The Serpent's Kiss

67

Derek exited the casino, sluiced off under their make-shift shower and slipped back into his street clothes, thinking that he needed a real shower, food and some rest. He was sticky with sweat and felt sure that he reeked.

The crowd had thinned while he had been wasting time inside, and dusk was starting, turning the gray day even gloomier. He hadn’t found anything, and the size of the place was causing problems in their search. And because it was a casino, there were a lot of areas that were only accessible by employees and required keyed and coded entrance. It was taking forever to search because they needed the casino security’s help, and they weren’t trained for working in the suits.

Derek had decided he was wasting his time and left it up to the Detroit Fire Department’s Haz-Mat Team and the HMRU to figure out what was going on in there.

He looked around for Jill and didn’t see her. He had no desire to talk to Matt Gray again. Or ever, for that matter. He decided to find her car and check his e-mail and get hold of General Johnston.

When he finally hobbled around the corner to where Jill had left her car, he found her pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, everything about her expression and body language indicating anger.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I got sacked.”

“What?”

“Matt benched me. I’m suspended without pay.” She continued pacing, expression fierce. “Dammit, Stillwater. This could have been avoided.”

“Let’s go talk to him,” Derek said. “This isn’t a good time to thin his people.”

Jill turned on him. “Oh bullshit! You’re half the problem. I never should have gone along with this. Look Stillwater, I could deal with the so-called insubordination issues. Matt threw that in because I was supposed to contain you, then after you punched him out I was supposed to arrest you. It’s all bullshit, and he knows it. He can’t get me on the containment issue because it’s a crock. You were doing your job, and even the Attorney General would agree that there’s no cause for locking you out, at least not when you first got here. That’s an internal issue that’s out of our hands. As for arresting you for beating on Matt, he’s crazy if he thinks that sending one of three witnesses who saw you punch him to arrest you makes procedural sense. But he’s got me cold on the illegal search and seizure.”

Derek sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I just do what I think has to be done.”

“Give it a rest, Stillwater.”

He leaned on the crutches and closed his eyes for a moment. “Derek,” he said.

“Don’t get all sentimental on me.”

“Gee, just when I was starting to feel all warm and fuzzy about our relationship. What’s next, Church?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you going home?”

“I’m supposed to go back to the office, type up my reports and report back tomorrow for details.”

Derek stepped closer. “I need your help.”

“That’s why I’m in this situation, Stillwater! Didn’t you hear me? I’m out. Benched. Sacked. Sidelined. Persona non grata. I’m a civilian, now.”

“Good. Now you can help me without answering to Gray. I can really use your help. I don’t know the area and I can’t really drive with my leg all screwed up like this.”

She stared at him. “You’re unbelievable, you know that? You push me into the deep end, then toss me a cement block! What, you want me to lose my job for good?”

Derek said nothing.

“The answer is no!” she snapped.

“Okay,” Derek said with a shrug. “I’ll get my gear. I’ll get a cab or something.”

He limped over to the trunk of her car. They both turned when someone shouted, “There’s a body in the parking garage!” The crowd seemed to move like an animal, taking on its own life, shifting toward the new catastrophe. The media were like the animal’s teeth, leading the way, charging for the parking garage.

Derek said, “You mind hanging around for a while until I check this out? Then I’ll get my gear.”

“I’m coming with you.” She clenched her jaw in a determined expression.

Derek studied her. “You sure?”

She hesitated, then: “Yes. I’m sure.”

They looked into each other’s eyes. “Okay,” Derek said. “Good.”