I appreciated Richie taking care of Andy for me. Andy also picked up on Richie as more than some hired muscle. Andy had great instincts. All day, Andy had been close to my thoughts, and I’d worried if he was okay. Andy was quickly taking up more and more of my attention, and I’d looked forward to coming home for the first time in years.

It was a fucked-up day and I still didn’t feel any closer to an answer or suspect. Was it shitty of me to enjoy the act of being back on the job? I missed being a cop and helping people that needed me. Andy sat beside me on the couch, and I slipped my arm around him to hug him to my side. I’d anticipated Andy’s curiosity, and I relaxed waiting for it. When Andy asked about my former partner, I wondered where it came from.

“Partner?”

“Richie said to start getting curious about your ex-partner.”

“C.B. Daniels, he was my only long-term partner. No one really wanted to work with me.”

“Why?”

I’d already explained some of it, but maybe Andy needed more detail.

“The old-timers on the force remembered me from when I ran the streets. Rumors were I still had friends in some pretty low places. And I did. I ain’t going to lie. I don’t hide my past and I’m not proud, but I ain’t ashamed either. I thought I was big and bad back then, invincible.”

“Were you?” Andy asked, and laughed.

“I sure as hell thought so.”

“So they didn’t like you for that?”

I only sensed Andy’s curiosity and I liked that he wasn’t judgmental.

“I was dirty by association, but I was a good cop and I worked my ass off to prove myself. When I made detective, they assigned me and Daniels as partners. Good guy, or so I thought.”

“Is he the one who took the bribe from Finn?”

“Yeah, up until that point we were cool. We’d have beers after work. Hang to watch games or whatever at one of our places. Not exactly friends, but I trusted him to watch my back until I didn’t anymore.”

I raised my hand to comb my fingers through Andy’s hair as I tried to get my thoughts together. I turned my head to kiss his forehead. I didn’t understand why Richie brought up C.B., but I knew Richie wasn’t a fan of the guy. Although, Richie didn’t like many people I knew of, and he’d rather kill than talk to most of them.

“C.B. was one of those guys that people liked but didn’t know why they liked him. I’d always found him a bit of a braggart. Always had a girl he’d been out with the night before. I don’t think he was as popular as he made out.”

“Is he the reason you lost your job?”

Andy rubbed my chest and I grabbed his hand to bring it to my lips. I brushed a kiss to his knuckles. I placed his hand back where it had been and stroked my fingers along his forearm as I gathered my thoughts.

“No, I was working the original case, we’d just found the third body and my Captain showed up on the scene. Told me Internal Affairs was waiting for me. I get there and they accuse me of taking a bribe. Showed me pictures of someone who was about my general age and size making a deposit into my account. It was all bullshit, but they were going to charge me with a felony. I took some deal, lost my job and ended up trailing cheating spouses.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No reason to be sorry. There was no way I could’ve won in court. At least with the deal I could keep my gun.”

“Did you ever think the set-up had to do with the case?”

“I didn’t think so, but I was getting insistent that we had a serial. The M.E. and I agreed. But just like the recent cases, they’re covering it up. I just don’t know why they’re fighting this so fucking hard or why they’d want to take me out.”

“Could it be a cop?”

That’s a question I’d asked myself a dozen times. It would fit. Maybe it was too easy. It wasn’t unheard of that cops committed some of the most brutal crimes, but a spree that went on this long, someone would’ve put it together.

“Before I left the force I would’ve said yes, but the recent murders are sloppy as fuck. A cop would know better.”

“But whoever he is, he hid his face, knows how not to get caught. Why do you think he’s getting sloppier?”

“I think he’s getting more unhinged. The cops aren’t acknowledging his work and he’s getting desperate.”

I was trying to keep my frustration in check. Yes, I wanted to find the killer and get him off the streets. Yet more than that, I wanted to make sure Andy was safe.

“Does desperate mean more dangerous? And what about the phone call, what if I was always the target and not Francis?”

I hated the crack in Andy’s voice. I crossed my arm over my chest, placing my fingertips on his cheek to turn his gaze to mine.

“I know, I know, there’s so many what-ifs. I promise you, I’ll keep you safe.”

“Don’t make promises, Ray.” Andy’s voice was soft.

With a nod, I let it go.

“I need to get my hands on the official files. My notes only give me so much and what if his M.O. has changed.”

“You don’t have any friends left? Someone who might let you peek at the files?”

“Donnelly lets me have a look at his reports and passes on as much information as he can. But I don’t see the forensics or the crime scene photos. I’m only getting secondhand witness statements.”

My phone rang where I’d dropped it on the table beside the door earlier. Andy moved away when I got up. The caller ID read unknown caller.

I connected the call and lifted it to my ear. “Clancy.”

“Turn on the news.”

Bradford’s command came unexpectedly, so I told Andy to turn on the TV. The crowd of reporters stood outside an apartment in a richer part of New West. I watched Andy scoot to the edge of the couch, and then I brought my attention back to the chaos on the screen.

“A spokesperson for the New West Police department and mayor’s office has blocked off all of Hamilton Avenue. During the impromptu press conference, they wouldn’t take any questions and any inquiries were met with ‘no comment.’ Does this newest crime have anything to do with the string of murders of young men that have recently frightened the residents of the city? If so, the police of our city aren’t talking. We will keep a close eye on this developing story.”

It wasn’t the reporter that held my attention. It was the blood covered man in the background who seemed inconsolable—Captain Green. This was getting more fucked up by the second, and I knew in my gut they’d gone after the one thing you don’t mess with—a cop’s family, or in this case, lover.

“You and your man come see me tomorrow. I did a bit of searching on my own and, well, we need to speak.”

Bradford’s tone to anyone else would appear an invite for a friendly visit, but I didn’t miss the order. No one denied Theodore Bradford.

“I’ll have someone on your house tonight, and they’ll escort you here after breakfast.”

“We’ll see you in the morning.” I disconnected the call.

“Another one,” Andy asked.

“Bradford seems to think so. I think I know who the newest victim is.”

“Who?”

“Green’s side piece.”

This was quickly going to spiral out of control. If the killer wanted to cause a scandal, than this was the way to do it. Everything was in Green’s name, from rent to bills to the credit cards the kid carried around. This exposed one of the most respected members of the New West Police Department. They’d protect their own like they always had and that meant the streets weren’t safe. Finding the murderer just got that much more difficult.

The rest of the night, my mind wouldn’t shut down, and even as Andy curled up next to me, I still couldn’t turn it off. I played every scenario out from beginning to end and none of them felt right. Why would the killer go after Green’s lover? It didn’t make sense. I was sure the killer chose his victims and studied them, learned their routines, so the guy had to know who he’d targeted.

This newest move would bring the whole of city law enforcement down on him. Would they continue to deny the murders were committed by the same person or warn the young men of New West to be on the lookout?