Page 28 of Babe's Bounty
“We’re here to see Detective Schwartz,” Min says.
The sergeant runs an appreciative eye over Min before turning a suspicious glare towards me. “Name?”
After we give him our names, he picks up the phone and makes the call.
“He’ll be out shortly.”
Min thanks him, and we turn back toward Chrome, but the desk sergeant calls us back. He points at a man coming toward us.
He carries himself like Laser and Scar. So I’m guessing he’s former military. His attention is on Min, so I study him. I don’t like what I’m seeing. He’s white with close-cut blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He looks like a poster child from 1930s Germany. Maybe I’m just paranoid, but he reminds me of the men we’re hunting. His shoes and suit look expensive, too expensive for a cop. I might be paranoid, but he resembles those in Jordan’s circle too closely for my liking.
“I’m Detective Schwartz. You must be Scott Beams?” He asks, shaking my hand. “Or I can call you Babe if you’d prefer.”
“Babe is fine,” I reply.
“Babe it is. Thanks to you both for coming in. Would you follow me?”
“What’s this about?” I ask as we pass through a door and into a hallway.
“I wanted to talk to Min about how she came to the rescue of Angie Stonewall and Kristi Branch.”
“Her name was Angie? Did she have any family?” Min asks in a small voice.
“She did. A husband, a son, two sisters, several nieces and nephews, and her parents. They’ve been frantic since she went missing.”
I know she’s hurting because she couldn’t save the woman. Mode told me how distraught she was when she discovered there were four other women in the basement. Women that she left behind because she tried to save Angie’s life. I’m hoping having a name helps her shake the guilt. Angie’s family might never have known what happened to their daughter if not for Min.
Schwartz leads us into an interview room and gestures for us to take seats.
“Would you like something to drink? We have bottled water and the worst coffee ever brewed.”
“Do you have any tea?” Min asks, then shakes her head. “Never mind, I’ll just take water.”
I hold up two fingers. Once he leaves, I turn to Min.
“I’m not sure I trust this guy,” I tell her.
“Because he looks like he could be one of Jordan’s men?” She responds and I nod. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. We already know Jordan has cops in his employ. Maybe we should ask if we could talk to a different detective.”
Schwartz returns with our water. He’s carrying a mug of coffee for himself.
“Before we start, we have a request,” I tell him.
He nods and motions for me to continue as he takes a sip of coffee.
“I’m not trying to be an asshole, but is there someone else we can talk to?”
“Why?”
“Because you fit the profile of the men we’re after,” Min supplies. “You were in the military. Yes?”
He nods.
“The men we’re hunting are former military and one is a cop. They’re all white. If we put you in a room with them, you’d blend in perfectly. I know it sounds like bullshit, but since a cop helped three fugitives escape prison in San Diego, you can understand why we might not be comfortable with you.” I say.
He glances between Min and me before nodding and leaving the room.
“He took that better than I expected. Or he’s preparing our cell,” Min says, causing me to chuckle.