Melting Steele

by Kimberly Amato

  The captain sees me and runs with two officers in tow yelling out commands. The officers grab Brandt and drag him away to a cruiser. The captain looks me up and down. He’s probably seeing if I have any new war wounds for the hospital to deal with. I wait, silently praying he will tell me the status of our team and the surrounding civilians.

  “Everyone got out before it blew. Only minor injuries.”

  “Will?”

  “Is at the hospital. The bullet hit him with some force, might have a broken rib or two.”

  “He’ll have a hell of a bruise but deny the rest.”

  “I shot another man, captain.”

  “I know, but he’s still alive. Meet me back at the precinct okay?”

  “I nod my head and walk off. I just want to go to the locker room and take a hot shower. I need to disinfect myself, especially my hand. I need to wash the fear off my skin.

  ***

  The captain opens his office door. I haven’t spoken to anyone since the shooting. I know he’s alive. I know he’s going to have a hell of a recovery time, but I didn’t kill him. I wonder if that is what’s eating at me. I know I was capable of killing him. I could have aimed the gun a bit higher, but I didn’t. That makes me different from Harry Brandt and the entire Garrison family.

  “You know the drill.” The captain somberly says.

  I grab my gun and place it in the plastic evidence bag. He seals it and looks at casually. I’m waiting for the lecture. I want the lecture. Tell me anything, I don’t care. I just need to know I did the right thing. I need someone besides myself to remind me.

  “It was a good shoot. You should have your weapon back by the end of the week. Do you have your secondary on you?”

  “No,” my throat is so dry, “it’s locked in the case at home.”

  “No problem. When you come into work tomorrow, just use that gun. I’ll make sure it’s noted in your file.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You want to talk about it?”

  I sit down in the chair and lean my elbows on my knees. The captain sits next to me, waiting for me to say something but I have nothing to say. Maybe it’s because the words don’t come or because I’m emotionally shot, but I start to cry. The tears rolls silently down my face.

  I feel the captain place a hand on my shoulder. The damn breaks and I crumble into my hands. It’s as if all the stress, fear and pressure oozes out of my body. I don’t gag, or cough. I just shake violently as the tears fall down my face. The captain pulls me into a hug and I feel myself start to calm.

  “It’s okay Jasmine, I promise you it’ll get better.”

  “You don’t understand, Tyler.”

  I pull away from the captain and lean back in the chair staring at the ceiling. “I wanted to kill him,” I whisper.

  Tyler’s eyes widen for a second before he relaxes back in his chair.

  “My fourth case on the force, we got a call about a floater. So, my partner and I go down to the pier and we see this white blob floating in the water. He says it’s trash, but I walk to the steps and use a pole to try and pull whatever it was closer to me. I managed to grab onto some cloth and got it close enough. It was stuck on the side of the pier. When I poked it again, it rolled. The body was so swollen, skin peeling, I thought it was butcher’s meat since we were in the district. It wasn’t until the washed-out gray eyes stared at me that I freaked out. I was screaming at my partner. He comes running down, screaming to dispatch everything I told him. When they finally come down to the scene, they pull the body from the water. Coroner said it was a young male, at most nine years old. Most of the evidence washed away, but they had dental records.”

  The captain stands up and walks behind his desk. He sits down and pulls open a drawer. I watch him search for something before he drops a file on his desk.

  “Edgar Flores, was reported missing the day we found him. Doc said he had to be in the water for longer than that. I’ll never forget the greenish tint to his skin. He looked like a zombie in some horror with Hadley. Anyway, since we found the body my captain wanted us helping the detectives on the case. So there I am, working alongside the best of the best and my partner is a know-it-all. Williams, the lead detective, sends the two of us to interview the family. They’d already been notified and there was no way they were going to ask for them to ID the body.”

  The captain opens up the file and pulls out a photo. He holds it up respectfully. He leans forward and hands me the photo, then leans back in his chair again.

  “When I went to see his parents they gave me that photo. Asked that we keep it with the file. They wanted us to see the young boy, not the mutilation. I understood, but my partner was such a fool. He acted like hot shit, almost accusing the parents of murder. I finally told him to look at the boy’s room while I continued the investigation. After two months, we had evidence leading toward a young college student named Justin Bartlett. He was well known around campus as having a young boy fetish. Justin was a scholarship student, no connections to the community. Nothing stopping him from running. We argued with the D.A., but without any hard evidence, they wouldn’t hold him. We didn’t have DNA or all this technology. It was easier to commit a murder and walk away. Trial date comes and I’m waiting in the hall. D.A. comes out and pulls me aside. Asks me if I know where Justin was. I had no idea. We searched high and low, but the man had no ties fled. I had to tell his parents.”

  He turns the file around and pushes it towards me. I take it carefully and scan over some of the yellowed pages.

  “Every time a young boy was found, I made sure to watch the case. I wanted to know if Justin surfaced. I wanted to bring him in. In the back of my head though, I wanted to bring him into a dark alley and beat the shit out of him. Then I wanted to put my gun in his mouth and scare him. Then I’d kill him.”

  “I feel that way sometimes too.”

