She’d meant it as a joke; he didn’t laugh. “First step is getting the two of you in the same room.”
“How do we get him to talk?”
He smiled grimly. “That’s my part. The tricky part.”
“And?”
“It’ll either work or we’ll both be out of a job.”
Chapter Thirty-five
Tuesday, July 16
7:30 P.M.
Zach sat on his couch, eyes on the clock, waiting. Parker, he knew, would be right on time. At precisely seven-thirty, Mick would exit the Jax Brewery Parking lot and start for the Marigny. That would give him and Parker about ten minutes alone before the man sensed her approach. During that time, he would gauge how open Parker was ready to be.
When she arrived, the real fun would begin.
The clock struck seven-thirty; his front bell pealed. Zach stood and went to the door.
“Right on time—” Zach stopped, shocked by how rough the man looked—cheeks sunken, bloodshot eyes rimmed by dark circles. Like he hadn’t slept since they’d last spoken, or had gone on a major bender. “What happened to you?”
“I’m fine.”
Zach stepped aside so the other man could enter. “The hell you are.”
Parker shrugged out of his suit jacket and loosened his tie. “Let’s get to it. Tell me what you saw.”
“I’d rather we start with you telling me what you know.”
“That’s not how this is going down, Agent Harris.”
No it wasn’t. His buddy was in for a big surprise. “Okay, I get it. I tell you what I saw, then you reveal just enough information to explain it.”
“Astute, Harris. Information on a need-to-know basis. Absolutely, that’s the way the game is played.”
Zach held Parker’s gaze, defiantly, all the while counting down in his head. Not wanting to appear to give up too easily. When the clock in his head struck zero, he began. “I told you most everything on the phone. Knight was murdered. The perp was a dark cloud of energy. When I tried to intervene, it picked me up and threw me across the alley.”
Parker had no reaction to that, and Zach went on. “Knight had a wound on her right side, just below her collarbone. Like a hickey. Only more defined. By the time the paramedics arrived, it was gone.”
“Detective Dare didn’t see the wound?”
“No. But as I said on the phone, she—”
“Speak of the devil and up she pops.”
“Where?”
“The sidewalk across the street. Now crossing.”
“She’s a strong asset,” Zach said. “I can’t do the job without her.”
“We went over this.”
“If I don’t bring her on board, she may bail on the program.”
“Let her. I’ll find someone else.”
“She was your first choice, you must have had a reason for that.”
“Entering the building now.” Parker looked at him. “She can’t know what we know. Not yet.”
“You said this was bigger than the Sixers program. What did you mean?”
“Get rid of her and I’ll tell you.” He held Zach’s gaze. “She’s here. Trust me, Zach.”
“Why should I?”
“We’re the same, you and I. She’s not one of us.”
“That’s true. She’s not.”
“Did she see the wound before it disappeared?”
“No. She saw nothing. But I told her everything.”
“Unfortunate, but we can deal with it.”
“How?”
Before Parker could answer, Micki rapped on the door. Zach reached to answer it; Parker laid a hand on his shoulder. Zach looked at him.
She can’t know. Not yet.
He held his gaze, then nodded. Opened the door. She stormed past him, into the apartment, then stopped, the picture of fury. “You son of a bitch! I told you I wanted in. I guess it’s business as usual, Hollywood?”
He hesitated. How this went down depended on how he answered. He and Parker were alike. They shared something few did. It united them. But Parker demanded trust he refused to return. Besides, something stronger united him and Micki: shared humanity.
“What did you expect, partner? I’m a Sixer first.”
“I told you before, I’m either all in or I’m out. I can’t be partners with someone who only tells me half the story.”
Zach went to stand beside Parker. “I can’t change what is.”
She looked at Parker. Zach saw the determination in her gaze. “Are you certain you want to do this? You’re forcing my hand. And you need me.”
“I don’t think I do,” Parker said. “Actually, it’s you who’s making a mistake. Giving up your chance at glory. To be on the cutting edge of a new era in law enforcement. And, I suspect, you’ll lose your job as well.”
“You don’t give a crap about anything but your precious program and what its success means for your career.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“I was there that night, when Knight died. I saw—”
“What, Detective? A woman who died of natural causes?”
“What about the missing girls? You know something that could help us find them. I saw—”