J. Robb - Treachery in Death

“Document your ass off. It has yet to be determined if he went down in the line, and in fact is leaning hard otherwise. And that’s not considering he was on suspension at the time of his death. It’s further not considering he’d have certainly lost his badge and faced criminal charges had he lived.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Well, gee, I’d say I guess you didn’t get the memo, except we both know otherwise.” Eve pulled a disc out of her pocket, tossed it on Renee’s desk. “That’s a recording from my home security that clearly shows Garnet ambushing me at the gates to my home, threatening me, striking me, and drawing his weapon on me with clear intent.

“Your man was rabid and rogue, Renee, a fact I have no doubt you and your father discussed quite recently. No wonder you’re in such a bad mood.”

“What my father and I discuss is none of your business.”

“On the contrary, you’ve made it mine. You went crying to Daddy about mean old Lieutenant Dallas, and it backfired on you. Instead of disciplining your detective for his behavior, you took steps to attempt to sweep it under the rug. And that detective, fully aware you would not and did not discipline him, escalated into drawing down on a fellow officer—with an unregistered weapon. He’d been using when he did it, and it will very likely be determined he’d been using when he died.”

“I—”

“I’m not done,” Eve snapped. “If you don’t immediately request and recommend a random test for your squad for illegals, I will—with cause.”

“What do you know about Illegals work?” Renee demanded. “Garnet had been under a great deal of pressure the last weeks. He’d been working on a lead on the Giraldi case, and it fizzled on him. He’d been working to revive it when you showed up here, pushing your weight around.”

“I fail to follow how my coming to you over your dead weasel somehow incited Garnet to abuse illegals, threaten me, and end up dead.”

“He was on the edge. I was fully aware of his problems and had discussed them with him. I wanted him to take some time off, get some counseling—and he asked for more time, asked to have a couple more weeks on Giraldi. I gave it to him, and I believe he was making progress on it, and on his personal problems, until you insisted on the suspension.”

“It’s amazing,” Eve said in sincere wonder. “Really, it is. You can justify the outrageous, even criminal behavior of your detective, and consider my actions in response not only as unfair but as a contributing factor. Your man was a fuckup, a dangerous fuckup. Now he’s a dead fuckup. You bear some weight there, and how you deal with that’s on you.

“One thing I know,” Eve continued, “is in a couple of days you’ve lost a weasel and a detective. Since I do know how Homicide works, I’ll be actively pursuing that connection.”

“It’s obvious Bill was using Keener,” Renee said wearily. “I don’t know why he didn’t tell me. I know he wanted to prove himself to me since I’d made my concerns known, and he was on notice. Whatever he’d been able to tap out of Keener, or whoever Keener had tried to tap, got Keener killed. Bill followed that up, searching Keener’s flop, then—it certainly seems apparent—arranging a meet at the location where Keener had gone to ground, had died. And that cost Bill his life.”

“That’d be nice and tidy. Except for the fact that you had a detective out there pursuing leads, taking actions that don’t show up in his reports or case files—or in those of the detective working with him on the case. Or in yours.”

“You said it yourself. He’d gone rogue.”

Easy to toss him in front of the runaway train, Eve thought, since he was already dead. But she had another, a live one. “I’ll need to interview Bix.”

“Damn it, you’ve just said there’s nothing in Bix’s notes or reports. Garnet went lone wolf on this—it’s clear. Bix never met with Keener.”

“How would you know?” Eve pumped derision into the question, watched Renee’s jaw clench. “If you had one detective writing his own score, you could have two.” She glanced at her wrist unit. “I’ve got time now.”

“I’m not going to allow you—”

“You don’t allow me,” Eve interrupted. “I’m primary on an active homicide, and consulting on a second, believed connected homicide, which involved a police officer. Bix is entitled to his rep or a lawyer, but I will have him in Interview.”

Eve pulled her com out of her pocket. “This is Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, Homicide, requesting an interview room—”

“You can interview him here, in my office,” Renee objected. “There’s no need to take him into a formal.”

“The pissier you get, the pissier I get,” Eve responded. “Interview B,” she confirmed, and closed the com. “Have him report within fifteen minutes. My division, Interview B.”

“I’m coming in with him.”

“You’re welcome to watch from Observation.” She started for the door, paused. “You know, it’s weird. I would think you, Bix, everyone on the squad would not only be willing but anxious to cooperate on every level with an investigation that may lead to the identification, apprehension, and arrest of the individual responsible for Garnet’s murder.

“But ...” Eve shrugged. “That’s just me.”

She strolled out of the squad room as she’d strolled in. And considered her luck rolling along when she ran into Janburry and Delfino on their way in.

“Detectives.”

“Lieutenant,” Janburry acknowledged.

“I’ve just finished meeting with Lieutenant Oberman. I’m sure she’ll inform you, as she did me, regarding her actions on Garnet’s illegals use, and his apparent working off book on an investigation, his use—in her opinion—of her CI, Keener, as an informant. I’ll copy you on my report on these details, in case the lieutenant misses any in her discussion with you.”

“We appreciate that, Lieutenant.” Delfino’s eyebrows lifted, just a hair. “Lieutenant Oberman states she was aware Garnet was using?”

“And took actions—or didn’t take them—as she deemed best. I’m going to interview Detective Bix of her squad, as he was Garnet’s most usual partner and was involved in this investigation. He may have additional information that may prove helpful to your case, and mine. You’re welcome to observe.”

“That’s mighty cooperative of you,” Janburry commented.

“I’m in a mighty cooperative mood. My division, Interview B, in about fifteen.”

“In the tit for tat department,” Janburry added, “Garnet’s tox screen confirms he’d consumed illegal substances, and alcohol. The alcohol is corroborated by Detective Freeman, also of this squad, who states he and Garnet were together between about ten and midnight at the Five-O Bar. The details will also be in our report, which we will copy to you, but Freeman states Garnet was in an excitable and edgy mood—and had considerable uncomplimentary things to say about you.”

“Oh, golly.”

Janburry smirked. “He also claims Garnet received a tag on his ’link around that midnight hour, which he took outside before returning to finish his drink and tell Freeman he had a fresh line to pull.”

“But though drinking, excitable, edgy, and running high, I bet he didn’t give his pal any details about said line.”

“Nary a one.”

“Nary.” Now Eve grinned. “I like that. Nary a one.”

“He reads a lot,” Delfino supplied. “Considering fresh lines and excitable moods, it’s just head-scratching that Garnet didn’t in turn tag his partner in this investigation. Then again, maybe he was a selfish bastard or thought his partner was a dickhead.”