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“I’m Ponch.” They both say in unison and I burst into laughter.
They look at each other, then back at me with eyes wide. “Where is our cranky ass boss and who’s this love struck asshole sitting in his place?”
I lean back in my chair, steepling my fingers together and resting my elbows on the armrests. “Make fun all you want. There’s nothing you can say to me that will take me down right now.”
They both enter and shut the door. But they don’t laugh or have a snappy retort, and it has me sitting straighter in my chair.
“What’s going on?”
“Sweetstown was hit last night. And we’ve got a suspect in house.”
“What! Why wasn’t I called?”
“The calls only just came in. Their Chief is on the phone right now with Detective Jones. I’ll assume his next stop is your office.”
“Fuck.” I wipe my face with my hands. Sweetstown is a quaint town just north of Christmas. Our town lines border each other, the schools play each other and businesses share references. It also means these criminals are getting closer to Lakeshore, and Christmas.
Getting closer to Daisy.
“We’ll wait for official word, but right now, Cash and I are going to take a ride outside town limits.” Tom adjusts his belt and I notice he’s wearing his vest.
“Yeah, we’re going to circle around and then come back through our own blocks. We’ll double patrol around Angelina’s house, too.” I nod to Cash. “And the perp is on his way to holding. He’s a kid, boss, looks like an initiation event, and the dumbass got caught.”
I study them. These two are my best on the force, but they’re also the most dangerous. “Don’t do anything stupid. And don’t fucking go rogue if you find something.” I stand and come around my desk, pointing my finger at them. “You see something off, you make a call and get your ass back here. I don’t need you fucking up evidence.”
“So, we shouldn’t pick up empty shells?”
“Or smear the blood?”
“Definitely don’t move the body.”
“Officers! Do you see me laughing?” My blood pressure is rising with every breath they take.
Tom elbows Cash. “I told you he loves us. Don’t you hear the worry in his voice?”
“You two are going to be the death of me.” My phone begins to ring. “Get out of here. If you don’t report back in an hour, I’m sending someone to find you.”
Walking back to my desk, I pick up the phone on the third ring, watching as they fight their way through the doorway side by side. Shaking my head at their dumb antics, “Chief Hunter here.”
“Chief. It’s Dave.”
David McIntyre is the Chief over in Sweetstown. He’s been there going on twenty-five years now and has been chief for the last five. He’s a great asset and I’ve enjoyed being at neighboring stations with him.
“Dave. What do you got? No one hurt, right?”
“Shaken up and roughed up, but no damage.” I grip the phone tighter at his words. “They’re getting braver, or more desperate, because not only are they breaking in, they’re coming face to face with homeowners now. Demanding cash and jewelry, instead of just the usual smash and grabs like before.”
“Think it’s the same two crews?”
“Absolutely. MO is the same, except for the confrontational shit now. It also looks like they’ve got specific targets in mind.”
“Who?”
“Young and old women. No in between and no family. They study who’s living alone and then go for those homes.”
His words have anger rushing through my veins. “No family, defenseless women and quiet neighborhoods.”
“Bingo.”
