Disconnecting, he held Evan’s gaze. “Looks like you’re right. Tara has just moved this forward. Now, we plan.”
An hour later, he looked up as Kyle walked into the room. Seeing the look on Tara’s brother’s face, he sighed. “Shit.”
Kyle stood with his hands on his hips, nostrils flaring and his hard stare pinned on Carter. “Tara? Are you fuckin’ serious? Tara broke in and stole drugs?”
“Technically, she didn’t break in since she had a key,” Evan stated.
Carter knew Kyle wasn’t satisfied when he jerked his head around and pinned Evan with a death glare. He recognized it, considering he’d hit Tara with the same stare earlier.
“When I get hold of my sister—”
“Don’t go there.” Carter threw his hand up toward Kyle. “I’ve been over it with her, and she gets it. She’s scared. Terrified she did something wrong but trying to balance that with wanting to help. She and I’ve already had it out this morning and come to peace with where we are right now. She doesn’t need you coming down on her, fuckin’ with her head. Not happening.”
Evan tried to stifle a chuckle, but Carter was too focused on Kyle to care what his partner was doing. He and Kyle stared at each other for a long, tense moment.
Kyle slowly shook his head from side to side, his gaze never leaving Carter’s face. “So, this is it for you.”
“Yeah, this is it for me.”
“And Colleen?”
“Absolutely Colleen. She’s not just collateral with Tara. I’ve got them both.”
Kyle sucked in a deep breath through his nose, then let it out in a long sigh. “All right, Brother. Let’s get this done.”
The next day, Carter sat next to Kyle in an interrogation room. Across the table sat Lewis Washington, a bag of drugs on the table in front of them. They had laid out their evidence and the charges they were ready to file against him. Possession of controlled substance. Possession with intent to distribute. Distribution of controlled substance. The list went on.
Kyle leaned forward, his arms on the table, his voice harsh but controlled. “You do this for us, and we reduce the charges. If you agree to this, then you follow the instructions to the letter. You fuck up even one little bit… You step one toe out of line and these charges are slapped right back on you.”
Lewis lifted his hand and rubbed it over his head. “Yeah, I hear you. Shit, man, it ain’t like I got a choice.”
“You’ve always got a choice. Let’s just see if you know how to make the right one.”
Lewis shifted his gaze over to Carter, seeming to ponder his words. Leaning back in his chair, he nodded. “Fine. I’ve got no loyalty to them. I’ll do it.”
“Just checking on you, babe.”
“I’m at work, busy as ever,” Tara replied. “How about you?”
“Are you in your office?”
“Yes, I just finished an intake with Bethany. I checked to make sure everything was going okay with the lunches, and I’ve got a class later this afternoon. For now, I’m waiting on my next residence counseling session.” There was a slight pause, and then she asked, “Any special reason you asked if I’m in my office?”
Chuckling, he was not surprised how intuitive she was. “I want to make sure that you stay out of the clinic today.”
“Okay,” she said, drawing the word out. “I had no plans of going over there, but now I’m worried. I’m assuming something’s happening, isn’t it?”
He had not confided to her the results of the lab test, determined to keep the investigation as far away from her as he could. Sighing, he considered his words carefully. “I just need you to make sure you’re at the shelter.”
Another pause moved between them, this time a little longer. Just when he was about to speak, she said, “It’s okay, Carter. I know you can’t talk about it. Please, be safe.”
“Babe, it’s not me I’m worried about.”
“Don’t worry, I’m safely tucked away in my office.”
He glanced toward the passenger seat where Evan sat, then decided he did not give a fuck what his partner heard. “How about tonight I take you and Colleen out for dinner?”
“Oh, sounds good! Hopefully, we’re not going to Pirate Ship Pizza!” she said, her laughter filling his ears.
He chuckled, loving the sound of her laughter. “Nope, no pirate pizza. No scary pirate captain mascot. How about we go to the Inner Harbor, have dinner somewhere Colleen will like, and then take a boat ride.”
“We’ll need to bundle up since it’s so cold, but that won’t matter to her. She will love that!” Her voice softened as she continued. “Is there a special occasion?”
“We’ll talk about that later.” Evan looked over and sent him a signal. “Okay, Tara, I’ve gotta go. Stay safe in your office, and I’ll see you tonight.” Disconnecting, he looked at Evan.
“They’re in. Lewis has been seen by Dr. Tiller, and Kyle’s up next.”
Kyle had a credit-card-sized voice recorder and audio transmitter attached to his phone. They had already been warned by Lewis that Dr. Tiller would insist on his phone being turned off. He would also insist on a full physical examination, probably to assure that there was no recording device evident on his body.
When Kyle showed up, Carter almost had not recognized him. His long hair was unwashed, and his clothes were worn, oversized, and grungy. His beard was scruffy, and his hands and fingernails looked as though he had been digging in the dirt.
Lewis had already set the stage by telling Dr. Tiller that he met Kyle in the free lunch line. He had also told Dr. Tiller that Kyle had been one of his customers but was looking to make some money.
Listening in, Carter prayed that Dr. Tiller would take the bait. Glancing to the side at his partner, he knew Evan was doing the same thing. Kyle had been in Dr. Tiller’s exam room for almost 15 minutes, and Carter was beginning to lose
