Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73989 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73989 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
He wasn’t wrong. “I want to know why Daniels is sniffing around the case. What’s his connection?”
“At first I thought it might be personal, like maybe he knew the girl, but he kept bringing up Murphy and asking about things I’d told him. I’m guessing there’s some kind of departmental rivalry bullshit going on.”
“Hmm. Could be, but that doesn’t make him any less dangerous.”
“It sure as hell doesn’t. I’ll join you, but if he’s home, I’m out of there. I don’t need a cop charging me with breaking and entering and God knows what else.”
“You know that doesn’t really scare you. How long have you been in this business?”
“Long enough to be cautious, and you being seen busting into a cop’s house won’t do a damn thing for your cousin.”
He was right about that. “I’ll pick you up at nine.”
Daniels lived in West Roxbury. Marco and I rode our motorcycles to help us negotiate traffic faster. When we got to Daniels’s house, we watched it for a while before I convinced Marco there was no one home. I’d had Emilio, a hacker we often worked with, do some poking around. Daniels lived alone and didn’t have pets. There were no lights on in the house and no car in the driveway.
It only took me a few seconds to get us in through the back door. “You’d think a cop would have better security.”
Marco shrugged. “Maybe he’s the type that thinks he’s so tough he’s always safe.”
I snorted. “There’s no such thing as always safe.”
We worked our way through the house. Daniels had turned his spare bedroom into an office, and he’d left articles about Lily Milano’s murder and Lucien on top of his desk along with what must be copies of the case file. I took pictures of everything. From what I saw, Daniels wasn’t assisting the detectives. It looked like he’d taken over the case, or he wanted to.
He’d circled several notes in the case file and scribbled down a list on a sticky note. I could barely read his writing, but I made out brother, cousin, and also suspects.
The fuck we were.
“Someone just drove up and parked out front,” Marco called.
“Damn. Is it him?”
A few seconds passed before he answered. “I think so.”
I hurried out of the office and positioned myself so I could see out the front window. When I saw the man standing by a beat-up Corolla, my knees literally felt weak. He was the cop from the night before. The one who’d invaded my dreams as he struggled against me while I fucked him again and again.
I’d known the man was trouble.
“We need to go,” Marco hissed. “He’ll be in here any second.”
I shook my head. “It’s our turn to do the questioning.” I pulled my gun and moved slowly toward the door.
“No, we—” Footsteps sounded, coming up the porch.
Marco ducked into the kitchen.
I held myself still as the key turned in the lock. When the door swung open, I was ready. I grabbed Daniels, pressed a hand over his mouth, and yanked him inside.
“Hello again.” I pressed my gun to his head and kicked the door shut. Daniels struggled, but I kept my hold on him. “Settle down, and I’ll let you speak.”
He muttered something that was probably a fuck you.
“Nod if you’re going to be a good boy and not scream.” I used my hand to force his head up and down. “Perfect. I’m going to take my hand off your mouth, and you’re going to walk into the kitchen and sit down in a chair.”
I removed my hand and shoved at his back, making him stumble forward.
He started to turn toward me, and I braced for a fight, but Marco stepped out of the kitchen, gun drawn. “You’re outnumbered. Do as he says.”
Daniels looked from one of us to the other, and I motioned toward the kitchen with my gun. His glare promised me that if he got the upper hand, he would make me pay. I almost wanted to give it to him just to find out what he’d do to me.
He walked toward the kitchen slowly as if trying to devise a plan of escape before he got there. Once again, I had the advantage.
Marco pulled out a chair, and Daniels sank into it.
“Hands behind your back. Do you want to tell us where we can find something to bind your hands, or are we going to have to look?”
He’d been stoic so far, but now he looked unsettled, almost scared. “You’ve got a weapon. You don’t need to restrain me.”
I shook my head. “We need to have a talk, and I need to know you’re going to stay put. I bet you’ve got a set of cuffs here somewhere.”
He scowled at me and remained silent.
“Looking makes me impatient. You don’t want that, do you?”