They were waiting in the lieutenant's office: Dugan, Armedgian, and Weiss. Weiss gave me the glare as I entered the room, the flat cop eyes with a mountain of pent-up anger behind them. I dismissed him and went straight to Dugan, looking him in the eye, offering my hand.
'Lieutenant. Elena Estes. I'd say it's a pleasure, but I'm sure it won't be.' I turned to Armedgian. 'Wayne. Thanks for the info on Van Zandt. The whole truth would have been more helpful, but what the hell? Nobody liked Jill Morone anyway.'
Armedgian's round face colored. 'I can't give sensitive information to a civilian.'
'Sure. I understand. And that's why you called Lieutenant Dugan here straightaway, right? To warn him, so he could have someone keep an eye on the guy, right?'
'We had no reason to believe Van Zandt was an immediate danger to anyone,' Armedgian defended himself. 'I hadn't been made aware of the Seabright girl's kidnapping.'
'I'm sure that will be a comfort to Jill Morone's family.'
'Your concern for the family is touching, Ms. Estes,' Dugan said. 'And surprising, considering the way you've treated the Seabrights.'
'I've given due courtesy to the Seabrights.'
'Not according to Bruce Seabright.'
'He wasn't due any, as you've probably found out for yourself by now. Frankly, I'm not convinced he isn't involved in the kidnapping.'
'I'm not interested in your theories, Ms. Estes,' Dugan said.
'Then why am I here?'
'The Seabrights want to lodge a complaint against you. Seems you've misrepresented yourself to them.'
'Not so.'
'You are not a private investigator,' Dugan said.
'I never told anyone that I was. The Seabrights have made an erroneous assumption.'
'Don't try to bullshit me with semantics. If you want to play word games, become a lawyer.'
'Thanks for the career advice.'
'Too bad she couldn't have taken it before she got one of ours killed,' Weiss muttered behind my back.
I kept my focus on Dugan. 'I got into this to try to help a little girl who believed her sister was in trouble when no one-including this office-believed her. That's my only purpose in this, Lieutenant. If Bruce Seabright somehow feels threatened by that, you might want to have a hard look at why.'
'We've got it under control,' Dugan said. 'I want you out of it. Now.'
I looked around the room. 'Gee, did I miss something? Have I been rehired by this agency? Because, if I haven't been, then I'm pretty certain you can't tell me what to do or where to go or with whom I might have a conversation. I'm a private citizen.'
'You're impeding an official investigation.'
'There wouldn't be an investigation if not for me.'
'I can't have a citizen running loose, breaking and entering homes, tampering with evidence-'
'Breaking and entering is a crime,' I said. 'If you have some kind of proof I've committed a crime, then you should arrest me.'
'Say the word, Lieutenant,' Weiss offered. 'I'll do the honors.'
'Van Zandt is our business now, Elena,' Armedgian said. 'The sheriff's and the FBI's.'
I looked at him, bored. 'Uh-huh. Great job. He came to my house this morning and threatened me. Where were you then, Wayne? And you know what? I'll bet a hundred dollars you don't know where he is right now. Do you?'
The look on his face spoke for him.
'The Seabrights intend to file a restraining order against you, Ms. Estes,' Dugan said. 'If you go near them, their home, Mr. Seabright's place of business, we'll have to pick you up.'
I shrugged. 'You could have sent a deputy to tell me that. Unless you really want to talk about this case, Lieutenant, you're wasting my time.'
Dugan arched an eyebrow. 'You have pressing business somewhere?'
I pulled my cell phone out of my jacket pocket, scrolled through a few numbers, and hit the call button. I kept my gaze on the lieutenant as the phone rang on the other end.
'Van Zandt? Elle. Sorry I had to rush off this morning. Especially after you took all that time to scream at me and make me feel like I couldn't ride a bicycle, much less a horse.'
There was a pause on the other end of the line. Only background noise. He was in a car. I figured to proceed with the conversation even if Van Zandt hung up on me. I wanted Dugan to know he didn't own me, and at the same time know that I could be an asset, whether he liked the idea or not.
'You think I was too tough on you?' Van Zandt asked.
'No. I like it rough,' I said suggestively.
Another pause, and then he chuckled. 'I don't know anyone like you, Elle.'
'Is that a good thing or a bad thing?'
'I think that remains to be seen. I'm surprised you are calling me.'
'The moth to the flame,' I said. 'You exercise my brain, Z. Sean and I are going to Players for a late dinner and a drink or three. Are you free?'
'Not at the moment.'
'Later?' I suggested.
'I don't think I should trust you, Elle.'
'Why not? I don't have any power. I'm the odd one out.'
'You don't trust me,' he said. 'You think bad things about me which are not true.'
'So convince me you're a good guy. It's never too late to make friends. Besides, it's only drinks, for God's sake. Bring your friend Lorinda. You can sell her Sean's horse over dessert. See you later. Ciao.'
I ended the call, put the phone back in my pocket.
'Yes,' I said to Dugan. 'I have pressing business. Seems I have a date with Tomas Van Zandt.' I turned to Wayne Armedgian. 'Do you think you can pick up the tail from a dead standstill in a parking lot?'
I didn't wait for an answer.
'It's been real, guys,' I said, and with a wave of my hand, I left the room.
I felt dizzy. I felt like I had walked up to a giant and spit in his eye. I'd managed to alienate the head of Robbery/Homicide and a regional supervisory special agent of the FBI in one fell swoop.
What the hell. I'd been the alien going in. They had excluded me, not the other way around. I would have happily told them anything about the case I could, but they didn't want me. I had just put them on notice I couldn't be bullied. I knew my rights, I knew the law. And I knew I was right: They wouldn't have had a case if I hadn't badgered Landry into it, if I hadn't called Armedgian looking for information. I wouldn't let them pat-pat me on the head now and send me to the sidelines.
I walked up and down on the sidewalk outside the building, breathing in the thick, warm night air, wondering if I'd played it right, wondering if it would even matter or if it was already too late.
'That's some set you've got on you, Estes.'
Landry came toward me with a cigarette in one hand and a lighter in the other.
'Yeah, it's a wonder my pants fit.'
'Think Van Zandt will show at Players?' he asked, lighting up.
'I think he will. He likes the game too much. And it's not as if he's in imminent danger of arrest. He knows you don't have anything on him or he'd be in jail already. I think he'll show to rub your face in it-and mine.'
On impulse I took the cigarette from his fingers and took a drag. Landry watched me, inscrutable.
'You smoke?' he asked.
'No,' I said on a trail of smoke. 'I quit years ago.'
'Me too.'
'Desk pack?' I asked.
He took the cigarette back. 'It's this or a flask. I can't get suspended for this. Yet.'
'Weiss has a real bug up his ass.'
'He's short,' Landry said by way of explanation.