  “But we don’t. That’s the important part, Jasmine. We are better than the average murderer on the street because we care enough to let the bastards live. Forgive yourself.”

  “Did you ever find him?”

  “I came across his picture a few years ago. He died in a drunk driving accident.”

  “Figures.”

  “He was sober.”

  Karma strikes again. I place the photo back in the folder, close it and put it on the desk.

  “What happened to your partner?”

  “Killed in the line of duty. He was a pompous ass but he became one hell of a cop.” I stand up, nod and head to the door.

  “Tech seized Harry Brandt’s laptop. They’re going over it all. There might be something in there that’s useful to you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Jasmine, just remember there might be a case you can’t let go of, but you can’t let it rule you.”

  I don’t reply. I want to talk to Logan now. I don’t want anyone else touching the laptop. He knows what I need. He’s my dealer and if I want to let this go, I need answers.

  ***

  Logan is waiting for me in his office, shouldn’t surprise me. I walk in expecting to hear some protests or words of calm, but he just looks at me.

  “Detective, I assume you’re here for the laptop.”

  “Only you.”

  “It’s just me in here, yes.”

  “No, only you touch the laptop. I don’t want any information lost. If you can connect Brandt to the murders with his own laptop that’s life without parole. If you happen to find more, that’s excellent for me.”

  “Yes, well that might be difficult.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “It’s encoded in a way I have never tackled before. I truly don’t know if I or any member of our team can break it.”

  “Do your best, that’s all I ask and make a copy. Just in case there’s some back door bullshit that deletes everything.”

  Logan smiles at me as he stands and walks around his desk.

  “Aww, you thought of modern technology in an understandabl
e way. I’m so proud of you.”

  He goes to hug me, but I take two steps back.

  “You might be dating a very good friend of mine, but no hugging.”

  Logan holds his hands up and walks back around to his chair. He rubs the back of his neck and cracks his knuckles before going back to work.

  “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to call my girlfriend and explain that my slave driver of a boss demands I work late.”

  “Funny.”

  “She won’t get mad if I blame you. Blame Skyrim and my life is over.”

  Walking out of his office, I have the sudden urge to go home and be with my family. Maybe it’s because of what the captain shared with me. Maybe it’s the pressure getting to me, but I swear Chase’s hugs cure whatever ails me. Frankie, the world would stop spinning without her. I need to go home and appreciate the life I do have.

  Chapter Twelve

  I thought this was over and done with, but then Logan called demanding I come down to the lab. Here I sit, with my second cup of coffee, waiting on Logan. He pulls Will into the conversation this time. I caught him driving Miranda’s minivan to work. He looks beyond tired, but the DA told us Brandt was still alive in isolation. We’re both happy.

  “Minivan, huh?”

  “Miranda blocked my car in.”

  “Couldn’t move them around?”

  “I was tired.”

  “A huh.”

  “Fine, she needed my truck to help move a friend. I thought I was off today. Didn’t think I’d be sitting here with you and the lollipop guild.”

  “Wow, the lollipop guild? You just aged yourself man.”

  “You knew what I was talking about.”

  I go to respond, but he’s right. I do know who he’s referring to. Well, shit. Logan rushes in like a hamster on a few too many espressos. He drops Brandt’s laptop on his desk. The drops his bag on the floor. He sits down, pulls out a bottle of water and lets out a deep sigh.

  “You okay, Logan?”

  “Yup, just one too many espresso energy drinks. I had no idea they actually made those kinds of things. Once I had one, they tasted so good you end up having like four or five. Before you know it, it’s five in the morning but you totally uncover some great stuff.”

  “Logan,” Will holds up his hand, “it’s a bit too early on my day off. Mind explaining to me why we’re here. Slowly?”

  Logan animatedly takes a few breaths before calming down.

  “The laptop is a bust, sort of.”

  “You couldn’t crack it,” I ask flatly. I had hoped to find more information on Garrison in the depths of the hard drive.

  “Not all of it, but what I did manage to do might help us.”

  “Do what?” Will looks exhausted and this conversation is hard for the two of us with little patience.

  “Catch Kiernan Jones.”

  That got both our attentions. We assumed she would pop up eventually and that would be our chance to grab her. There was nothing else to go on.

  “Her apartment was cleaned out. Wherever she went, she’s off the grid. So, how are you going to find her?”

  “She’s coming to me.”

  “Come again?” I ask.

  He turns the laptop around to show us a tree of email correspondence. I wish I could understand half of what we in them, but I assume it must be juicy.

  “Exchanging porn,” I say and Will stifles his laughter. Logan looks confused for a moment before shaking his head.

  “No, detective, I bought drugs from her. She posted on various Dark Web sites that she has a surplus of inventory she needed to move right away. Her price undercut a lot of sellers. She’s meeting me at the subway station at 42nd and 7th, by the 1, 2, 3 lines in six hours.”

  “How the hell can we corner her in the busiest subway station, during rush hour?” Will asks me.

  Logan looks lost, but I don’t think he had a choice of meeting places.

