Chapter 19

“You and Detective Banks are to take the lead on this one. Both ofyou,” he insists through tight lips. “Work together. Cooperate. Find some common ground, and then find justice for that young woman currently sitting all alone in her car.” He straightens his back and stares deep into my eyes. “Detective Fletcher and Officer Clay will assist. Use them to your advantage, but if I catch wind you’ve split off into your current partnerships, robbing Officer Clay of the opportunity to witness a copacetic collaboration between experienced detectives, I’ll make a permanent change and force the issue.” He firms his lips and glares. “Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” I gnash my teeth, rather than tell my superior exactly how I feel. “Understood.”

“Good, go.”

I tear his door open and charge into the bullpen. My temper sizzles hot, especially when I discover Banks’ arrogant grin, his face turned towardmypartner while they chat like old pals. Clay sits hunched over his desk, tapping away at the computer keyboard, because he’s too damn straitlaced to waste even a second of the department’s time, but as I come closer, his eyes sling up.

Widen.

Flip to Banks.

“Let’s go.”

Fletch jumps up like his seat is made of electricity. Slapping his hat on, he snatches a set of keys and his phone. “We got one?”

“Toddle along, Detective.” Banks turns back to his computer and stifles the chuckle low on his breath. “See if you can do this one without compromising the entire department.”

“Clay.” I clap his shoulder on the way past. “You’re up, too.”

Fletch’s entire body jolts. “What?”

“And Banks,” I grit out. Because IfeelFabian’s stare warming the back of my head. I grab a second set of car keys anddon’tstab him with them. “Get up. We’re on this one together.”

“What?” He spins, wide-eyed and staring toward Fabian’s office. “He reassigned us?”

“He assigned all four of us, so get the fuck up and pretend to be a decent human being so he doesn’t rubber-stamp this shit and make it official. Let’s go.” I slip my phone into my pocket and stalk between dozens of well-worn, thirty-year-old desks, past cops who already sweat, andallegedperps who get off on not answering questions about the crimes they’ve committed.

I keep my head down and my mouth shut as I pass within fifteen feetof Fabian, then I step onto the escalator that cuts straight through the belly of our station and ride it toward the ground floor.

“Arch!” Fletch jogs down half a dozen steps and skids to a stop just a beat behind me, his shoulder crashing against mine, and my grip on the railing is the only damn reason he doesn’t send me toppling forward. “What the fuck?” he snarls, his words barely above a whisper. “Don’t break my heart, Malone. He didn’t switch us, did he?”

“No, but he’s about to if we don’t act right.” I stare at the bottom of the silver stairs and count my timing, so the instant we’re close enough, I step off and stride across the crappy linoleum landing, through the heavy doors and into the pelting August sun until Iswear, this has become the summer that never ends.

I head straight to the cruiser Fletch and I usually use, but as he pulls his keys out and swings the driver’s side door open, I shake my head and move to the other.

His face pales. “Dude?—”

“Officer Clay.” I bark his name as soon as he steps through the station doors. “You’re riding with Detective Fletcher. Banks.” I can’t help the way my lips curl into a sneer. “You’re with me.”

“Fuck’s sake.” He nods for Clay to do as he’s told, then he comes around to the passenger side of my cruiser and slips in with an unhappy grunt.

“Follow us out,” I tell Fletch. “I’ll call for an M.E. en route.” Dropping into the driver’s seat, I ignore Banks’ formidable presence and his broad shoulders that stop just half a foot from mine as I straighten in my seat. Jamming the key into the ignition barrel, I turn the engine over and pull away from the station, all while dialing Minka one-handed and setting our call on speaker.

“I don’t know what?—”

“Don’t fuckin’ speak to me.” I slip into Copeland City traffic and watch in my rear-view mirror as Fletch pulls out behind us. “Fabian’s done with our bullshit, and I have no interest in this becoming a permanent arrangement, so shut the fuck up, do the job, we gotta show Clay a good time, we’ll solve a murder, then we go back to our lives where I’ll pretend you don’t exist.”

“This is Doctor Emeri speaking.”

“Hey, Aubs.” I flip my lights on and clear a path through thick downtown traffic. “Mayet not available?”

“I mean, she is. She’s right here in front of me. Did you call to chit-chat, or do we have a scene to attend?”

“A scene to attend. Can you grab your things and meet us out there? My lieutenant said flies are already making a meal of our vic, and witnesses have puked everywhere. If we don’t move fast, the heat might melt the skin straight off her bones.”

“Such a pleasant thought. The chief’s nodding at me, so I’d say that’s confirmation we’re on our way.”

“Good. Thanks. I’ll text you the location. See you in a bit.”