the edge of it, crossing his arms and still scowling.
“I assigned a partner to you last month, but the two of you aren’t riding together. Why is that, Flynn?”
“Don’t know. Why?”
“You two got issues?”
“I don’t have issues with anyone,” Perry snapped. “And if any occur, they’re worked out before I call it a day. Did you come out to my home to ride my ass about not spending enough time with my new partner?”
“You know we work cases with partners for a reason.”
“I know how to do my fucking job.”
Rad didn’t say anything but studied Perry, which aggravated the hell out of him.
“You didn’t come over here to remind me that I have a partner. You could have done that down at the station. Whatever it is, spit it out,” Perry demanded.
“I want you and Ramos to start running together, got that?” Rad said coldly. “Watch your ass and make sure everything you do is accounted for.” The Chief pushed away from Perry’s desk and headed out of his den.
Perry stopped him, grabbing the Chief’s arm and forcing him to turn and face him. No one entered his home, no matter who the hell they were, and threatened him without offering an explanation as to why. And it had better be one fucking good explanation. The Chief knew Perry didn’t like working with a partner, and it had never been an issue before. He worked best alone, whether it was investigating crime scenes or getting reports turned in. Call him anti-social, he didn’t care. But someone else tagging along simply slowed him down.
“Why do I need to cover my ass?” he demanded, unable to control the anger growing inside him.
“Hopefully you don’t.” Rad suddenly sounded relaxed, like a calm before a storm.
Perry’s guts twisted from nerves, but he wouldn’t be intimidated. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and had a hard time believing Rad thought otherwise.
“I don’t and you damn well know it,” Perry hissed. “You’re not walking out of my house without explaining why you show up off-hours, unannounced, and imply there’s a situation when there isn’t one.”
“I didn’t say there wasn’t a situation. Account for your time and your actions and it won’t become your situation.” Rad looked down at his arm where Perry still held him and then started across the room, yanking his arm out of Perry’s grasp.
To grab the Chief again would be a sign of aggression, one Perry would take if that was what was needed.
“Rad,” he said, trying this tactic first. He didn’t doubt for a moment that he could physically restrain the Chief, but he’d never had a beef with the man, and didn’t now, at least not at this moment. “You’d better tell me what’s going on or I’ll be forced to learn on my own.”
“I’m not at liberty to say.” Rad turned around, his stressed-out expression lined with aggravation. He stared at Perry for a long moment, and when the Chief spoke again the coldness in his tone was enough to put a chill in the room. “Watch your fucking ass and if you’re confronted, ordered to show your reports, or,” he added, lowering his voice and pinning Perry with a brutal stare, “if your personal computer is subpoenaed, your ass better be clean. I’ve already gone out on a limb for you. And I’m here to tell you now, there are a lot of holes in your time sheets. Start keeping your log sheets current. You take a fucking piss, log it.”
“What the fuck?” Perry hissed.
Rad walked through Perry’s house and opened his back door, leaving it opened as he headed toward his car. Perry didn’t bother shutting it, either, as he stormed after the Chief.
“Are you implying that I’m under investigation? Tell me who’s trumped up charges against me.”
“No one has,” Rad offered easily. “Yet. Keep it that way. You hear me?”
Perry heard him but didn’t have a fucking clue what he was talking about.
Chapter 7
Perry had the eeriest feeling that someone was watching him. The back of his neck prickled as he parked, taking up two stalls, and then headed up the broken sidewalk toward one of five duplexes that surrounded the small parking lot. Rubbing the back of his head and trying to get the sensation to go away, he knocked on the door and then glanced up and down the busy side street.
The front door to the adjoining duplex opened and an elderly woman, wearing a full, long paisley dress that hung to her skeletal figure, peered out at him.
“What do you want?” she demanded as if he’d just knocked on her door.
Perry knew Carl Ramos’ mother only through her son but knew her mind wasn’t what it used to be. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Ramos,” he said. “Do you know if Carl is home?”
“He’s out back playing ball.” Mrs. Ramos closed the front door before Perry could say anything.
More than likely so she could hurry through her house and announce to her son that he had company before Perry could walk around the duplex. When he reached the back side of the duplex Perry heard laughter and bantering and wondered if he’d inadvertently stumbled onto a Sunday afternoon party. A large gathering was the last thing he was in the mood for.
“Playing ball” was an understatement. Perry paused in between duplexes, feeling the cool breeze in the shade from the buildings, as he stared at the aggressive game of football going on in the open field between the homes and a row of trees that hid the industrial park spread out beyond it.
“Perry!” Natalie Anderson waved as she announced his presence, calling to him from the other side of the field. “You’re just in time. Just don’t take Carl’s side. His team is getting their ass kicked.”
“Fuck you, Anderson.” Marty Taul worked in Records at City Hall with Natalie. He leapt into the air, pulling off a decent interception, but then tumbled over Carl, who bulldozed into him. Both men went sprawling to the ground.
“I don’t do sloppy seconds,” Natalie hollered, laughing as she started around the field toward Perry. Over a year ago, Perry took Natalie out, which ended up with both of them drunk and naked. He seldom drank and sure as hell wasn’t used to tying one on like he had that night. From what he remembered, the sex was incredible, but neither spoke to each other much after that for at least several months.
“The game is probably over,” she said when she approached him. “And it should have ended long before now,” she added, grinning easily as she stared up at him with soft blue eyes.
“Looks like it.” Perry shook his head, watching the men help each other up and then laugh at how they weren’t as young as they used to be. “I’d say I showed up at the right time. I’m the only man standing upright.”
“They don’t hold a flame to you no matter how they stand,” Natalie said under her breath. Over the past few months she’d started flirting openly with him. Rumor was that she’d recently broken up with her boyfriend and was on the prowl for a new man.
Perry wasn’t going to be that man, but he didn’t mind humoring her. “Flattery will get you everywhere,” he drawled, and then walked into the backyard, reaching down to grab the football that had rolled away from the guys.
“Flynn. If you’d showed up forty-five minutes ago…,” Marty said, breathing heavily as he pressed against his lower back. “Carl, I’m going to have to head out, man. The wife will be home from shopping soon and we’re supposed to go to her mom’s tonight.”
“Fun, fun,” Carl said, rolling his eyes and slapping Marty on the back. “Tell her you threw your back out trying to beat me at football and so can’t go.”
“She wouldn’t believe me.” Marty winked at Natalie and then started toward the path between the duplexes.
“What brings you over this way?” Carl asked, catching the ball when Perry tossed it to him. “Seems a weekend for company.”
“Anyone else shown up from the station?” Perry asked, trying to sound indifferent.
“Yeah, actually. The Chief, if you can believe that.”
Perry met Carl’s gaze and his expression hardened, appearing almost wary. “Oh, really,” Perry said, trying to sound curious when he ached to grab Carl by the arm and force him to a more private location. Something wasn’t
