Ryker (Hope City #6) - Kris Michaels Page 0,43

pulling the feed for the precinct cameras?” Fucking hell, how had he not seen someone observing him?

“That’s where the lieutenant is right now. Oh, and by the way, the commissioner’s office announced the realignment of the JDET team during the morning media call. Seems we are out from under Fenton for good. And that is a good thing because after Brianna called him a dickless wonder, I don’t think I could keep a straight face while talking to him.”

Ryker chuckled. “She’s a firecracker.”

“Always has been.” Brody cleared his throat. “She’s my sister, Cap. Don’t hurt her.”

Ryker stared at his sergeant, and yes, his friend. “I’d kill myself before I purposely hurt her.”

Brody stared at him for a second before he dipped his chin.

Ryker blinked back his emotion and searched for a less emotional topic. “Did you get a plate from the video?”

“I did. You’d be proud of me. I gave the video and the plate number to Callaway and Forsythe.” Brody shrugged. “After I ran the plate, of course.”

“Of course.” Ryker shifted his arm to ease the tension in his shoulder. “Stolen?”

“Yep. Reported stolen last month,” Brody confirmed his suspicion.

“Dead end.” Ryker sighed. “It all comes back to Mouse, doesn’t it?”

“I think so. We need to talk to Mouse.”

Ryker shook his head. “She’ll only talk to me, and she’s in lockdown right now. Rehab.”

“Well, that gives us some time. Forsythe told me they found Alice face down in the Cascade River. According to the report, she’d been floating for a couple days. It wasn’t pretty. Even after being fish food, he said the coroner could tell they did a hell of a job on the poor girl.” Brody shuddered. “I don’t see how Brock can do that shit.”

“You learn to separate yourself from it.” Working for the living, not the dead. There was literally nothing he could do for a decedent, but he’d worked damn hard to find a murderer, and in doing so find closure for the family.

“Damn, that’s right. You worked Homicide for a couple years, right?” Brody rubbed his chin.

“Seven years, until I promoted myself out of it. I called in favors to get Mouse to a rehab center in New York. I’ll call and set up an appointment to go see her.”

“You going to be up for that?” Brody nodded at his shoulder.

“I’ll let someone else drive. I don’t want to wait any longer. Mouse knows something, even if she doesn’t know she knows it.” He stared out the window at the brilliant blue sky.

Brody nodded. “Why would Peña act against a high ranking HCPD officer? He has to believe you have something of his.”

Ryker swung his eyes toward Brody. “Mouse.”

“What?”

“What if he thinks Mouse is his?”

“Cap, Mouse was a pro, right?”

He nodded. “But she said something. She said she and others were party favors, that’s how she knew Peña and Rubio. What if Peña or Rubio decided Mouse was the flavor of the year?”

Brody nodded his head. “That would do it. If either of them is looking for what they consider their property and they thought you had Mouse, they’d steamroll you to make a point.”

“Don’t mess with cartel property.” Fuck, Mouse was terrified. If she’d been claimed as property, there was no telling the shit she’d endured. It was a miracle she’d escaped.

“She’s probably heard and seen a lot more than what she admitted.” Brody rubbed the back of his neck.

He nodded. “Yeah.” He unlocked his phone and scrolled down through his call log until he found the New York number he needed and called it.

“Springside Rehabilitation Clinic, this is Andie.”

“This is Captain Ryker Terrell, Hope City Police Department. I’m calling to check on a patient I dropped off recently. Sarah Mulligan. I’m on her form for release of information.”

“One moment, Captain.” They placed him on hold, the mind-numbing classical music interspersed with static.

Brody moved out of the way when an aid brought in his lunch. Ryker glanced at the tray and rolled his eyes. Brie was bringing him lunch. The crap on the tray was just going to sit there. Brody carried his chair to the other side of the bed, straddled it, and waited.

“Captain, thank you for holding. I had to validate you were on the information release forms. Due to HIPPA concerns we need to authenticate your identity. Would you please tell me the password you both decided on when she was dropped off?"

"Cottages." Ryker gave the password.

"Thank you, sir. Sarah is doing well. The notes indicated extreme exhaustion and depression,