“What?”
“I know you wanted a ‘head start,’ but the brass in Las Piernas told me to reconsider; they thought I should be talking to Bakersfield about this, and they were right to get on me about it. But just so you don’t blame the department, I have to say I was having second thoughts anyway — I think I would have asked for Ellie Sledzik’s help even if my boss hadn’t pushed for it. We don’t have a hell of a lot to go on, and we need more information than we can get from a dinner party.”
I was silent. He waited.
“It makes sense, I suppose,” I said. “We don’t really have the luxury of a delay, do we?”
“No. Glad you understand. I’ll have these other two names — Beecham and Wilson — checked out, too.”
“So what did you learn about the original group?”
“Not much yet. It will take her — Detective Sledzik — some time to get all of the records. All three of them were respected, thought of as good cops — although Matthews was something of a maverick. All had been Brian Harriman’s partner at one time or another. All had some contact with Powell. Cook was on the force the longest, then Matthews and Bradshaw.”
I thought for a moment, then said, “I have a favor to ask, Cassidy. It’s about Bea. I want to tell her what’s going on tonight. I mean, what’s really going on.”
“Feeling guilty?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. She’s gone out of her way for us, put people up for the night, even agreed to invite these guys over for dinner. All at a time when her only son is missing. I don’t like the idea of deceiving her. It’s her home, and we’re scheming to snare one of her friends under her own roof.”
“She’s too close to Bradshaw.”
“Her son, Cassidy — her son’s life is at stake. Bradshaw won’t mean anything to her by comparison.”
He hesitated, then shook his head. “We’ll tell her as soon as we can, but not yet.”
I crossed my arms and looked at the toe of my shoe. “Okay.”
“Don’t even think about it,” he said.
“Think about what?”
“Telling her anyway.”
“I said, ‘Okay,’ didn’t I?”
“Yes, but you lied.”
“How the hell can you know that?”
He laughed.
“Shit,” I said. “I need more sleep. What I meant was—”
“Oh, let’s not compound it with another lie.”
“So answer the question.”
“Neurolinguistics,” he said.
“Body language?”
“Basically, yes. But it isn’t as easy as some first-year psych students believe it is.”
“Nothing about human behavior is. So what did you see me do?”
“Why should I tell you? You might just become a better liar.”
“Well, they say imitation is the highest form of flattery, Cassidy, so—”
“For some reason, I doubt teaching you to be a better liar will make my head swell. But, okay, I’ll tell you what you did this time. You folded your arms — mere resistance. Then you avoided my eyes, suddenly looked away. So I took a guess, provoked you, and got an admission of guilt.”
I sighed. “All right, I won’t say anything to Bea. Honest. I’m not giving any hidden signs or gestures now, am I?”
“No, you’re cranky, but truthful.”
“What is it you have against Bradshaw?” I asked.
He moved over to the desk, picked up a file folder, and opened it. He pulled a photograph from it and handed it to me.
It was the photo of Frank holding the boys after their rescue.
“Oh, shit, Cassidy….”
He lifted a brow.
“You stole this from the
“Borrowed.”
“Stole!”
“Mr. North handed it to me,” he drawled, “and didn’t ask for it back. They have other copies. And I believe he said the newspaper should have thrown them out long ago, so it’s not as if they would expect to find it still in their files.”
