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.
“You know how many times I used that bogus line to stop people? I can’t count. And I’m certain I don’t fit the profile of any of the suspects committing robberies around here.”
“What can I say?”
“You heard when I told this officer here my name, right?”
“No. I didn’t catch that.”
The rookie looks at Jasper, eyes wide, but doesn’t say anything. He knows better.
“What’s with sending this young officer out alone? You never do that shit.”
“I teach ’em right. Let’s not take this to another level, Frank. We always been good, right?”
I look straight at the rookie, back to him.
“What are you doing in 3D anyway? You’re a bit outta your district.”
“We were grabbing some dinner on Fourteenth, that police-friendly El Salvadoran place. Thought I’d get him familiar with the Third. Real coincidence it was you we ran into, but thanks for participating in the training,” he says, trying to joke. “Stop by the club. Drinks’ll be on the house for the trouble my rookie caused you.”
I can tell the rookie looks worried, like I might complain or something.
“I don’t care what your FTO tells you. Never walk up to a suspect alone, without backup, especially if he’s a suspected armed robber. The both of us were getting fucked by your training officer.”
“All right, Frank. Drop it. I was right there. He had backup, and I honestly didn’t know it was you.”
This is horseshit, but I don’t know him well enough to know whether this was meant to be some kinda joke he was playing on me or the rookie here.
I don’t want to escalate this, so I say, “No harm. Just got my clothes a little dirty. Advise your rookie that I’m not the type to complain. He seems spooked. And I will take you up on those drinks.”
“You hear that?” he tells him. “Frank Marr is straight up. Always was. Was also one of the best narcotics detectives on the department a few years before you came on. Why you retired early, I’ll never know.”
“That’s where I’d like to go, sir,” the rookie tells me.
I look at him like, What the fuck?
“I mean Narcotics and Special Investigations Division or Vice,” he says.
I just nod. “You wanna give me my gun back? I gotta get home.”
Jasper tilts his big chin, and the rookie grabs the gun from the hood of the car, where it shouldn’t’ve been, and hands it back, muzzle toward the ground. I holster it.
“You boys be safe,” I say.
“Sorry for the fucking confusion, Marr,” Jasper says with a smile so broad he’s squinting his eyes.
“Never apologize,” I tell him, then turn to walk home.
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Five