Ann Peterson - Special Assignment

“You weren’t with him the entire time, were you?”

She stared at Grady’s lips. She didn’t want to say anything. She didn’t want to admit it was true. “I was with him almost the entire time.”

“But not the entire time.”

Her shoulders slumped. “When I caught up with him, he was trying to save Mr. Kardascian’s life. Doesn’t that count?”

“Not good enough. Like I said, the county sheriff can’t just take our word for it. They have to go by the evidence.”

Evidence. Since Mike didn’t kill Kardascian, there wasn’t any evidence to find, right? And weren’t people supposed to be innocent until proven guilty? “What kind of evidence do they need?”

“Enough to prove he had the means and opportunity to kill Milo Kardascian.”

Cassie nodded. “The means, meaning the gun, right?”

“Right.”

“And the opportunity?”

“The space of time that you weren’t with him. The time he and Kardascian were alone.”

“He didn’t do it.” If she still had her hearing, she could swear she hadn’t heard gun fire, but as things were she wasn’t a lot of help. Still, there had to be something. “He had no reason to do it. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

“Motive. It counts for a lot in court, even though it’s not required to charge him.”

“So go tell the county detective that Mike had no motive.”

Detective Grady shook his head. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not? I thought you were his partner. His friend.”

“I am. But it wouldn’t be the truth.”

Cassie stared at him. What was he trying to say? She tried to ask, tried to make her voice function, but it caught in her throat as if she’d forgotten how to speak.

“How well do you know Mike, Ms. Allen?”

Cassie chewed her bottom lip. She’d worked with him on a couple of cases. Flirted with him a little. Fantasized about him, certainly. She liked him, more than she felt comfortable with most of the time. But other than that, she supposed she knew very little about him. “Enough to know he’s no murderer.”

Grady nodded. “I believe that, too. But it’s not that simple. Mike and Kardascian have a history.”

Cassie didn’t have to try very hard to remember the exchange between Evangeline and Mike when the millionaire CEO’s picture flashed on the screen in the PPS boardroom. And on the drive to Kardascian’s cabin, Mike had warned her the man had a brutal nature. And that he’d been in trouble with police. “What history?”

“Mike was called to Kardascian’s house a few times. And his condo downtown. That was back before either one of us made detective.”

“Mike told me about that.” A sure sign he had nothing to hide. Right?

“The last call…Kardascian had beat up his girlfriend. Bad.”

Cassie sucked in a breath despite her attempt to face whatever Detective Grady said with her utmost cool.

“It wasn’t the first time. Milo Kardascian was kind of known for taking out his frustrations on whatever woman was attracted enough to his money to put up with him. That last call…” Detective Grady paused, as if he had to force himself to go on. “Mike crossed the line. He messed up Kardascian pretty good.”

Cassie’s head snapped back as if the words were a physical blow. She didn’t know what she’d expected Grady to say, but it wasn’t this. “Mike hit him?”

“Bastard deserved it. Didn’t want to stop beating on the woman even for the police. So Mike stopped him.” Tim’s lips pulled back in a hint of a smile. The smile quickly faded. “Kardascian went after Mike, though. Called in political favors. Made Mike’s life a living hell for a while. Almost drummed him off the force. Certainly slowed down his career. It’s the only reason I made detective before Mike.”

“That’s why they think Mike killed him? Payback?”

The detective lifted a shoulder. “It’s been known to happen.”

Cassie shook her head. “They have to know Mike wouldn’t do that. The rest of his record should speak for itself.”

“Like I said, it comes down to evidence. Whether or not ballistics can prove Mike’s service pistol is the murder weapon. Whether or not a powder residue test proves he recently fired it.” He gave her a smile filled not with pity, but understanding. Maybe even sympathy. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that you believe in him, though.”

She did believe in him. After what had happened with Kardascian, she even had a limited appreciation for his protective streak. If she had stumbled onto the millionaire’s murder alone, who knew what could have happened? She might be in the morgue right now, beside the CEO. “He’s always done a good job on the cases he worked with PPS.”

“Sure.” He gave her a grin suggesting he thought her belief in Mike went deeper than that.

She shifted uncomfortably. “He has done a good job. A very good job. Evangeline says he’s one of the most honest cops in Denver. And after that Dirty Three scandal, I sometimes wonder if he’s the last one left.” She paused, realizing the implication of her words. “No offense. I know there are plenty of honest cops. I’m just frustrated.”

“No offense taken.” His smile widened to show the gap. “And I agree. Mike is an honest cop and I’m sure the evidence will show it.”

She hoped so. She sure hoped so. For obvious reasons…and reasons she didn’t want to examine too closely.

“So, can I go?” Mike eyed the sheriff’s detective, a guy named Abramson that he’d grown far too familiar with over the past several hours. Hell, he didn’t even know how much time he’d spent staring at the government beige walls in this tiny box of an interview room, nothing but two chairs and a camera staring down at him from the corner. But however long he’d been here was too long. Much too long.

Abramson frowned down at the new report he’d just been handed. His eyebrows pulled together, forming a single bushy ridge topping his craggy features. “The preliminary ballistics examination shows your Sig Sauer is likely the murder weapon.”

Mike took a deep breath, trying to quell his rising frustration. “I’m not saying it wasn’t. I just didn’t fire it.” Abramson had taken swabs of his forearms several hours before to test for gun-powder residue, evidence that he’d recently fired a gun. Since he hadn’t, the test had to come back negative.

Provided this whole thing wasn’t some sort of setup to do away with a traitor cop. For all he knew, Abramson could be drinking buddies with the Dirty Three. At the very least, he was a cop, and cops, as Mike’s dad was fond of repeating, took care of their own. “What about the residue test?”

“The results aren’t back yet.”

“They’re going to be negative. Your killer is out on the streets right now, covering up anything that leads to him. And all the while you’re wasting time with me. And Cassie Allen.”

Abramson leaned forward. “That’s one thing I don’t understand. How does Ms. Allen fit into all of this?”

Mike felt a hitch low in his gut. “She doesn’t.” He shouldn’t have mentioned Cassie at all. Instead of convincing the county detective she had nothing to do with the case, all he’d done was show he was concerned about her. And if this was Mike’s case, he’d do exactly what Abramson was doing—he’d try to exploit that concern to get answers.

“I’d like to believe that, Lawson. Ms. Allen seems like a nice woman. But I have yet to hear a good reason for her being at Kardascian’s house. And until someone sheds some light on that, I’m afraid I’ll have to keep asking questions.”