellow council members to give him a shot. I think she might even be pressuring him to do it.”
“I agree, I don’t think Noah wants the job badly enough to pull something like this,” Olivia said. “This is the lowest of the low, taking these hot button issues and using anonymous callers to accuse Ryan. It’s so obvious that someone is just out to get him. It’s such a cowardly thing to do.”
“Maybe so,” Chief Ashton said, “but you and I both know it can be very effective. This kind of thing raises just enough doubt to cause a problem, and it spreads like wildfire.”
Ryan stood and went to the window, his whole body tense in an effort to contain his fury.
Olivia was equally livid. “It’s out of control, Chief. No one is safe from this kind of thing. I mean, if they can c
all the integrity of a guy like Ryan into question, there’s no hope for the rest of us. All it takes is one enemy, and we’re done for.”
“Maybe the type of radio show that it is will work in our favor,” the Chief suggested. “It certainly doesn’t sound like it has much credibility.”
“Then they’ll probably try something else,” Ryan said.
A tap sounded on the door and Chief Ashton rose to see who it was.
Annabelle stood there, wringing her hands. “Sorry to interrupt, Chief,” she said, “but I’ve got a reporter from WCNC here saying she needs to talk to you about Detective Anderson.” Annabelle shot Ryan an apologetic glance.
Ryan cursed under his breath. WCNC was the biggest TV station in the area. He shared a bleak look with Olivia. “And so it begins,” he said
grimly.
CHAPTER 2
“Let me in, Ryan,” Olivia called, pounding on his front door. “I know you’re in there.”
Ryan stuck his head out of the bedroom. “Hang on!” He hurriedly pulled on a pair of sweats and a tee shirt, then went to the front door to let his friend in.
“I wasn’t ignoring you, I just got out of the shower,” he said, eyeing the large pizza box she held. “I hope that’s all for me.”
“It’s for us,” she told him, pushing the door closed with her hip. “I was afraid you were here brooding all by your lonesome, and I wanted to cheer you up.”
Ryan turned and headed for the kitchen, leaving her to follow with the pizza.
“I think I’m beyond cheering up,” he said. “But I am hungry.”
“You’re always hungry. I knew all I needed to do was bring food and you’d let me in, no matter how foul your mood.”
“I’m not going to turn down free pizza,” he agreed. “But it’s Friday night, don’t you and Kevin have that big party to go to?”
“I told him I’d be a little late. He understands. He’s worried about you, too.”
Frowning, Ryan grabbed two Diet Cokes from the fridge. “You guys don’t need to worry about me. A voluntary leave of absence is not the end of the world.”
“I know, and it’ll probably be good for you, but I still worry because I know how hard this has been and how much you’ll miss the station.”
Ryan snorted. “Ya think?”
Olivia sighed heavily. “Come on, Ryan. Don’t let the last month ruin everything. We had a good thing going there, and we’re all hoping with time we can get back to that. But we need you in order to get there, and you know it’s true.”
He studied her as he took a long swallow of soda. “We’re going to have a new chief in a week, Olivia. Things are never going to be the same.”
“No one wants him to be the chief, though. Noah’s a nice guy, but he’s going to be a terrible chief and we all know it. You know it. If you just hang in there, I’m sure the city council will realize they’ve made a mistake and beg you to take the job. I mean, just think about it, can you imagine Noah trying to give a press conference? Or even being the speaker at a Rotary Club meeting? He’s a decent cop, but he’s so socially awkward he’ll embarrass us to no end. I honestly don’t know why he even wanted the job.”
“Because his sister wanted him to have it.”
“But we all want you, Ryan.”
“It’s too late. Noah is the next chief, and he’ll be taking over in a week. Having me there wouldn’t make for a good transition.”
Olivia pounded a fist on his countertop. “If only we could’ve found out who started those rumors.”
“But we didn’t, and because of that they’ve never actually been disproven. In fact, whoever did it could cause more trouble at any time. If I make waves at the department, it could start up all over again. And frankly, Olivia, it’s not worth it to me.”
“But it feels like you’re abandoning us.”
Ryan slid a slice of pizza onto a plate and handed it to her. “This leave of absence is not something I’m taking lightly. Chief Ashton and I have been discussing it for a while now, and in the end we both agreed that having me around while Noah tries to take the reins would create too much tension. I’m blessed to have a lot of people who have been behind me all the way and are hungry to avenge this mess. The problem is, it would be too tempting for them to try to show their support for me by undermining Noah, and that would be an impossible situation for him. Pretty soon the whole department would be in chaos, and I’m not going to let that happen. The reason I’m taking this break isn’t just because I want to get away from it all for a while, it’s because I also believe it’s the best thing for the department.”
