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Chapter Sixteen
Niko
I jerk awake.Looking down at the mess of papers of my desk, I feel my head spin in confusion. What the fuck just happened? I blink away sleep as the sound that must have woken me rings out again. I snatch my work phone from the receiver on the edge of my desk.
“Detective James,” I mutter groggily and scrub a hand over my sweaty brow.
“My office. Now,” Tavers barks, and the line goes dead. Shit. I have a sinking feeling I know what this is about. I’m no wuss, and Tavers doesn’t scare me, so I tug on my jacket, forward my desk phone to my cell, and shut my office door behind me. The hall separating our offices is short, and I find his door open. I stroll inside.
“You rang?”
“Shut the door, would you?”
I cock a brow but keep the comments to myself. I can’t say I begrudge a private conversation. It’s a rare thing here—easier for the two of us because we have private offices—and I’ve learned not to take it for granted.
The door snicks closed. I lean against it and cross my arms over my chest. “Can we make this quick? I have somewhere I need to be.”
“If you’re headed back over to the damn hospital, you’d better think again.”
I try to keep my face neutral, but inside, I’m cussing up a storm. Nothing feels more hypocritical than lying to those I trust. Even a lie of omission here instantly brings on the guilt. Pretending I don’t know what he’s talking about makes me feel even worse.
“Tavers…” I begin but am cut off by him raising his palm to me.
“Save it. Do you know what Captain would do to your ass if he found out? You’re lucky it was me so I can kick your damn ass myself. What were you thinking?”
I ignore his question to ask one of my own. “How’d you find out?”
“You aren’t even going to try to explain? You weren’t even authorized to be there. You broke orders. Jane Doe isn’t even your case. You could be fired in a second. Fuck, you could get ME fired. When I gave you her file, I didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to take off to the hospital.”
I clench my jaw and look at the wall on my left.
“She was at my house. I thought I could get some answers that would help us both.”
“So you went back again?”
Shit. “Are you keeping tabs on me?”
He leans back in his creaking chair. “Mr. Stewart came to see me yesterday, demanding we test Jane Doe’s DNA against his niece Rebecca’s after you refused. When I pushed for more info, he said he saw you at the hospital. Hardly me keeping tabs. I just want to know why. Why are you risking your career for a simple curiosity? I could have asked her for you and saved both our hides.”
I finally lift my eyes back to his and find him regarding me with some pissed-off emotions but mostly concern.
“I went there the first day to ask some questions, and she was a fucking wreck. I don’t know exactly why I went back. I think because she’s all alone. She’s got nobody. I thought if I could be someone she could trust, I’d get some real answers.”
“Leave that up to me. There’s other work for you to do. The work you’re assigned.”
“Yeah, and I’ll get to it.”
Tavers levels me with a stare. “You’re going back,” he states flatly. He knows me well.
“I am. In two visits, I’ve made some headway with her. A couple more and I feel like I can get some answers.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “You’ve got about an hour. That’s all I can cover you for.”
“I don’t need you to cover for me,” I bite out tersely.
He holds up his hand and cuts me off. “You might if Captain finds out what you’ve been up to. He specifically ordered you off this case, and I can’t blame him for doing it.”
“Why the fuck not?”
