good. She's got this integrity thing going on, so I don't believe she'd harbor him if he was our perp.'
'He's not our guy. That's what you're saying.'
'I'm not positive of that, Captain, but he's not at the top of my list, no.'
The other members of the task force, none joking now, took a moment to assimilate that, and it flattered Dodge that they gave such weight to his opinion. The captain ran his hand down his face, rearranging the fat folds. 'Keep doing what you're doing. Watch for signs of a change in their relationship.'
Dodge didn't need to be told that, but he nodded as though to say,
'What about the other one, Albright's squeeze?'
Franklin Albright was another parolee, but, beyond that, he and Tommy Ray Madison had little in common. Albright was scarier, meaner, and Dodge was almost positive he had never even looked for Jesus, much less found him and signed on.
Frowning, he replied to his captain's question. 'The girl's name is Crystal, and this one's more difficult.'
'How come?'
'Access. Albright is the jealous type. Watches her like a hawk. Drops her off at work every morning, picks her up at quitting time. She doesn't go out unless he's with her, not even on mundane errands. Supermarkets are usually good for accidentally-on-purpose bumping into someone and striking up a conversation, but Albright is always right there with her. He's alienated her from her friends and family. You see the problem? I haven't had an opportunity to get near the lady, much less become her confidant.'
The captain stroked his chin thoughtfully. 'Where does she work?'
'So now this fat jerk-off has got me working at her place of employment.'
Gonzales laughed so abruptly he choked on his orange juice. After recovering his breath, he wheezed, 'You're kidding.'
'Swear to God. He adjourned the meeting, made some calls. Twelve hours later I reported for my first shift in the janitorial department.'
'Oh, man.'
'I've got a mop bucket, a push broom, a shirt with my name embroidered on the pocket. Can you believe it? But I have access to the whole place. I get to wander around, go everywhere, and nobody thinks anything about it. At least I'm not stuck in one spot all day.'
He could be working on the assembly line of the tire manufacturing plant, making steel-belted radials instead of replacing burned-out fluorescent tubes and emptying trash cans. All in all, though, it sucked.
'A janitor, huh?' Gonzales could barely control his laughter. 'Who knows? You may decide on a career change.'
'Screw that, and screw you.' Dodge doused his eggs liberally with Tabasco. The two had made a date for breakfast between the time Gonzales's night shift ended and when Dodge had to clock in at his new day job.
'You met your target yet?' Gonzales asked.
'We've made eye contact. She's a clerk in the payroll office.'
'What's she look like?'
Dodge grinned. 'Put it this way, it won't be hardship duty.'
'Tits?'
'Two,' Dodge said, then laughed at Gonzales's expression. 'C cup at least. Good legs, too.'
Gonzales gazed at him with a mix of admiration and envy. 'And you're getting paid to put the moves on her.'
Dodge glanced around. 'That's not my official assignment, you understand.' He pulled a somber expression. 'HPD wouldn't condone an officer using--'
'Save it,' Gonzales said. Then, leaning across the table, he whispered, 'But we both know that's what they want you to do.' He stuffed a three-ply wedge of syrupy pancakes into his mouth. 'You live a charmed life, my friend.'
'Don't forget that she's got a hard-case felon for a boyfriend. What I've heard of him, he'd probably slit my throat for taking a gander at her tits. Just for thinking about taking a gander at her tits.'
'Bad one, huh?'
'Real bad. Series of armed robberies. Two assaults. One rape charge fell apart in pretrial, so he squeaked by there. He was suspected of a fatal stabbing in the prison shower, but the weapon didn't turn up, and, if there were any witnesses, they were too scared to come forward.' Nodding somberly, Dodge said, 'He's bad.'
Gonzales frowned with concern. 'Get the information from his old lady. Get the robber, get a medal, get detective. But don't get killed in the process, okay?'
'I'll do my best.'
More than that Dodge couldn't say about his undercover work, not even to his trusted former partner. Gonzales understood that, of course, so when Dodge asked him about his new partner, he shifted subjects gracefully.
'He and I get along okay. Goes without saying, he's not you.'
'Miss me?' Dodge teased.
'No. Hell no. When I said he wasn't you, I meant that he's
They finished their meal and paid their tab. When they reached the parking lot, Gonzales paused and looked toward the freeway, where the rush-hour traffic was moving at a blistering five miles an hour. Then he studied the clouds scuttling in off the Gulf. He looked at just about everything except Dodge, who sensed Gonzales was struggling with indecision.
'What's on your mind, partner?'
'Nothing much.' He glanced at Dodge, looked away again. 'I just ... Look, this is none of my business, okay? And it probably doesn't matter to you anyway.'
'But?'
Finally he looked at Dodge directly. 'Night before last, my partner and me responded to another call for help on Shadydale.' He watched Dodge warily, to see if the street name rang any bells.
It did, of course. A couple of months had gone by since he'd come to Caroline King's rescue, but it seemed like yesterday. Dodge's whole system started humming with wrath, with dread. 'Did he hurt her?'
'No. Didn't amount to anything, really. In fact it was the neighbor next door who called. Said she heard loud noises, shouting, abusive language. Campton had split by the time we got there. I talked to Ms. King. She was embarrassed. Hated that her neighbor had been disturbed. But Campton hadn't hit her this time.'
Gonzales hesitated before continuing. 'I didn't know if you still ... you know.' He bobbed his shoulders in a quick shrug. 'The only reason I mentioned it is because ... That night you and I were there? Seemed to me you were especially interested in this lady's welfare.'
Dodge clenched his jaw and didn't say anything.
'They're still engaged,' Gonzales continued. 'I asked. And anyway, it was hard to miss the diamond on her hand.'
Dodge nodded.
