who'd been clocked in the face was not a part of his job he liked. And in Beth's case he found it particularly disturbing, because he'd known her for a while and he was kind of attracted to her. The fact that she was an unusually beautiful woman didn't make it any more egregious. But her swollen lip and the bruises around her throat were glaring defects within the otherwise perfection of her features.
Beth Randall was flat-out, hands-down gorgeous. She had long, thick black hair, impossibly bright blue eyes, skin like pale cream, a mouth just made for a man's kiss. And she was built. Long legs, small waist, perfectly proportioned breasts.
The men at the station were all in love with her, and Butch had to give her props: She never used her attractiveness to get inside information from the boys. And she kept everything professional. She never dated any of them, even though most would have given their left nut just to hold her hand.
One thing was for sure: Her attacker had made a hell of a mistake when he'd picked her. The entire police force was going to be gunning for that fool when they found out who he was.
And Butch had a big mouth.
He got into his unmarked car and drove to the St. Francis Hospital complex across town. He parked at the curb in front of the emergency room and went inside.
The guard at the revolving door smiled at him. “You heading for the morgue, Detective?”
“Naw. Just visiting a friend.”
The man nodded him through.
Butch walked past the ER's waiting room with its plastic plants, dog-eared magazines, and anxious people. Pushing open a set of double doors, he headed into the sterile, white, clinical environment. He nodded to the nurses and docs he knew as he went to the triage desk.
“Hey, Doug, you know that guy we brought in with the busted nose?”
The attending looked up from a chart he was reading. “Yeah, he's about to be released. He's in the back, room twenty-eight.” The internist let out a little laugh. “I tell ya, that nose of his was the least of his problems. He's not going to be singing low notes for a while.”
“Thanks, buddy. By the way, how's the wife?”
“Good. She's due in a week.”
“Let me know how it goes.”
Butch headed for the back. Before walking into room twenty-eight, he looked up and down the hall. It was quiet. There were no medical personnel around, no visitors, no patients.
He opened the door and put his head inside.
Billy Riddle looked up from the bed. There was a white bandage running under his nose like the thing was holding his brains in. “What's up, Officer? You find the guy who got me? I'm about to be released and I'd feel better knowing you had him in custody.”
Butch shut the door and quietly flipped its lock.
He was smiling as he crossed the room eyeing the square cut sparkler in the guy's left lobe. “How's the nose, Billy boy?”
“Good. And the nurse was a piece of ass—”
Butch grabbed the front of the punk's blue polo shirt and yanked him to his feet. Then he slammed Beth's attacker against the wall so hard the machinery behind the bed wobbled.
Butch put his face so close they could have kissed. “Did you have fun tonight?”
Wide blue eyes met his. “What are you talking—”
Butch slammed him again. “I've got a positive ID on you. From the woman who you tried to rape.”
“That wasn't me!”
“The hell it wasn't. And given your little threat about her tongue and your knife, I might even have enough to send you to Dannemora. You ever have a boyfriend before, Billy? I bet you're going to be popular. Nice white boy like you.”
The guy went pale as the walls. “I didn't touch her!”
“Tell you what, Billy. If you're honest with me, and if you tell me where your buddy is, you might actually walk out of here. Otherwise I'm going to take you down to the station on a stretcher.”
Billy seemed to consider the deal for a moment. And then the words came out of his mouth fast. “She wanted it! She was begging me—”
Butch brought up his knee and pressed it into Billy's crotch. A high-pitched yelp cut through the air. “Is that why you're going to have to piss sitting down for the next week?”
As the punk started babbling, Butch dropped him and watched him slide down onto the floor. When Billy saw the handcuffs come out,