The Fallen (Amos Decker #4)(5)

“Hands out where we can see them!” shouted one cop, who looked young and a little nervous.

Since Decker already had both hands up in the air where they could definitely be seen, he couldn’t do anything more than say, “I’m a Fed. My partner called this in.”

The cops advanced until they reached the stoop. The other cop, who looked to be in his forties, with a trim, graying mustache, holstered his gun, took the creds, and checked them. Then he illuminated Decker’s face with his light.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Two dead bodies inside. One hanging in the living room. One in the basement.” Decker glanced at the man’s uniform. “I don’t know if he’s a cop or not, but the guy in the basement is wearing the same type of uniform you are.”

“What?” snapped the older cop.

“You say he’s dead?” said the young cop, who was still pointing his gun.

Decker’s gaze swiveled to him. “Yeah, he is. And could you aim your weapon somewhere other than at me?”

The young cop automatically looked to his partner, who nodded while handing back Decker’s credentials.

“Show us,” ordered the older cop.

At that moment, Jamison dashed around the corner.

The young cop swung his gun around and lined her up in his sights.

“No!” roared Decker. He leapt forward and hit the cop’s arm just before he fired. The bullet sailed barely a foot above Jamison’s head. She sprawled in the grass.

The younger cop stumbled back and pointed his sidearm at Decker’s head.

“She’s my partner,” barked Decker. “She’s the one who called you. Alex, are you okay?”

Jamison slowly rose and came toward them on jelly legs. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” But she looked like she might throw up.

The older cop gave his partner a piercing gaze, and asked to see Jamison’s credentials. After reviewing them he handed them back and looked at his partner.

“You almost shot a Fed, Donny,” he said severely. “And now you’re going to have a ton of paperwork to fill out while your butt is anchored to a desk job. And Internal Affairs will be all over you. Congratulations.”

The younger cop holstered his weapon, scowled, and said nothing.

“Show us,” the older cop said again.

“This way,” replied Decker.





Chapter 3



I DON’T KNOW him,” said the older cop, who on the way inside the house had told Decker and Jamison that he was Officer Will Curry. His partner shook his head too. They were looking down at the man in uniform lying on the floor of the basement. They had already seen the body upstairs, and neither of the officers had recognized him either.

Curry pointed to the man’s chest. “No nameplate. We all wear one.”

“Would you know him?” asked Decker. “I mean, is the police force that small around here?”

Curry thought about this for a few moments. “I don’t know every person in uniform, but I do know a lot of them.”

Decker said, “There’s no pistol in his holster.”

Curry nodded. “Yeah, I saw that. And there’s no comm pack either. Look, I need to call this in. Homicide will be taking this over. Donny, we need to tape the perimeter. And don’t let anybody near this place.”

Donny left to do this while Curry pulled out his phone, walked over to a far corner of the basement, and made the call.

Decker knelt down and looked over the body.

Jamison gazed over his broad shoulder. “How did he die?” she asked.

“No obvious wounds. Just like the guy upstairs, although there’s all that blood.”

“Death by hanging is usually bloodless,” said Jamison. “Unless something ruptured inside the guy and it came out somewhere.”

“There was no blood on his clothes,” replied Decker. “So, I don’t see how that could be the case.”

Curry came back over to them. “Okay, I’ll need to get your statements, and you both need to get out of here. The detectives will have my head if they find you here.”

They walked back upstairs and filed out the rear door. Curry noted the damage. “How’d that happen?”

“That would be me breaking into the house,” said Decker. “I’ll explain why.”

The storm had mostly passed, the skies had cleared some, and a few stars could actually be seen overhead.

Curry pulled out his notepad. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

First Decker and then Jamison gave their accounts. As they finished they heard someone calling out to them.

“Alex, is everything okay?”

They all turned to see Amber and Zoe at the rear fence that separated the two properties.

“Go back inside, I’ll be there in just a few minutes,” Jamison called back. She turned to Curry as Amber and Zoe returned to their house.

“My sister Amber and her daughter, Zoe. We’re visiting with them.”

“So they live there?” said Curry.

“Yes.”

“We’ll need to talk to them. They might have seen something leading up to whatever happened to the two vics.”

“Sure, that’s fine,” said Jamison.