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“Thanks for getting this to me quickly. Is his last known address in here?” Caleb asks, waving the folder.
“Yes, sir.”
“Hang around. I want you with us when we head out,” Caleb commands. Officer Tanner tries to hide it, but his chest puffs out with pride. He’s a good, solid cop and has been trying to make his mark in the department. Caleb wanting him to come with us lets him know his effort is recognized.
Caleb opens the folder and places it beside me. Alex and Damian come closer, looking over my shoulder. “Brian Candor. A forty-three-year-old thug. Low-level drug dealer. Started off young with petty crimes and has been escalating ever since. Did a stint for carjacking and robbery. Arrested several times for assault,” Alex reads out loud.
“Show Jasmine the photo,” Caleb instructs. I move the picture closer to Jasmine so she can take a closer look. She shakes her head.
“I have no idea who that is,” she says.
“Hold up, babe. Let’s try something.” I scan the photo into the computer and start to make some minor modifications. I put a toque on him, cover his hair, then add stubble. Since the photo was taken ten years ago, I use a program to age the guy, to what he could look like today. “How about now?” I prompt.
Jasmine focuses on the screen, and I can see it dawning on her face. “He’s familiar. I can’t be sure, but I think I’ve seen him around the apartment building.” It’s as if a lightbulb comes on, and she gasps. “The delivery guy,” she cries out, pointing to the screen. “He’s the delivery guy. He came to the apartment building and said he had a package for someone on the second floor. I let him in. In the elevator, he didn’t get off on the second floor, so I got spooked and got off on the next floor up and went to Mrs. Dickson’s place. That’s the same day I smelled that the apartment was full of gas.”
Christ, the idiot had her right there. Thank God, Jasmine followed her gut. “That’s good, baby.” I pull her closer, wrapping an arm around her. “You trusted your gut. Smart move.”
“He’s right, Jaz, you were smart. Good instincts,” Damian says. “I hate to ask, but think back. Do you remember the car incident? Can you recall him being there?”
“All I remember is a a fast car coming for me and a man with a hoodie covering his head. I barely got a look when I was pushed out of the way,” she says. “Then in the lift, the man was wearing a hoodie as well. It could have been the same guy but I can’t be sure.”
“Do you remember the color?” Alex urges.
“Black with a logo. White and red. A skull and flames. He kept his head down and held on to the envelope. I thought for sure the person he was going to deliver it to was going to complain because it was scrunched up so tight.”
“Great job, Jasmine.” Caleb throws her a reassuring smile. “I think it’s time to go pick this guy up and ask a few questions. Alex and Damian are with me. Zeke, take Jasmine back to your place, and we’ll call when we’ve got him.”
“I want to interrogate him,” I say.
“Not a good idea,” Caleb retorts.
“I want this,” I tell him again. Caleb gives methe lookand jerks his head to the door. I follow him out, but not before touching Jasmine’s cheek softly. “Be right back.”
Caleb leads me to his office at the end of the hall and shuts the door firmly behind us, not giving me a chance to say a word. “You know the protocol. You can’t question him. We can’t give the DA any reason for a mistrial if and when it comes to that. You’re involved with Jasmine. I can see it. The guys can see it. Fuck, the whole department knows it. I get that this is messing with your head. You care about her, and you want her to be safe, but you’re not going to interrogate him. It’ll be me.” His decision is final, and even though I know he’s a hundred percent right about this, I fucking hate it.
I rarely get angry. I’m more of a problem solver, but I can’t help but be pissed that I’m looking on from the sidelines when I want to go out and pick up Brian Candor myself and beat him to a fucking pulp. I unclench my fists and take a breath.
“I can do more,” I grit out.
“Yeah, and you will. If this is the guy, we want to make this stick. We also want to make him talk. He can’t do that if he’s in the hospital breathing through a tube. And you think you’re hiding it, but you’re not. At least not with me. I’ve known you a long time. I can see when you’re hitting the point of frustration. You take care of Jasmine. We’ll pick up this guy.” Before I can protest further, Caleb adds, “I’ll do you one better. You take her home, get her settled. The guys will get Chloe and Bri to stay with her, and I’ll send one of our own to watch over them. You can come back and watch through the mirror. If you get a sense and think of anything we need to cover, ask. Anything at all, it’ll happen.”
I have to admit, that’s more than fair. I still hate it, but it’s the best I’m going to get. I agree, and he clamps a brotherly hand on my shoulder as we walk back in to where Jasmine’s staring at the screen, deep in thought.
“Is Mrs. Dickson safe?” she asks as soon as she sees me. “He watched me walk to her apartment. Could he go there to hurt her? She won’t be able to defend herself against him.”
This is totally why I’m falling in love with her. Everything around her is swirling into a tornado, and she’s thinking of her elderly neighbor.
“She’s not the target, babe. But I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we arrange to have her visit one of her kids for a few days? Then when she comes back, she’ll have a million more stories to tell you.”
“Harriet’s stubborn. She might not go.”
“She will if I tell her how worried you are and that this will give you peace of mind.”
Her face breaks into a smile because she knows that’ll work. The age difference means nothing to these two women. Their friendship is based on caring and loyalty.
“That’ll probably work,” Jasmine says, coming over to link her arm through mine. “Thank you. Again.”
“No thanks necessary.”
