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Chapter 58
I didn’t mindwaiting outside while Daggett took me up on my offer. I kept an eye on Bobby and wondered what he was telling the two men and two women he was talking to so earnestly at the corner of the building.
I hoped I’d read Daggett right. He seemed like a decent guy. One who would stick to a deal. He also didn’t impress me as someone who would meet this potential suspect and then lie to me. It didn’t matter now. I’d made my deal and I would stand by it.
The female detective—who had never given me her name, and I didn’t ask—looked over at me. I always liked to see sharp younger people on police forces. The way the police are treated in the media has made it harder and harder to recruit good cops. I couldn’t blame anyone who didn’t want to give their heart and soul to a job that didn’t really offer much.
She said, “Seriously, why are you in DC?”
I kept a very even tone. “Emily Parker was a friend of mine. I owed her a lot. Finding her killer doesn’t seem like that much to ask.”
The female detective looked off into space. After a few moments, she nodded. “I’ve gotta say, that’s a pretty good reason.”
The fat guy moved from the front of the Tahoe and now leaned on the SUV next to his partner. He said, “I still think it’s sort of arrogant to believe you’re the only one who can find the killer.”
I shook my head. “That’s not how I feel at all. I’m just another set of eyes and ears. Look at what happened here. I didn’t see the same thing your detective did. If your man, Daggett, disagrees, then I misjudged him. But I always keep my promises. If he honestly thinks this is the killer, I’ll leave.”
The fat detective said, “Tell you what, if Daggett walks out here, looks at you, and says, ‘Have a good day,’ lunch is on me any day you want.”
We shook on it. He said, “My name is Swinson. My friends call me Dave.”
The female detective said, “I’m Nancy Gorant. Nice to meet you. Maybe you’re not the asshole I pegged you for.”
I wagged a finger. “It’s awfully early to say I’m not. Trust me, I know we’re all in this together.” It was a feeling many cops shared. These two were no exception. I felt like I’d made a couple of friends. But I still didn’t have an answer from Daggett.
Bobby broke off from his meeting. When he came over to us, I explained exactly the deal I’d made with Daggett.
Bobby said, “I almost wish he’d come out here and say the guy’s a good suspect, if only to get you out of my hair. I just had a long talk with supervisors from my office. One of them noticed you. I hinted indirectly that you were here with the DC police and not me. Please don’t rat me out.”
Nancy Gorant said to Bobby, “We were just getting used to Detective Bennett being here. Are you as interested as him in finding the FBI agent’s killer?”
“I’m all in on finding Emily’s killer. That’s all I work on. I thought that Bennett would be a help, but so far I’m wasting too much time trying to explain him to other people.”
Before the debate could progress into whether I was worth saving in any way, the door to the office burst open and Detective Daggett stepped out. He’d been inside a little longer than I thought necessary.
He walked right up to me, cleared his throat, and said, “Have a nice day.”
I had a free lunch coming from Detective Swinson.
