School of Fish (Fish Out of Water #6) - Amy Lane Page 0,42

the night in the infirmary. I wanted to know where those bruises came from, and Officer Mayer was more concerned about his sterling reputation than his prisoner’s health and welfare.”

“For the last time, I don’t know what happened to that punk kid,” Mayer burst out, still facedown on the ground. “This isn’t a day care. People get hurt!”

“Seventeen-year-olds who weigh a hundred pounds apparently do,” Jackson retorted. He looked at Ellery. “Is the boy okay?”

“The medic was very surprised he hadn’t seen Tage yet,” Ellery said, glaring at Mayer.

“Mr. Mayer assured us he’d been seen to,” Herrera said, surprised.

“Kid was fine,” Mayer snapped. “Was just a little bit of a roughing up.”

Jackson’s eyes narrowed in speculation. “Which he didn’t get at the hands of the prisoners,” he said, because Sascha’s contacts had put a “no touch” order on Tage.

Codromac’s eyes widened too. “Help him up,” he said to the other guards, and Jackson scrambled out of the way as they hauled him up by the armpits. Once he was there, Codromac searched Mayer’s face with those shrewd blue eyes while Mayer stared through his skull.

“Go home,” he said. “Come in tomorrow. Let’s hope that kid’s okay.”

“But—” Mayer began.

Codromac just shook his head. “Three weeks retraining, no prisoner contact. You’re in the video room. Would you like to try for a suspension?”

Mayer growled, his face red with helplessness. “I can’t,” he said. “I just… I have to be here.”

The words, the phrasing, the “have to.” Jackson opened his mouth to ask “Why have to?” but Codromac beat him to it.

“You and me, we need to discuss that,” he said quietly. “But right now, go change. No phone calls. Another word out of you and it turns into suspension without pay. You two, escort him to the locker rooms. Take his weapons.”

Mayer looked like he was going to cry, but he nodded angrily, and the two guards at his side moved to do what was asked.

Jackson opened his mouth to protest, and Ellery and Siren did the same. Codromac held his hand up with the authority of someone who had been wrangling people at their worst through one political upswing after another.

“You three I will speak to outside,” he said.

He escorted them through the confines of the entryway with the shaded trees in the front, taking a deep breath of the still-thick air of early evening. “You forget what free oxygen tastes like in there,” he said, and they nodded. Something about the man instilled respect—even in Jackson, who had probably just risked his life by taking out a guy in uniform.

“So that guy’s crooked,” he said after a moment. “And I didn’t know. But I don’t think the union will do anything with him, not based on what we’ve got now. Suggestions?”

Jackson looked at Ellery, who nodded and picked up the ball.

“This case has a lot of Russian names in it,” he said delicately. Nobody liked to say “Russian mob.” Not in Sacramento, where the big players had been street gangs until the last ten years. But there was no denying the prevalence of Russian names here—or the tactics. Trafficking, police manipulation, the casual brutality against the young men, and the missing children. This wasn’t an ordinary street gang. This was damned serious.

Codromac grunted. “I’m a stubborn bohunk, and I still know what that means,” he muttered. “I’m not excited that one of my men is tied to this, but you think I should keep him away from the Russian guys?”

“Keep him away from the vulnerable guys,” Ellery said. “I think if Mayer had help, there would’ve been a partner who would have alibied him. That wasn’t the case here. Mayer may be dirty—and possibly being coerced—but he obviously doesn’t expect anybody to have his back. If you can’t get him out, just put him someplace he’s got more accountability and less time alone with people who can’t fight back.”

Codromac nodded. “I will have a talk with our CDCR officer before I leave tonight.” He blew out a breath. “Won’t make me real popular, but I retire soon. Figure I got all the friends I need. You law people”—he made a dismissive gesture, throwing all three of them onto the same side and into the same pot—“do what you need to do. I’m just a dumb bohunk, like I said. I’ve got no use for lawyers.” He paused and gave them all a hard glance. “Unless they’re saving some poor kid’s life who’s got no more reason to be in prison