Womans Murder Club 2 - Second Chance

Chapter 76

“THIS IS BULLSHIT,” I said. “It's total crap. What is this - some kind of a men's club?”

Tracchio, Ruddy and Hull from the FBI, Carr, Ryan. Five boys seated around the table - minus me, the woman.

The acting chief stood up. His face was red. “Lindsay we were about to call you up.”

I knew what this meant. What was going on. Tracchio was going to shift control on the case. My case. He and Ryan were going to hand it over to the FBI.

“We're at a critical moment in this case,” Tracchio said.

“You're damn right,” I cut him off. I swept my gaze over the group. “I know who it is.”

Suddenly, all eyes turned my way. The boys were silent.

It was as if the lights had been cranked up, and my skin prickled as if it had been cauterized.

I leveled my eyes back on Tracchio. “You want me to lay it out for you? Or do you want me to leave?”

Seemingly dumbfounded, he pulled out a chair for me.

I didn't sit. I stood. Then I took them through everything, and I enjoyed it. How I had been skeptical at first, but then it began to fit. Chimera, Pelican Bay... Coombs's grudge against the police force. At the sound of Coombs's name, the departmental people's eyes grew wide. I linked the victims, Coombs's qualification as a marksman, how only a marksman could have made those shots.

When I finished, there was silence again. They just stared.

I wanted to pump my arm in victory.

Agent Ruddy cleared his throat. "So far, I haven't heard a thing that links Coombs directly to any of the crime scenes.

“Give me another day or two and you will,” I said.

“Coombs is the killer.”

Hull, Ruddy's broad-shouldered partner, shrugged optimistically toward the chief. “You want us to follow this up?”

I couldn't believe it. This was my case. My breakthrough. Homicide's. Our people had been murdered.

Tracchio seemed to mull it over. He pursed his thick lips as if he were sucking a last drop through a straw. Then he shook his head at the FBI man.

“That won't be necessary, Special Agent. This has always been a city case. We'll see it through with city personnel.”