Chapters (95)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by David Swinson
- Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.
“Valdez. Good dude. He knows that area well, so I was hoping he might help get Biddy identified. That invasion on Riggs was on a whole other level. What brought you there?”
“Going south on Thirteenth, headed downtown, and saw a cruiser in back and your boy in front. Thought maybe it was a burglary and maybe they had a suspect. As you know, I only live a few blocks from there.”
“Yeah, one burglar is usually good for dozens of hits within a few blocks, but unfortunately that was something else. Some sort of retaliation or drug-related home-invasion.”
“That’s what I heard.”
“I ended up with that case, too.”
“You’re a one-man unit.”
“Until my body can’t take it anymore.”
“You have a ways to go. By the way, you and Millhoff get a chance to go clubbing yet?”
“Clubbing?” He doesn’t get it right away. “Oh, right. Yeah, we’ve been there more than once.”
“What about Jasper?”
“You mean we going to turn him in for working his part-time?”
“Something like that.”
“Hell, no. I could care less. Neither could Millhoff. Besides, he’s good to have there because of the two decedents who’re connected to that place.”
“I have a source who said you might want to look into Jasper and that big guy he works there with. Said they had a little something going on the side in that club.”
“Seriously? Like what?”
“Like drugs, maybe getting a cut. Maybe more. Could be a connection to the body on Rhode Island and my cousin.”
“Damn. Can I meet with your source?”
“I’ll ask.”
“Okay. You hear anything else, you call. You’re still one of us first.”
“I know that, brother. You don’t have to keep saying it.”
Okay, now what?
Sixty-Four
Sixty-Four
I pick Tamie Darling up at the usual spot, a vacant lot near Howard University, where I park behind two detached semitrailers. Darling is one of the best CIs I’ve worked with. When I was partnered with Al Luna at Narcotics we signed her up as a special employee. That had to be ten years ago. Doesn’t matter that she smokes crack. That’s something we never talk about, but it’s obvious. The cigarettes and the crack have a way of sticking to the body like perfume. Biddy ain’t there yet, but he will be. For Tamie, it’s all you can smell.
She walks toward my car from the front, carrying a large, probably fake Gucci purse and wearing a summer dress with floral patterns that falls to her knees. It’s a larger size than she needs so it’ll hide her narrow, bony figure. She lifts the strap that falls from her shoulder, drops and snuffs out a cigarette before entering the front door and gliding in.
I greet her with “What’s up, sweetheart?”