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He shut the door and trudged off.
***
Later that day, the knock on Decker’s door was unexpected.
When he opened it, his surprise instantly turned to exasperation.
“Long time, no see, Decker,” said the smiling man on the other side of the doorway.
Blake Natty was a detective with the Burlington Police Department. About six years older than Decker, and more senior at the department, he had been left in the dust by Decker’s investigative prowess. And he had not bothered to hide his feelings about it.
He was about five-eight, one-sixty, and dressed in a way that matched his name, complete with pocket kerchief and golden links on his French-cuffed shirt.
“What are you doing here, Natty?” asked Decker.
Natty’s smile broadened. “This is just a courtesy call. I’m taking over the investigation on the Hawkins case. Heard Mary got knocked off over some accusation from you. A little surprising considering you two were partners once.”
“Well, you got everything about that wrong, which at least shows you’re consistent.”
Natty’s smile vanished. “As I said, a courtesy call. And it’s to tell you that we do not require your services in connection with the Meryl Hawkins case.”
“Have you talked to Captain Miller about this? Because he was very much okay with me working the case.”
“Miller has to answer to the superintendent. And the super has a different opinion.”
“Right. Would that still be Peter Childress?”
“It would be. Didn’t you call him an ignorant asshole one time?”
“It wasn’t just the one time. And he earned it fair and square.”
“Well, just do not involve yourself in the investigation. So, with that, I don’t see anything keeping you in Burlington. You can just head on out.”
“There’s the crimes that Meryl Hawkins was convicted of.”
“Right. That’s also off-limits. It’s a Burlington PD investigation, and in case you forgot, you’re no longer part of the team.”
“No law against me looking into a case if I want to.”
“There is a law if you interfere with an active police investigation.”
“So youarelooking into whether Hawkins was innocent?”
“None of your concern. I can have one of my guys run you to the bus station. There’s a bus to Pittsburgh that leaves in two hours. And you can catch a flight from there back to your precious D.C.”
“Thanks, but I’m staying.”
Natty drew closer, nearly chest to stomach, and looked up at the nine-inches-taller Decker. “You don’t get a single pass on this, no get-out-of-jail-free card. I catch you in my way, the next room you inhabit is a jail cell. I want to make myself really clear on that.”
“You’ve never had a problem making yourself clear, Blake. Even when you had it a hundred and eighty degrees wrong. Which was most of the time.”
“Watch that ego, Decker. Even a guy as big as you won’t be able to hold it in.”
Decker closed the door in the man’s face, went back to his chair, sat down, and turned his thoughts back to the case.
Natty, he was sure, would look for any opportunity to put bite to his threat and plant Decker’s butt in jail. Yet Decker had spent much of his life swimming against the current. Natty was an irritant, nothing more. But Decker would have to watch himself.
A text dropped into his phone.
It was from Lancaster.
I’m really pissed at you, but I’m sorry about Natty being assigned to the case. Wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. Which you’re not. At least not yet. M
Decker dropped the phone into his pocket, sighed, and sat back in his chair.
His visit to the old hometown was turning into quite a nightmare.
