“This may not seem like any consolation, but Officer Murphy genuinely likes you. He expressed his sentiments several times to myself and the other members of the task force. He requested reassignment on multiple occasions, as he was concerned he was becoming personally entangled.”
“Well, that's reassuring. So, you said you thought I was being followed.”
“The operation was discontinued because the person we were concerned about appears to be dead.”
“What does ‘appears to be dead’ mean?”
“It means theDNA test on a very dead body belonged to our target. Officer Murphy was instructed to break up with you on Friday night,” Sergeant Layton said.
Lily glanced over Sean, still struggling to comprehend what had occurred. Never in a thousand years would she have expected to be in a relationship with someone who looked like he did.
“Why him? Why not assign someone else to me if he was so personally entangled?”
“Because he speaks Spanish like a native.”
Before her eyes, Sean turned the color of paper, making his red hair and grass-green eyes stand out even more. Lillian had to confirm it for herself. “¿Es esa la verdad, cabrón canelo mentiroso?”
“Sí, la oficial está diciendo la verdad,”he answered the affirmative in Puerto Rican accented Spanish, not denying that he was a redheaded lying bastard.
“How?”
“I grew up in the Near Westside. If I didn’t learn Spanish, no one would have played with apelos quemadoslike me.”
"You could hear everything. Everything I said. The whole time."
His nod was enough, and she frantically tried to remember anything she had ever said in Spanish in front of him.Madri de dios!
No wonder Gene had seemed to know her every fantasy, her every weakness, her every desire. Because Security Guard Murphy had been there hearing them. Even the ones she'd imagined were private.
“I understand this must be a terrible shock, but please understand it was for public safety. The man who we believed was following you was a prime suspect in several murders, and we had a limited number of leads."
“But he's dead, right? Who was he? Which gang?"
Neither police officer answered her.
“Was it El Socio?" she asked.
Surprise crossed their faces. "What do you know about El Socio?" Sergeant Layton asked.
“Not much. Word on the street was that he recently died. No one was sad because he was very dangerous.”
"Word on the street?" Sergeant Layton looked at Sean. "How did you not hear this?"
“I said 'word on the street,' not ‘word in the hospital where my movements were being monitored.’ You hear a lot when you're a doctor for the Spanish free clinic."
"Either way. The point is he is dead, and we apologize for the imposition into your life."
“I want to go home. I don't even know what to think."
"We can have an officer take you home,” Layton said.
"It should be me," Sean said.
"I never want to see him again. So, not in a million years." Lillian balled her fists, trying not to scream.
Sean said, “I agree, which is completely deserved, but I know where all the cameras are planted at your apartment building.
"You planted cameras in my apartment?"
