by Alex P. Berg
“Hefty?” I said. “How hefty?”
“Don’t get any delusions,” said the Captain. “After making bets of twenty thousand crowns, it might not seem like much, but trust me, it’s the largest single check you’re liable to ever get unless the city completely overhauls its tax structure. I won’t let you know how much for fear of you spreading the news and having all of us get trampled by an angry mob in a few moments. Just promise me you won’t blow it all on booze and floozies.”
“See?” I told Shay. “That’s the universal male go to.”
“Oh, I never doubted it,” she said.
A few other detectives and beat cops joined us, and we went quiet. Within a minute or two, Rodgers and Quinto had rounded up everyone who remained in the precinct at the late hour—probably forty or fifty bodies. A low murmur ran though the assembly.
Someone in the back, maybe Ferndale by the sound of his voice, spoke up. “Hey, Captain, what’s going on? Is something afoot?”
The Captain eyed Quinto. “This everyone?”
“Far as I can tell,” he replied. “I didn’t hit the restrooms, though.”
“Good enough,” the Captain barked. “Alright, everyone, listen up. Everyone knows I’m a man of few words—”
“Though loudly spoken,” I heard someone mutter.
“—so I’ll keep this brief. As I’m sure you’ve all noticed by now, I’ve been away from my desk for the better part of the last few days. I’m sure you’ve all heard the rumors, too. That I’m in hot water. That I’m being investigated for my involvement with a gang of smugglers known as the Wyverns. That I’m about to be summarily dismissed from my post as the head of this precinct.”
Another murmur ran through the crowd. Summarily dismissed? What the heck had happened over the past few days? What sorts of rumors had I missed?
“Well, you shouldn’t listen to rumors, or spread them,” the Captain barked, silencing the masses. “You all should know better. I’m here to tell you that after extensive discussions with the DA and chief of police, I’m not being dismissed.”
I heard several individuals around me sigh, and a puff of breath forced its way from my own lips.
“However…I’ve decided to step down of my own volition.”
“What?”
“No!”
“Captain! You serious?”
“Quiet,” the Captain barked at the crowd. “Of course I’m serious. And both the DA and the chief of police are on my side. But the fact of the matter is once the Wyverns case goes to trial, my relationship to one of their members will become public knowledge. In the court of public opinion, it won’t matter what that relationship was, merely that I had it. It could cast a pall over this precinct, and I refuse to let that happen. You all deserve better. And so I’m stepping down.”
I felt an ache in my chest. The Captain was leaving? On some level, I’d expected it, especially after what he’d told me following the end of the Wyverns case, but that didn’t mean I’d really been prepared for it.
The murmur started back up, but the Captain spoke over it. “After speaking with the DA and the chief of police, they’ve agreed to vet, nominate, and name a successor to my post in short order. Probably within a week or two, which considering the bureaucracy involved would be a minor miracle. I wish I could have a say in the matter, but if I did, my successor could be viewed as a pawn and might be dogged by the same accusations of corruption that might be aimed toward me if I’d chosen to stay. However, I have been granted the ability to name an interim captain, subject to certain provisions, to hold down this fort until new blood arrives.”
Was it my imagination, or did the Captain give me a look as he said that?
“Now, let me reiterate this is an interim position only. My successor will be here shortly. In the meantime, I expect all of you to treat the interim captain with honor and respect, and to aid them in the day to day operation of our precinct. It’ll be overwhelming at first, especially given none of you have been adequately prepared for the responsibility.”
I was sure of it now. The Captain had glanced at me. Good gods, I couldn’t believe it! Interim or not, being named a precinct captain was an enormous honor. A stepping stone for future career advancement.
“The person I’ve chosen is hard working, brilliant, and attentive to detail.”
That was me!
“Their commitment to justice is unparalleled.”
Also me!
“They’re incorruptible—”
I was incorruptible!
“—and, as made very clear to me by my superiors, their relative inexperience means they have no ties to the old regime or organized crime that could be used against them.”
Once again me! Except I wouldn’t call a dozen years on the force ‘relative inexperience,’ and my ex-partner Griggs had been implicated in the Wyvern smuggling scandal, but still!
“Detective—”
My heart swelled with pride.
“—Shay Steele.”
Silence reigned before being replaced with a smattering of applause. My jaw refused to work. It kept flopping open.
“Alright, that’s it,” said the Captain. “It’s late, so go home, have a beer, and get some rest. And don’t shed any tears over me. I get to keep my pension.”
The crowd started to disperse, but a cloud hung over us all. Then again, maybe it was just me.
The Captain grabbed my arm, leaned in, and spoke softly in my ear. “Daggers, listen to me. I know about you two. Maybe you thought I didn’t, but I know. This wasn’t the best decision. It was the only decision. So do the right thing. Help her. She needs you. Now, and in the future. Don’t screw this up.”
The bulldog gave me a firm glance and a nod of his head before releasing my arm, then about-faced and headed toward the door.
I turned toward Steele. She stood there with a terrified expression on her face. Rodgers and Quinto hovered at her sides, congratulating her, but she couldn’t find the words to respond.
I just stood there with my mouth open.
Captain Steele? No way.
TO BE CONTINUED…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi. I’m Alex P. Berg, a mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer and the author of Steele-Faced. If you enjoyed this Daggers & Steele mystery, be sure to check out the next novel in the series, Steele of the Night, where music and murder mix with malicious intent.
Want more exciting adventures, head-scratching mysteries, and snarky dialogue? Check out two of my other series:
*The Tau Ceti Transmutation (Rich Weed #1): Follow private detective Rich Weed and his trusty android sidekick Carl in this pulp-inspired science fiction mystery set in the year 3330.
*The Black Mast Murder (Driftwood #1): Mystery and intrigue rule the high seas in this Pirates of the Caribbean-style adventure featuring constable John “Driftwood” Malarkey and his supernaturally-gifted wife, Gwen.
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