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right, but we think it’s related to the shooting that happened a few weeks ago.”
Riel’s eyes met mine as he widened them at me.
I widened mine right back.
“Yao here?” Riel asked. “And what’s the kid’s name that lives here?”
Officer Taggart pointed to a fuming Yao who was in the corner of the yard.
“I’m not sure of the name,” he admitted. “I just got there, I can ask…”
Riel shook him off. “I’ll go talk to Yao.”
And that was exactly what we did next.
We arrived next to Yao just as he barked some orders at a young officer.
The officer skittered away just as Riel and I arrived.
“Riel, Frankie,” Yao said, his eyes going to my hand that was still firmly placed in Riel’s.
I was absently rubbing my hands over Riel’s scars, and that was when I realized what, exactly, I
was doing.
But when I tried to pull away, Riel tightened his grip.
“What happened?” Riel asked, refusing to let me go.
Yao sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
“Teenage turf war or something,” he muttered darkly. “I talked to this kid a couple of days ago and he told me he had no fuckin’ clue what was going on with that Cromwell fucker. I actually believed
him. Let him off because he had an airtight alibi…”
“Fuck,” Riel cursed. “This is the same kid that you had in the station the other day?”
Yao frowned, and I suddenly had a sinking sensation fill my stomach.
“Melly,” I said aloud.
Yao tilted his head in confusion. “What?”
I swallowed hard, and Riel started to curse.
“I was filling her in yesterday on the investigation,” Riel said, sounding like he was berating
himself. “There was a nurse that came in to use the restroom during my explanation. I figured since it was all public knowledge that it was okay to tell her. Hell, they’d even had it in the five o’clock news. I just assumed that Cromwell would already know… but the timing is circumspect. Melly, the
woman he’s seeing, was the nurse to overhear. At least, I assume she overheard. Because that was
last night, and suddenly this happens? The timing is too good for it not to be related.”
Yao looked thoughtful for a second.
“You’re right.” He paused. “But he could’ve just as easily gotten that information from the five
o’clock news as he did from you. Both happened last night.” He paused. “I was already planning on
