Chapter 9 #2
Something loosened in April’s chest at the realization that she hadn’t made a mistake trusting Tanner. And that he was trusting her in return. “I won’t. I almost didn’t even tell you, but I didn’t want you to rush into something when you didn’t have all the facts.”
“I still don’t, April. I believe you saw Ethan that night. I just don’t believe he’s on Dynam’s payroll. No way. No how. Not after everything he and his family have been through.”
***
Tanner let April stay with him for a while, but then had a patrol officer he trusted drive her home. He needed some time alone before going in to talk to Ethan. He had a million questions for the guy, and that was before April had told him about her first encounter with him.
At least the doctors had been able to confirm based on the wound that the knife wasn’t serrated and didn’t have a notch near the hilt. So, this wasn’t the work of whoever had killed Arlo J.
The longer Tanner sat in the waiting area by himself, the more he thought about what April had said.
He desperately wanted her to be wrong, but deep down, he knew she wasn’t.
She wouldn’t lie to him about something like this, and the longer Tanner considered it, the more it seemed to be possible.
Ethan was working homicide when Tanner first joined the force, but then he moved to the robbery division.
Then he seemed to disappear for a while.
And Tanner assumed he’d gone under cover, but then the guy popped back up again a few months ago in homicide.
Ethan seemed to float around between departments, which Tanner found odd, but didn’t say anything. That ended now.
When a nurse finally told him that Ethan was stable enough to be questioned, Tanner practically ran into the room.
“I’ll live, Rhodes. No need to rush getting my statement.”
Tanner couldn’t believe that despite being attached to half a dozen or so machines, Ethan was trying to sound light-hearted and not like he’d almost died today. But Tanner’s heart was banging against his ribs. He’d worked with this guy on and off for years. He’d trusted him.
“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” Ethan asked, his words only slightly slurring from the drugs.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew April?” Tanner asked, not bothering to hide the accusation in his tone.
“Because I don’t know her. What’s this about?”
Tanner shook his head slowly. One of them was lying, and he still believed that April wouldn’t lie to him. “Don’t play dumb with me. You could’ve been killed today.”
“Yeah, I got that. But I wasn’t.” Ethan waved his good arm around like he was making a point. “Doctor says I’ll heal up just fine. No major organs or arteries were hit.”
“And yet you coded,” Tanner said. He’d washed the blood off his hands in that bathroom, but he could still feel it coating his skin. He’d only ever given CPR once before today. It wasn’t something he’d ever forget.
Ethan nodded. “They told me. Thanks for bringing me back. I owe you.”
Tanner could work with that. “Good. Cause I’m cashing in right now. Tell me about your relationship to Ned Dynam.” If the man didn’t want to talk about April, he’d get him to talk about someone else that was just as important.
Ethan closed his eyes. “That’s classified.”
“Not anymore. Not when it puts you and other people in danger.” Tanner was mainly thinking about April, but the sight of Ethan almost dying right in front of him would definitely haunt him for a while.
“What did she tell you?” Ethan asked.
This was pissing Tanner off. He knew a stalling tactic when he heard it. “Nevermind that. I want to hear what you have to say. We’ve worked together for years. Tell me you’re not working for that dirty billionaire.”
“I can’t.”
“You can’t?” Tanner nearly screamed. Had he really saved the life of a backstabbing, lying scumbag that had harassed the woman he cared about?
“I can’t because officially, I am.”
Ethan’s words made Tanner’s head spin. “Officially? What does that mean? Is he part of a case you’re working on?”
“I can’t say more, Rhodes. Come on, give me a break here.”
“The way you gave April a break when you pulled over her Uber for no other reason than to harass her?” There, he’d said it.
Because the entire time he’d been sitting out in that waiting area waiting for Ethan to come out of surgery, all he could think about was April sitting in an Uber, being harassed by a uniformed cop, someone she should’ve been able to trust to protect her from a guy like Ned Dynam.
Ethan swallowed hard and refused to meet Tanner’s gaze. “Boss’s orders.”
“Why?” Tanner demanded.
“I tell you that and I really am a dead guy.”
Tanner worked his jaw. He’d heard those words before.
Usually from an informant. But Ethan had a badge.
And Tanner needed answers. Now. “Did he do this?” Ethan turned his head to look away from Tanner, but Tanner wasn’t about to let up.
“Is this because of something you did or didn’t do for Ned Dynam? Is April involved?”
Ethan turned his head back and stared at Tanner for a long moment. “I didn’t see who attacked me. I have no idea if it was someone he hired or not.”
“But if you had to guess?” Tanner felt like he was so close to getting Ethan to tell him something useful. He just had to push a little harder, and the man would crack.
“If I had to guess… I might’ve overheard something I wasn’t supposed to the other day. I tried to cover it up. Thought I was in the clear. Guess I wasn’t.” Ethan gave him a forced, hoarse laugh.
“This isn’t funny,” Tanner said. “What did you overhear?”
“No, it’s not funny. It’s deadly serious. I need you to stay out of it unless you want to end up like me.”
Tanner didn’t become a cop to hide from danger.
He’d take whatever was dished out to him.
It was becoming frustratingly obvious though that Ethan wasn’t going to tell him anything more, but there was someone else on Tanner’s mind.
Someone Ethan wasn’t even considering. “What about April?” Tanner demanded.
Ethan shook his head. “It’s too late for her. She’s already in way too deep.”