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Phone.
He pulled himself together, flipped off the water, and grabbed a towel, which he hastily wrapped around his hips. He went into the bedroom, dripping over the carpet as he searched for his phone, finally finding it under a heap of clothing. When he saw Riley’s name, he stabbed at the screen. “Here.”
There was silence for a moment. “I was about to hang up. I couldn’t decide if I should call you.”
“I’m glad you did.” His head was still complaining. “Bear with me a sec? I need to grab a couple of Tylenol.” He retreated to the bathroom to drip over the tiled floor.
“I’m not gonna ask why, but I can guess.” There was a moment’s hesitation. “Fuck it, I’m asking. What juice were you on?”
“I sound hungover, is that what you’re telling me? The poison was tequila, and for your information, I didn’t drink all that much.” Just enough to take the edge off a frustrating day.
“Okay. Drink plenty of water to rehydrate. Tylenol is our friend. Oh, and get yourself some ginger ale if you feel nauseous.”
Gary smiled to himself as he opened the bathroom cabinet and reached for the bottle. “Could this be the voice of experience talking?”
“Tequila slammers. Never again. And avoid coffee. It doesn’t help a hangover. It only gives you the jitters.” A pause. “How you doing?”
Gary ran water into a glass, shook out two pills, and chased them down his throat. “I’ve been better.” He was dying to ask about the case, but he had a feeling he’d be wasting his breath. Riley was a pal as well as a coworker, but that didn’t mean he’d go against Travers.
“You gonna be at the precinct tomorrow?”
He frowned. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I thought you might want to take some time—”
“I’ll be there, okay?”
Another pause. “Travers said you’ve got to stay in the background when it comes to… to Cory.”
“I know. He said the same to me Friday.”
“Okay. Just checking. Hey, boss?”
“Hm?”
“Don’t drink any more, okay? It cures nothing. Trust me on that.”
“And there’s that voice of experience again.” Gary knew next to nothing about Riley’s personal life, but then again, he didn’t share about his either.
“Let’s just say I’ve had my heart stomped on a couple of times. Tequila slammers, remember? They sound like a great idea—until the next morning.”
“Not another cop who’s been unlucky in love.”
Riley chuckled. “Gee, I wonder why that is. And when you’ve had your water and ginger ale, get some rest. Best cure ever.”
It was no surprise Riley had been the first to make contact. He was one of the good guys. “I hear ya.”
“I’m really sorry, Gary.”
His throat seized. “Okay, I need to go now.”
“Gotcha. I’ll see you tomorrow at roll call.” He disconnected.
Gary turned the ringer off, placed the phone on the glass shelf above the bathroom sink, then gripped the cool porcelain sides, his gaze locked on the haggard man in the mirror.
I’m sorry too.He knew if Cory were there, he’d kick Gary’s ass.He’d be telling me to get out there and find the bastard who did this.
Gary straightened, raised his chin, and looked himself in the eye. “And that’s what I’m going to do.” His phone vibrated against the glass, and he half thought it was Riley again until he glanced at the screen.