  “We flood the station with plain clothes officers. Make sure the majority of the people on the platform are ours. We use the new cameras to maintain visual and pray like hell. Is she expecting you, Logan or did you give her fake information?”

  His face falls and I understand that his energy drinks knocked him a bit off his game. He gave her his real name, that might haunt him in the future.

  “Does she know anything else about you?”

  “No, just I’m a geek in college needing a fix.”

  “Okay,” Will speaks up, “we flood the station, keep tabs on Logan here and somehow make sure we bring Kiernan in. Piece of cake.”

  “Exactly.”

  Somehow when the captain told me to go home and relax, this was not what I was thinking. Maybe when this is all over. Maybe.

  ***

  Have you ever watched ants in their home? They climbs all through the tunnels. Even though they have a distinct order, they walk all over each other. Some trying to get out. Some trying to get in. Some might just be looking for the queen for some nookie. I don’t have a clue. But standing here in the middle of this subway station, I feel like one of those ants.

  “Steele, you have eyes on the subject yet?”

  “Negative.”

  She hasn’t shown up yet. I don’t blame her. She might be turning tail and running. I would. My bigger concern is that she did some digging into Logan and found out who he really was.

  “She’s on her way down, northernmost staircase.”

  One of the officer’s voices rings in my ear. I turn my attention to Logan. If something happens to him Hadley would have my head. My job is to keep him safe, one hundred percent. She passes me and walks right up to Logan. She’s not wasting any time, but he’s slowing her down.

  She’s desperate, looking around frantically. Each time I lower my hair to block my face. Logan keeps digging through his pockets looking for more cash. He’s good at this acting stuff. Maybe he should make a film with Hadley. No, maybe not, that sounded better in my head.

  “Hurry up!” I hear Kiernan say to Logan.

  “I’m trying to get it out of my pocket. It’s a lot of money, my mom told me not to keep it all in one place.” He replies.

  I look past them and see Will and the others in position on the opposite end of the platform. The plan is simple. Will gets her attention, she turns and runs into me. I grab her arm, handcuff her and lead her out of the subway. It’s an easy arrest. In theory.

  “You know what, just give me what you have. I can’t stay here much longer.”

  “Okay.”

  “Have a great high.”

  She turns and walks directly into me, not part of the plan. What did I expect, this entire case hasn’t gone to plan very well. I get pushed by a surge of people and lose my grip on Kiernan. She grabs Logan by the sleeve and drags him past me. This is not going to end well.

  “She’s on the move, back up the north side. Crowds causing issues. She’s got Pevy. I repeat, suspect has a hostage.”

  I push back against the crowd, fighting my way to get closer to her. I can hear the train coming on the express track. It’s about a minute or two away. That’s going to make it difficult to hear anyone or call for help. Once I break free of the horde, I must be five maybe six steps behind her when a man pushes her hard. Logan and Kiernan fall onto the train platform. I rush to the side but the same man pulls me back.

  The trains brakes squeal loudly, hurting the ears of all those down here. Too late. My screams blend with the metal hitting metal. I failed Logan. I elbow the man behind me in the gut. He let’s go and rushes to the exit. I turn my attention and growing rage back to the male running through the crowd looking for an escape.

  “Steele, in pursuit of suspect!”

  I run as hard as I can, pushing and shoving my way up the stairs. He jumps the turnstiles and runs up the stairs to the street. I’m only a few steps behind him darting up the corner, gasping for real air. I rush i
nto Times Square and spin around frantically. Whomever he is - he’s gone.

  Will follows a few steps behind me, barely out of breath.

  “Where’d he go?”

  “I have no fucking clue,” on the island of thirteen million people, he can hide in plain sight.

  “Steele, Everts, report.” Captain Tyler’s voice crackles in my ear.

  “We lost him.”

  I pull the earpiece out. I want to kick something but I work in a concrete jungle. It will hurt me more than it helps.

  “Logan?”

  “Little shit hid with the rats under the platform. We got him out on the other side. Captain’s sending him to the hospital for a checkup. He told me to not tell Hadley anything.”

  “Kiernan?”

  “Victor’s on his way down.”

  “Whomever did this, they were following her. Waiting for the right time to strike.”

  “You’re talking a calculated murder. You think Garrison…”

  “No. I was actually thinking when you are in a desperate situation you have a tendency to do stupid things. She was undercutting other dealers to get rid of her stash. She made more enemies in a few minutes than Garrison probably has in his lifetime. Not that this doesn’t help him.”

  “If she was connected, she can no longer deal. Case closed.”

  The case is closed. The only player left is standing trial. The rest are all dust in the wind.

  ***

  It’s been almost six months and the mysterious man in the subway tunnel hasn’t turned up on any surveillance. We looked through every scrap of video. Every facial recognition software. We tried everything at our disposal. The man was truly a ghost.

  Seeing the rows of trailers brings a smile to my face. Hadley finally accepted a role in a new local drama series. It isn’t a huge part, but the possibility for future episodes is there. She’s finally feeling comfortable in her own skin to go back to work. I have to thank Logan for that. He’s helped her heal when I couldn’t. Sometimes family can fail one another, but he has proven worth of Hadley’s adoration.