A Clean Kill

Fifty-one

The rain started again as April and Woody came out of the building and dived into the car. Woody ground the key in the ignition before the door was closed, and the engine roared to life.

"Perkins house," she said, which was close enough.

"I know," he muttered. He pulled out, barely looking as a bus was cruising in. The driver hit the horn. Woody hit the siren and cut him off.

April shut her eyes to the offense and punched the number one on her phone. Mike's voice mail came on immediately. "It's me," she told it. "I've called for backup at the Anderson house. Sergeant Gelo is over there, and she isn't picking up." Shit.

She didn't want to say she was ticked because her sergeant didn't like being left behind and had taken matters into her own hands. The big no-no could have widespread repercussions for both of them. She ended the call without pointing a finger and muttered angrily to herself as a yellow light slowed the traffic in front of them at Fifty-seventh Street. When the light went red, a hole opened up. "Go," she said, and he ran the light.

She punched two on her cell. Charlie picked up on the second ring. "Hagedorn," he said.

"Charlie. What happened with Gelo?"

"She stepped out. I've been trying to reach her. I have something on Anderson."

"What do you have?"

"She has a girl living with her."

"I know about that," April said impatiently.

"Did you know her name is Lucy Walters?"

"Is that supposed to mean something to me? Oh, Jesus." April braced as Woody dodged an ambulance.

"You okay?"

"I'm on Lexington with Woody."

"My condolences. Okay, Lucy Walters hit her homeroom teacher in the head with a chair when she was in sixth grade. The woman died of her injuries. That was thirteen years ago. She served eighteen months in juvenile, out of state, and she's been in and out of programs until she moved in with Anderson."

"Call Minnow with that, will you?" April said tersely.

"I already took the liberty. Didn't want to be slow sharing that."

"Good thinking. And Mike?"

"He knows, too."

"Okay. What's the story on Gelo? Don't hold back on me."

"I'm working on it. As soon as I know . . ."

April's stomach heaved. Whenever she was upse^t, all her nerves went right to her gut. She told herself that everybody was on the way, that it was

going to be all right. She wanted to believe that, but she knew she was responsible for her people. Even if no one was hurt, she was still going to have to take the hit for her officer's bad judgment. But more importantly right now, she had no way of knowing whether or not Gelo was in that house and if she was, what was happening there. She started to pray.