“You've got to be shitting me.” Kane whispers under his breath, drawing Adam's attention to the two of us.
“Keaton, thought you were off? And who is this? New hire?” He takes Kane in, probably noticing his lack of uniform.
“I was, you dumbass, until I got a call that you were going to arrest the guy I've been looking for. And then you show up here empty handed. Where did he go when you released him? Is he still at the park?” I step forward, tempted to shove him against the wall and ream him out since I know Chief.
“Why didn't anyone tell me you were looking for someone? If I'd known…”
“You'd have still fucked it up. Like you always do. Because in your world, you're the only one who matters. Now, if you'd followed directions and brought him here, he wouldn't be gone. So I'll ask again, where did he go?” This time I use my body to push him back, and his eyes widen. I don't miss Chief inching closer to us too.
“Adam. My office. Now,” Chief says through gritted teeth. "Kane, find where he went. I want him before he can get on the highway and leave my town.”
Kane nods and goes back to my office. I follow Chief and Adam. I want to be there for his ass chewing.
Holding his door open, Chief glares as we both enter. "Sit."
At least the kid has the good sense to look scared.
“Would you like to tell me what the actual hell went through your brain when you decided to ignore myverysimple,verydirect instructions?” Chief slowly lowers himself into his chair while talking quietly and slowly. Something I know is worse than if he was yelling.
“If I'd known—”
“No!” Chief slams his hands down on his desk. “You are not entitled to all the information here. You were given a job. One I expected you to complete without issue. One that I trusted you to complete, knowing Keaton never would.”
I nod in agreement. “Never. I can't even trust you to complete a routine traffic stop. You act like everything is beneath you. Like you deserve more because you lived in a city before this. You deserve nothing here. You need to figure out how to be a decent human being to others before you get any trust from me. And from what I’ve seen, you have no filter and no concern for what you say.”
Adam opens and closes his mouth a few times.
“I sent you because I didn't want this man to know we knew where he was. I wanted someone who had no idea who he was.Someone who would just do their job and not give away any indication of what was to come for him.”
“But if I’d just known what was going on…” He tries to argue.
I push my chair back, slamming it into the wall.
“You want to know?” I scream. “You let an abusive, drug-dealing murderer go. One who beat his fiancé within an inch of her life. A coward who can't handle losing control so he hunted her down from across the country and is stalking and threatening her. One who was a part of the downfall of Jack Peterson, who, if you'll remember, is the sole reason I got a hole shot in my face.”
He pales as I scream in his face. He's saved by a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Chief calls out.
Kane walks through. "Bad news. He was on the highway before this officer even made it back here.”
“Fucking great.” Throwing my hands in the air, I let them land on my head, pulling at my hair in frustration.
“But—” Kane continues with a smirk “—he was so desperate to put space between him and Balsam Cliffs that he sped right past a State Trooper who noticed the plates as a stolen car from the BOLO.”
“So, he's arrested?” I urge him to keep talking. Now is not the time for dramatic pauses.
“Yes. And I already called. They're waiting for you to call them.” Kane hands a note to Chief with a phone number scribbled down.
“He's going to Winter Haven. I'll call them now.” He points to Adam. “You can go.”
“No.” He crosses his arms in defiance.
Idiot.
Chief's eyes narrow, and he leans back in his chair. “Excuse me?”
“No.” Adam doubles down. “I fucked up. I want to help. I need to fix my mistake.”