Olivia plopped down on a barstool. “But Noah’s going to be a sucky leader regardless, everyone knows that. City council is made up of a bunch of fools. They should have never appointed him.”
“What’s done is done. I’ve already spent a month fighting rumors from faceless people who attacked me for totally unknown reasons, and I don’t have the energy to start a fight with the council. I’m exhausted and frustrated and angry. I just need to get the heck out of Dodge and let things cool down. Can you blame me for that?”
Olivia shook her head as she swallowed a bite of pizza. “No, I don’t blame you. I’m just so afraid you won’t come back. And we need you.”
Ryan joined her at the counter and shrugged as he chewed. “I’m not planning to put a ‘For Sale’ sign in my front yard, if that makes you feel any better.”
“Not much,” Olivia said sadly. “Do you know where you’re going? And for how long?”
“I asked for three months. I’m not completely sure what I’m going to do, maybe head down to Florida. My brother has a construction business down there and I think maybe a lot of hard, physical work is exactly what I need right now. A good way to release some frustration.”
“You’ll stay in touch?”
“I will. Just don’t plan your wedding for while I’m gone. Once I leave town I don’t plan on coming back until my leave is up.”
“Hmm, maybe we could have a destination wedding,” Olivia said thoughtfully. “I could get excited about a beach wedding in Florida. I wonder what Kev would say.”
Ryan grinned. “If that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get,” he teased. “You know good and well you have Kevin on a string.”
Olivia’s eyes sparkled. “Trust me, he likes it.”
“I know. You two are perfect together. If I thought I could find a soulmate like that, I might be more inclined to go to the trouble of searching.”
“Instead of indulging in your one and dones,” Olivia said knowingly.
“Haven’t had any of those lately,” Ryan said. “I don’t trust anyone at the moment, not even to go out to dinner. I’m not sure I ever will.”
Olivia swallowed her last bite and patted his arm. “She’s out there, Ryan. I know it. You’re too good of a man to be alone all your life. Some lucky girl will change your mind.”
“And put me on a string?” Ryan laughed. “I don’t think so, Olivia.”
“We shall see, my friend.” She stood up and went to the sink to wash her hands.
“Thanks for bringing the pizza.”
“You’re welcome. Let me know before you head out of town. Maybe the three of us can go out on your last evening. Send you off in style.”
“I’ll call you,” Ryan promised. “Tell Kev I said hi.”
***
As the door closed behind his friend, Ryan heard his phone ringing in the bedroom. He hustled down the hall and answered just in time.
“Hey, Tuck. What’s up?” he asked, a real smile curving his lips. Only a couple people could make him smile nowadays. One of them had just left, and the other was on the phone.
Tucker grunted. “I’m running on fumes, that’s what, but it’s all good. How about you? Haven’t heard from you in about a week so I thought I’d check in and see whether you’ve made any progress.”
“Nope. Still no idea who started those rumors. But now that I lost out on the
promotion, it’s more than likely nothing else will come up. Keeping me from getting promoted had to have been their goal. I can’t think of any other reason to attack my character like that.”
“It sucks, Ryan. You have the whole department behind you, yet the dingbats on the council were scared to take a chance because of completely unsubstantiated rumors. Makes you consider doing some very un-cop-like things, I’m sure.”
“Especially if I knew who did it,” Ryan agreed. “But I’m done with it all for a while. I feel like I’ve aged ten years in the past month, and I need to get away. I just got a three month leave of absence approved. That’ll give the new chief a chance to settle in and see if he can handle the job, and me a chance to figure out if I want to stay with the department.”
“Is that in question?”
Ryan headed back into the kitchen. “Everything is in question right now. I’m not sure I can work for Noah. I mean, it’s not like I have a problem with authority. I was in the military, so I’m used to being ordered around. And I have nothing but respect for Chief Ashton. I considered working for him an honor. But Noah’s not a leader, and it would be real hard to bite my tongue when I’m second-guessing his decisions. Knowing him as well as I do, I’m afraid that would happen often.”
“Yeah, I don’t see that working out,” Tuck agreed.
“I’ll keep in touch with my friend Olivia and some of the others while I’m gone, see how things go. Maybe Noah’s got more potential than I’m giving him credit for. But even if he does, having me around isn’t going to get him where he needs to be with the other officers.”
“Their loyalty to you is impressive, Ryan.”
“They’re good people.” Ryan put some pizza in the microwave to warm up. “How’s Maddy doing?”
“Amazing. Our first anniversary is coming up in a month, can you believe that?”
“How could I forget? We had some pretty eventful days leading up to that wedding. What did you have, a five day engagement?”
