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“The truth, to start.” Clementine leaned back in her chair with a sigh. “Look, I’m not your therapist, so you don’t have to tell me anything. But it’s still my job to make sure my people are taken care of. I want to know what you need. What I can do for you.”
Harris knew better than to tell her what she really needed. Revenge. That wouldn’t sit well with the Chief of Police. So she went for another version of the truth. “I want to nail Aguilar to the wall. I want to make sure David gets justice.”
“We don’t know if Aguilar killed David.”
“Even if he didn’t pull the trigger—”
“We still don’t know.” Clementine shook her head. “We have to be smart about this, Adelaide. I’m on your side, but we can’t be rash. I have to know you won’t be rash.”
Harris froze. “Do you know something I don’t know?”
“You have as much information as I do. We’ve got everyone working on this. The second cop shot within the last two weeks. I don’t know if there’s a connection, but if there is, this could get out of hand. It already has. The newspapers are running stories on how there’s a cop killer on the loose.”
“I don’t care what the newspapers say.”
“You should. I do.” Clementine tossed her hair over one shoulder, and Harris could feel the frustration behind the movement. “You know the media can influence our case. The more they sensationalize it, the harder it’s going to be for us to solve it. I need you on my side here.”
“I am on your side.” She wanted nothing more than to be given the reins on this one, but Clementine hadn’t handed them over yet. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”
“To start, I need you to answer my question.”
Something told Harris the Chief wouldn’t believe her if she insisted she was fine. So, once again, she went for a version of the truth. “Like I said, I’ve been better. I keep expecting him to call me or text me. I look over at his desk, and it takes a minute to remember he’s not just grabbing coffee in the break room.”
“Every once in a while, he’d bring me a cup of coffee if I hadn’t left my desk in a few hours.” Clementine chuckled at the memory. “I didn’t realize how much I appreciated that until I remembered it would never happen again.”
“I’m angry.” Harris hadn’t intended to tell her that, but it was hard to hide. “Angrier than I’ve ever been. I’m angry at whoever did this. I’m angry at myself. I’m angry at David.”
“A lot of people will tell you not to be angry. They’ll say anger doesn?
??t solve any problems. But they’re wrong.” Harris must’ve looked shocked because Clementine smiled. “Didn’t think I’d say that, huh? Anger can be a powerful tool. But it can also be a dangerous one. I want to know if you can get a handle on your anger long enough to solve this case for us.”
“I can.” Harris sat up straighter. “I promise I can.”
Clementine didn’t answer right away, and when she did, she chose her words carefully. “You’re a good detective, Adelaide. A great one. David liked you a lot. He saw a lot of potential in you. For the record, so do I. You’re by the book, and I like that. There are too many cops out there who think they can break the rules and get away with it because they caught the bad guy. That’s not how the real world works.”
“I feel like I won’t like what’s coming next.”
“But,” Clementine said, “even good cops get wrapped up in bad shit. I’m not saying you will, but I’m warning you to keep your head clear. David needs you at your best. If Aguilar is behind this, then we need to do it right. Otherwise, we lose our shot at putting him behind bars.”
Harris knew Aguilar deserved worse than sitting in a cell for the rest of his life, but she wasn’t about to say that to the Chief. “I understand. I want him in jail as much as anyone.”
“I know you do.” Clementine opened her desk drawer and pulled out a manila folder. “This is David’s case file. It has everything we know about how he died and what we found on him. I want you to talk to Lisa first. We’ve done some preliminary interviews, but she knows you best. Asked for you by name, actually.”
Harris looked up from the file folder. “Did she say why?”
“No. That’s what I want you to find out.” Clementine hesitated before she spoke again. “Listen, this won’t be an easy case. For anyone. Are you sure you can do this?”
Harris had never felt so sure in her life. “I want answers.”
“You’ll get your answers,” Clementine said. “What I want to know is if you’re ready for them.”
Harris thought she knew if she was ready, but when she opened her mouth to respond, no words came out.
9
The twinge of a headache made Cassie squint against the setting sun, even though she wore sunglasses. Her pounding head had abated for a while, but her Uber driver’s choice in music opened the door for its return. With every guitar riff and drumbeat, she felt like puking. It was hard to say if she’d ever drink another tequila sunrise again.
Cassie pressed her head against the cool window and shut her eyes. Last night felt like a fever dream. One minute, she was moping around a table full of strangers, and the next she was sitting at a bar with Jason, hoping the universe wasn’t playing a cruel joke on her.
