Lorie O - Strong, Sleek and Sinful

The monitoring equipment crackled and Kylie’s voice came through the small microphone. Perry’s insides tightened, a rush of adrenaline hitting him as he growled at his computer when it chimed from another message from his niece. Turning down the speaker volume on his PC, he leaned closer to the small black box.

“What did you say, sweetheart?” he whispered, and checked to see if a microcassette was in place. “Talk to Papa,” he said, and pushed “play” to start recording what would be said.

“Any idea which department?” Kylie’s usually soft, alluring tone sounded crisp, firm, all business. “Okay. Well, I’m going to have to get cuddly with local PD then.”

“Get cuddly, huh?” Perry brought the bottle of beer to his mouth again, swallowing the last half of the brew and tossing the bottle into his trash can. “How much of the police department do you plan on getting close to, and why?”

A flash of light reflected against the front window and grabbed his attention. Perry stood, frowning, when a car pulled into his driveway. People didn’t come over without calling first to see if it was okay. They just never had.

He headed out of his den and stopped in the living room, watching as the Chief pulled into his driveway and parked.

“What the hell?” Perry returned to his den and scowled at his monitoring equipment, a device that would definitely be a tough one to explain to Rad. “Goddamn it,” he growled, turning the thing off and shoving it into the top drawer of his dresser. His gut told him something was off with Kylie. He was so damn close to learning what the hell it was and then this. “Why the hell are you here?” he snarled under his breath, slamming the drawer closed and making it bang.

Perry reached the back door, which opened off his driveway, as Rad knocked firmly. “Rad,” he said, not caring if irritation sounded in his tone.

“Sorry to interrupt your evening.” Rad didn’t look or sound apologetic. “I need to talk to you, Flynn.”

His serious manner didn’t sway Perry. “What’s up?” He had enough decency to stand to the side and allow his Chief to come inside. The bugs were hovering over his outside light anyway, and the longer they stood like this, the more bugs would get inside.

Rad entered but didn’t turn around in the dark kitchen. Instead, he walked into the living room and focused on the den, the only room in the house with a light on.

“What were you doing?” he asked, frowning at the open door like he was itching to head in that direction.

“Having a beer, checking e-mail.” Perry joined him, standing in the middle of his dark living room. “What’s up?”

“Mind if we go in there?” Rad asked, but instead of waiting for Perry’s consent headed into the den.

“Something on your mind?” Perry followed Rad into his den and walked around him to his desk. Remembering that his beer was empty, he turned and headed back through the dark living room. “You want a beer? Anything to drink?”

“I’m good.”

Perry grabbed another longneck from his fridge and headed back to his den. Rad was standing behind his desk staring at his computer when Perry entered. The Chief looked up at him, concern lining his face. Perry frowned, twisting the cap off and moving around the desk so that he saw the screen that Rad saw. “What’s got you bugged?” he asked.

“I’ve got a question for you. I need you to be straight with me.” Rad turned and faced Perry. He stared at him with shrewd gray eyes.

“Ask,” Perry said. Although he was six foot one and Rad had a bad knee and was damn near twenty years older, he stared the Chief straight on, eye to eye.

“This case with the girls coming up missing, with them being stalked online, what do you know about it?”

“About as much as you do.” Perry tried reading Rad’s intent expression but wasn’t getting anywhere with it. “You going to give me the case now?”

“No,” Rad said, not hesitating. “Are you working on it on the side? Possibly going after anyone in chat rooms or posing as someone you aren’t?”

“Hell, no,” Perry snapped.

“Mind pulling up that chat box?” Rad asked, pointing at the monitor.

Perry cursed under his breath, pressed his palm against the back of his office chair, and used his free hand to move the mouse and pull up the chat box with Dani.

“Who is that?”

“My niece. My sister Megan’s daughter,” Perry growled. “What the hell is this?”

The chat box showed Dani’s last two messages with her insisting Perry ask her. It didn’t say who he was supposed to ask, or why. But Dani’s comment referred to “Mom,” which added simplicity and innocence to the chat. Perry looked away from the screen and at Rad’s profile as he stared at the large green font and finally nodded.

Perry took another drink and walked around his desk. Rad joined him, moving around the desk and sitting on the edge of it, crossing his arms and still scowling.

“I assigned a partner to you last month, but the two of you aren’t riding together. Why is that, Flynn?”

“Don’t know. Why?”

“You two got issues?”

“I don’t have issues with anyone,” Perry snapped. “And if any occur, they’re worked out before I call it a day. Did you come out to my home to ride my ass about not spending enough time with my new partner?”

“You know we work cases with partners for a reason.”

“I know how to do my fucking job.”

Rad didn’t say anything but studied Perry, which aggravated the hell out of him.

“You didn’t come over here to remind me that I have a partner. You could have done that down at the station. Whatever it is, spit it out,” Perry demanded.

“I want you and Ramos to start running together, got that?” Rad said coldly. “Watch your ass and make sure everything you do is accounted for.” The Chief pushed away from Perry’s desk and headed out of his den.

Perry stopped him, grabbing the Chief’s arm and forcing him to turn and face him. No one entered his home, no matter who the hell they were, and threatened him without offering an explanation as to why. And it had better be one fucking good explanation. The Chief knew Perry didn’t like working with a partner, and it had never been an issue before. He worked best alone, whether it was investigating crime scenes or getting reports turned in. Call him anti-social, he didn’t care. But someone else tagging along simply slowed him down.

“Why do I need to cover my ass?” he demanded, unable to control the anger growing inside him.

“Hopefully you don’t.” Rad suddenly sounded relaxed, like a calm before a storm.

Perry’s guts twisted from nerves, but he wouldn’t be intimidated. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and had a hard time believing Rad thought otherwise.

“I don’t and you damn well know it,” Perry hissed. “You’re not walking out of my house without explaining why you show up off-hours, unannounced, and imply there’s a situation when there isn’t one.”

“I didn’t say there wasn’t a situation. Account for your time and your actions and it won’t become your situation.” Rad looked down at his arm where Perry still held him and then started across the room, yanking his arm out of Perry’s grasp.

To grab the Chief again would be a sign of aggression, one Perry would take if that was what was needed.

“Rad,” he said, trying this tactic first. He didn’t doubt for a moment that he could physically restrain the Chief, but he’d never had a beef with the man, and didn’t now, at least not at this moment. “You’d better tell me what’s going on or I’ll be forced to learn on my own.”

“I’m not at liberty to say.” Rad turned around, his stressed-out expression lined with aggravation. He stared at Perry for a long moment, and when the Chief spoke again the coldness in his tone was enough to put a chill in the room. “Watch your fucking ass and if you’re confronted, ordered to show your reports, or,” he added, lowering his voice and pinning Perry with a brutal stare, “if your personal computer is subpoenaed, your ass better be clean. I’ve already gone out on a limb for you. And I’m here to tell you now, there are a lot of holes in your time sheets. Start keeping your log sheets current. You take a fucking piss, log it.”