Fatal Reckoning (Fatal #14)(41)
The story of Conklin’s downward spiral after the end of his first marriage was well-known by Joe and Jake.
“Who brought this to you?”
“Holland and Cruz.”
“Of course it was her.” Conklin’s laugh had a bitter edge to it. “Why’d I even ask?”
“Don’t blame her,” Joe said sharply. “What was she supposed to do with this and the Wallack info?”
“No worries.” Conklin scoffed. “I certainly know whose side you both are on. Everyone knows.”
“I’m on the side of the department and the honest men and women who serve this city,” Joe said, infuriated. “Are you? I didn’t take your badge on the Wallack thing, but if I find out that what you told us about Davis isn’t true, you’re done—and I’ll see you prosecuted. So think about it tonight. Think long and hard about that day and make sure you’re remembering correctly. You know where to find me in the morning.” To Jake, he said, “Let’s go.”
They drove by Conklin, still standing where they’d left him, as they exited his development.
The drive back to the city was no less tense than the first half of the trip had been.
“You believe him?” Jake asked after a long silence.
“I don’t know what to believe.”
“We could ask him to take a polygraph.”
“And what if it gets out that we’re polygraphing our deputy chief?” Joe cringed at the thought of that PR nightmare.
“So, it’s basically the word of a guy we’ve known and worked with for decades against this Davis dude, who swears he talked to Conklin that day?”
“If the thing with Wallack hadn’t happened, I’d take Conklin’s word for it. But after that… I just don’t know what to say.”
Jake looked over at Joe. “Why don’t we dig into Davis a little deeper and get a sense of how credible he is?”
“We can take a high-level look but nothing too in-depth. I don’t want to rip the guy’s life apart after he was good enough to call the tip line.”
“One question I have is where’s he been the last four years? He gave the report to Conklin, and that was the end of it for him?”
“He probably thought we’d do the right thing with the info and what more could he do?”
“I dunno. If I witnessed something like what he did, every time Sam mentioned the case was still open, I’d be calling to see if I could do anything more to help.”
A knot of dread tightened in Joe’s gut. “Maybe he did.”
“What do you mean?”
“Get Davis’s phone number and then personally take a look at the records of every call Conklin has received in the office since the day Skip was shot. Find out whether Davis ever called him after that day. Ask Archelotta for the records for all the top leadership so he won’t know who we’re focused on. Tell him to call me for approval.”
“I’ll take care of it first thing, and I’ll ask Holland and Cruz to take a high-level look at Davis.”
“Maybe Davis remembered incorrectly.”
“What if he didn’t? Will you really bring charges against Conklin?”
“You bet your ass I will.”
* * *
SAM HELPED NICK tuck Aubrey and Alden into bed and then went in to check on Scotty. “Everything ready for tomorrow, bud?”
“Define everything.”
She rolled her eyes at his predictable comment. “Is most of the homework done anyway?”
“Define most.”
“Scotty!”
He laughed. “Chill, Mom. It’s all good. Dad has already gone through my planner and my backpack to make sure I did everything.”
Hearing him call her Mom never got old. “Thank God for Dad.”
“He really is essential to the entire program.”
“You know it. Celia said you were there this afternoon. She really appreciated your visit.”
“I love going there after school. It’s weird that Gramps isn’t there, though. I keep waiting for him to come rolling in.”
“I know. I was just there and felt the same way. I can’t bear to look in the dining room.”
“Will we take down the ramps?”
“Eventually, I suppose. I don’t think we need to do that right away.”
“It’ll be so different out there without them, like it’s different without him.”
Sam nodded.
Scotty sat up, reached for her and gave her a hug that brought tears to her eyes.
She held him for as long as she could before he began to squiggle to get free. “Thanks. I needed that.”
“No problem.”
She leaned in to kiss his forehead. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
“Lights out.” She waited until he’d shut off the light before she left the room and closed the door, recalling when her father used to do the same with her. Every night, she turned the light back on, and every night, he came busting in to catch her, scaring the crap out of her. Then they would laugh. The joke never got old.
Her whole life, they’d had the ability to crack each other up. She could meet his gaze across a crowded room and know exactly what he was thinking and vice versa. They understood each other on a cellular level. It had been no surprise to anyone who knew them that she’d followed him into the MPD. She hadn’t seriously considered any other profession.