“Fuck,” Riley swore loudly and threw his hands up. “I should have become a fireman like Brae. He doesn’t get a family reunion on every case he gets called on. Last time, it was Connor. Now, I’ve got to worry about you showing up too?”
Kane watched in gentle amusement as his long-legged younger brother stalked off toward one of the cop cars arriving on the scene. Shaking his head, he crouched and inspected the knife lying on the ground. “Blade’s been used a lot. God, I’m hoping this is our murder weapon. The jagged cuts on the edge should be easy to match if it was used on Vega.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” Browne agreed, standing up with a huff. “Shit, listen to me creak. See? This is why I got a younger partner. So I don’t have to do this running shit anymore. Where the hell was he when I needed him? Out knocking on doors and chatting up the ladies.”
“No worries. You got an upgrade. A better Morgan to work with for a bit,” Kane replied. “Junior, huh?”
“Well, not like I can call him Morgan,” The senior inspector scoffed. After laying down a paper ruler strip next to it for scale, he snapped a few pictures of the knife with his phone “Screaming Morgan in a cop house is like yelling for an Oompa Loompa at a chocolate factory. You guys pop up like gophers.”
“That’s pretty much what dinner’s like at our house,” Kane acknowledged. “Like a game of whack-a-mole.”
Riley returned with an unsealed evidence bag and a magic marker. Handing his partner a plastic-wrap sleeve to grab the knife with, he held the bag open for Browne to drop the knife into. After pressing down on the seal, Riley jotted down the time and place they’d secured the knife and held it out to his partner to sign. The senior inspector grunted a thanks at the younger Morgan and headed over to the lab tech scurrying down the alleyway toward their scene.
Like most of the Morgan boys, Riley ran large, with dark-lashed blue eyes and thick black hair. He kept it closely cropped to his skull, something he’d learned made it difficult for suspects to grab at his head after he ran them down. Newly out of uniform and wearing an inspector’s badge, the younger Morgan stood shoulder to shoulder with his older brother, eyeing Kane suspiciously.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were paired up with Browne. He’s a good cop. You’ll learn a lot.” Kane slapped his younger brother on the back. Riley stumbled forward a step, then turned to glare back at his older brother.
“You’d know that if you’d shown up for dinner, asshat,” Riley muttered. “Mom’s about to pop a vein if she doesn’t see you soon.”
“Trust me, her vein’s fine,” Kane grumbled. “She showed up at Miki’s house with roast beef and cabbage rolls. I tried shoving her into her car before I left, but I don’t think it took.”
“Good luck with that. There’s a reason we never had a terrier growing up. Mom didn’t want any competition.” He snorted. “Miki’s that guy you’re seeing? That singer?”
“See? I don’t need to show up for dinner,” he groused playfully. “Everyone knows what’s going on in my life anyway.”
“Connor spilled the beans. Says he’s prettier in person than in pictures, which had Ryan going. She’s going to nail your ass to the wall if you don’t bring him around. It’s either that or she’s going to stalk your front door like some groupie.”
“Not going to do her any good. He likes boys,” Kane said, jabbing his thumb at his chest. “This one in particular.”
Riley jerked his head back toward the street. “So the DB in the restaurant is yours?”
“Yeah, and that asshole with the knife is the guy I think did him.” Exhaling, he puffed out his cheeks and watched the ambulance pull away, disappearing around the building. A second later, the sirens hit, and the wailing sounds pulsed through the neighborhood. “This case is getting shittier by the minute. I’ve got two murders and a stabbing I can put on that guy’s head. The DB’s wife committed suicide… shit, yesterday? Day before? Dude, I don’t know if I’m coming or going at this point. It’s been a bit crazy.”
“I saw Sanchez,” Riley murmured. “He looked like hell. You guys need some sleep.”
“Sleep, I’ve been getting.” Kane shrugged, then grinned foolishly. “Mostly. What we need’s a break. I’m hoping that knife handle’s got a print we can use. I want to find out who this fucker is.”
“Wish you luck with that, man,” his brother said, patting him on the shoulder.
Sighing, he drew out his cell phone and grinned at Riley. “Betcha this is Sanchez ripping me a new asshole for running off without him.”
“Hell, tell him to come over.” Riley bared his teeth at his brother in a playful snarl. “I’ll help.”