Red Hood: The Hunt by Erik Schubach Page B

got was static and any computers would just lock up.  I liked that it seemed to be an automatic reaction that she didn't seem aware she was doing for me.
    I stopped as I checked my email.  “Son of a bitch!  We got the bastard!”
    One of her eyebrows arched in interest and I said, “I finally got something from my inquiries about who on the force might be working with Marcus.  Harrison from the motor-pool had fifty thousand dollars deposited in his bank account the day before the attack in the alley.”
    She looked impressed. “How did you get that information?”
    I shrugged. “I sweet talked Tanya down in records to discretely do a check on the top five on my list.”
    Her eyes darkened.  “Tanya?”
    Oh this is beyond priceless, she's jealous!   Being the evil person, I am I played with her.  “Yeah it's amazing what a few sexual favors can get a girl.”  I more felt than heard the low rumble coming from her.  I couldn't keep my straight face as I broke into a chuckle.  “Lighten up, Red, she's happily married, she just owed me one.”
    She rolled her eyes and stepped up to me and my cell screen went all static.  She scrunched her nose in a sour “so there” gesture, which only got me to chuckle again at her.  I laid a reassuring hand on her chest just below her throat and tilted my head with a crooked smile on my face as I shut off my cell.  We kept eye contact for five long heartbeats then turned to the door, almost in perfect sync, to hunt down Harrison.
    When she got in the back seat of my car, my cell buzzed and I answered as I got into the driver's seat.  The call was a little static as I answered, “McQueen.”
    Victor was on the other end.  “Get your butt to the station.  There's been a homicide...”  I almost asked why I had to be there until he added, “...a cop.”  Shit!   I know all murders are tragic and none should have more precedence over any others but when it was a cop, it was personal to all of us.
    The entire department was about to be mobilized, that's why even O'Neil and I were going to get involved even though we were on special assignment.  Hell even if we could just bring coffee to whatever detectives got assigned the case, it would help.  I could hear the husky tone of my voice as I said with a dry mouth, “Who?  Anyone we know?”
    There were over nine thousand police officers in Seattle, inside and outside the wall, and the odds of us knowing the victim were... I cut off my thoughts and my blood ran cold as he said, “Harrison.  From the motor pool.”  Son of a bitch!
    I ended the call with, “On my way.”  And I shut off the phone.  I looked in the rear view mirror to an innocent looking woman in red.  “You heard?”  Of course, she heard with that freakishly wolf-like hearing of hers.  She dropped the act and nodded once.  I punched the steering wheel and muttered, “God damn it!  Our one lead!”
    She caught my eye in the mirror and said carefully, “Not your only lead.  This means there is someone else in the city that is cleaning up loose ends.”
    I froze for a moment and voiced a new fear, “You don't think that my inquiries prompted his murder do you?”  She shrugged and I punched the steering wheel again.
    She stayed in the break room down the hall from the station room as I joined Victor there.  The Chief stepped out of his office and he looked pissed.  He cleared his throat and all the murmuring settled down.  “Last night, we lost one of our own.  Daniel Harrison was found dead in an alley by his home earlier this morning.  Hicks and Laramey have point on this.  I need everyone giving them anything they need to catch the son of a bitch who did this.  Am I clear?!”
    We all murmured agreement and he made a shooing motion and walked back in his office and slammed the door.  The glass walls of it wavered, on the verge of cracking.  Everyone broke into motion.
    I closed my eyes and turned to O'Neil then exhaled and