Page 48 of Charmed Forces

“I hope you’re not on your way to the hospital,” said Captain Brandt.

“We are. My car is parked there,” said Solomon.

“And that’s all you’re going for?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Good.” Captain Brandt nodded. “I’d hate to think you were going there to pester the widow in her hour of grief.”

“The widow?” I asked.

He looked from Solomon to me. “No one told you? Detective Wayne died twenty minutes ago.”

Chapter Ten

“I can’t believe he’s dead,” I said, my voice full of shock. I was sitting in the backseat of Garrett’s car, right in the center so I could speak to both men at once. Garrett was shaking his head and Solomon looked gob-smacked. “I don’t get how this happened,” I continued. “I was sure I stopped her.”

“The assassin must have succeeded in injecting whatever she put in that syringe,” said Solomon. “It only looked like she’d given up and was seeking an escape.”

“Shereallyjumped out the window?” asked Garrett, for the third time.

“It was spectacular,” I said. “I was impressed but I had to remind myself she’s not that awesome, she’s just a killer.”

“An efficient one too. If you hadn’t noticed her shoes, she’d have finished the job and no one would have been any the wiser. Detective Wayne’s death might have been written off as ‘succumbing to his injuries’.”

“I watched the hospital security video,” said Garrett. “And unfortunately, catching this woman is going to be really hard. You might have gotten a good look at her but she avoided all the cameras and the hat she wore covers her face on the shots when she was captured. That doesn’t surprise me as she probably knew where they all were, which suggests she either had knowledge of the hospital security layout or someone must have fed her that information.”

“If she had knowledge of the hospital’s security layout, would that make her a local?” I wondered, thinking about McGinney. Daniel had implied one of the officers was a woman. “I hate to ask this, but did she look familiar? Could she be McGinney?”

“That’s a hard no,” said Garrett. “I know hair can be easily changed but they’re different heights and builds, and Anne McGinney is black, which is the final clincher. Plus, McGinney’s damn solid, as true as they come. Desmond too, before you ask. A real loss to the force.”

“Since it seems unlikely that we have a resident assassin, I think she’s from out of town and got briefed on the schematics,” replied Solomon. “That tells me whoever is behind this has deep pockets and a far reach. Not everyone has a hitwoman programmed on speed dial.”

“Basically, nothing good,” said Garrett.

“But we’re exonerated so that has to count for something,” I said.

“I wouldn’t be too hopeful,” said Garrett. “Captain Brandt had to let you go but I overheard him say you two might be colluding with an associate to get yourselves off and cast suspicion on Daniel’s involvement.”

I frowned. “I wish I’d actually thought of that.”

“Does Captain Brandt want a future career as a novelist because he’s got a mind for convoluting stories,” said Solomon.

“That’s a good point.”

Solomon twisted in his seat to look at me. “It is?”

“Not the author thing but Captain Brandt. What do you know about him, Garrett?” I asked.

“Not much personally. Anthony Brandt. Forty-eight years old. No wife or kids as far as I’m aware. He’s been at MPD for a little less than a year after shipping in from somewhere on the east coast. Career-minded to the max. Got his eye on becoming Chief. Word is: he’s got a high solve-rate and a low tolerance for anyone breaking the law. His arrest record as a junior cop was stellar and his arrest to conviction rate just as flawless. That’s what his file will tell you.”

“Whatisn’tin his file?” asked Solomon with a sigh.

“He’s got no problem jamming citizens up for the merest infraction if it’ll aid his statistics. I heard he planted drug evidence on a bust at his last station and the subsequent rumors were the cause of his move. I haven’t heard any gossip like that here so it could just be the kind of whispering prattle that transforms entirely between the source and the end ears. I haven’t heard any direct complaints about him. Upper brass seem to like him. Plus, he tells big stories that the junior cops like to hear. All heroics, of course.”

“He seemed keen to jam us up,” said Solomon.

“Brandt’s under a lot of pressure from the bosses. State witnesses and cops killed while on duty. It’s the kind of stuff they want solved fast and prosecuted to serve as an example, which means, it has to be big.” Garrett flipped the blinker on and slowed down for the turn. “Plus, it didn’t help when idiot Harold came in shooting his mouth off about catching a pair of cop assassins!”