Chapter Four.
Hayden
I sat back and looked at the battered man in front of me. Jed Gerrit was a stain on society, and at twenty, he had a record as long as my arm. The Gerrits were a total waste of air in my opinion, but I had to do my job, and right now, Jed was surely a victim. The question: who was his attacker?
“Jed, I know you think little of us, but someone did you wrong, and the law wants justice to be done,” I said calmly.
I felt Luther Gerrit’s eyes boring into me, Jed’s grandfather, while his father snored in a chair.
Jesus, if Jed was a stain on society, then Chuck Gerrit was a fuckin’ pimple on its ass.
Huge beer gut, long, greasy, lank hair and a beard that had food in it.
Rotten teeth and a pockmarked expression made me wonder how the man ever got laid to produce kids.
Chuck snorted in his sleep and jolted before settling again.
He stank to high heaven of sweat and booze, so I was keeping my distance.
“I don’t know who did this. I woke up at home, and Pop brought me here,” Jed mumbled through a broken jaw.
“He shouldn’t be talking,” Luther snarled at me.
“Then he could write it down. He can write?” I asked, and Luther scowled. The door opened, and Earl walked in. Of all the Gerrit’s, Earl happened to be the person to watch. Meaner than a rattlesnake and downright devious, Earl was the only one with the brains.
“Detective Wylde, what do we owe this pleasure to?” Earl said sarcastically.
I didn’t reply and merely looked at Jed in the hospital bed.
“Well?” Earl pushed.
“You fuckin’ kidding me, Earl? Someone beat the shit out of your nephew, broke his jaw and arm, smashed his hand and sliced his fingers off. You’re wondering why I’m here?” I asked incredulously.
“The boy doesn’t remember,” Earl stated, and I heard Luther grind his teeth.
“Bullshit,” I replied. “If you’re thinking of taking your own version of justice—”
“Ask him.” Earl waved a dismissive hand.
“Jed, who did this?” I turned to him, and Jed’s face screwed up.
“I don’t know,” he said, his speech distorted, as pure fear crossed his face.
“You’ve got ‘gang member’ carved into your head. You’ve been running with a gang? Was this an initiation that went wrong?” I pressed.
“No! I don’t know, I don’t know!” Jed yelled in a high-pitched voice. I could barely make out his words. Fear rolled off him in waves, making me frown.
“Take a breath,” I demanded. I couldn’t understand where the fear was coming from. “You’re safe, Jed.”
“No, I’m not. They’re watching,” Jed hissed, and I frowned.
“Who?”
“I do not know!” Jed screamed. He paled as clear pain raced through him. Chuck jolted in his chair but didn’t wake.
“Stop talking, Jed,” I ordered. “Write it down.”
“Detective, I think you’d better leave. My grandson is upset,” Luther snarled.
“Do you understand your grandson was the victim of a vicious assault? We want to make sure that whoever did this is off the streets. Then there’s the branding, gang membership, and extortion? Did you try to extort someone?” I pushed.
“You’re done,” Earl said. “If Jed remembers anything, we’ll contact you.”
“Bull. If you don’t want justice, fine. But let me tell you, no one else better end up here because of Gerrit’s vengeance,” I warned and got up. I opened the door, and Jed called out.
“Wylde!” He was wincing in agony as I turned. “Their faces are blank. I can’t see them. They’re gone.”
I studied his face. There was fear in his eyes and a lust for revenge, but I could also see the confusion. Jed, like the other gang members, had no idea who’d done this to him.
“Get better soon,” I said and left.
Who the hell was behind these attacks? Six people had been harmed now, and not one could remember their attackers.
Yeah, they might not be victims, and if I had my choice, I wouldn’t bother investigating because they got their just desserts.
But the law sucked sometimes, protecting criminals against the victims.
I’d no doubt Earl knew something; it was in his eyes, but whatever it was, Earl would never talk to the cops. It was merely another thing to keep my eyes open for, because the Gerrits wouldn’t let anyone get away with maiming one of their kin. Oh, they might do it, but nobody else could.
A groan escaped me as I exited the elevator and came face to face with Becky. I’d made the mistake of asking her out on a couple of dates. A man gets lonely, but she’d somehow turned that into a full-blown relationship. I wasn’t opposed to one, but Becky had become clingy way too fast.
“Hay!” she tittered, a beaming smile crossing her lips.
“Hayden,” I corrected, instantly irritated.
“How are you? I guess you’ve been busy, since you haven’t replied to my texts. It’s okay. I know how that can go. It’s been crazy in the ER lately. I’m free Friday night, how about dinner then?”
“I’m busy Friday, sorry, Becky,” I said and winced inwardly. Apologising only made it seem like I actually wanted to date her. And Becky took it that way.
“That’s okay; we can schedule it for a different time. I go on nights in two weeks for four weeks, so maybe a lunch date if we don’t meet before then.”
“We’ll see; I’ve got a lot on at the moment,” I replied in another attempt to head her off.
“Of course you do; you’re a detective! Hey, actually, I’ve a family barbecue on Sunday, why don’t you come to that?”
Woah. No way. “Becky, look, we’ve had a couple of dates, but I’m nowhere near ready to meet anyone’s family. You’re pushing too hard.”
Becky looked crestfallen. “Sorry, I only thought it would be a way of spending time together.”
“Not at a family barbecue. That sends messages I’m not sending. You’re a lovely woman, but moving way too fast.”
Becky’s face screwed up, and I didn’t want to handle the fallout. Damn it, why couldn’t she have just taken it slow?
“Have a nice day, Becky.”
“You too, Hayden.”
Well, that was passive-aggressive. I moved away quickly, not wanting a scene, which would be highly inappropriate.
Going toward the entrance, I stopped at the sight of a familiar cut.
I turned in a flash and saw a member of the RHMC sitting in a chair, holding something over her face. A glance around told me she was alone.
“You okay?” I inquired, approaching her. She looked up, and I recognised her as Rose, who ran the Royal Harlot boat tours.
“Yeah. Some drunks pissing about on a sailboat. They didn’t listen to instructions, and I got clobbered,” she replied.
“Can I see?” I asked, and Rose snorted. She lowered the ice pack, and I winced. “Shit, were they arrested?”
“Yeah, two of your officers are in with them,” she said and pointed.
“They were hurt, too?”
“They were after I finished beating their asses,” Rose replied blithely and snickered as she replaced the ice pack. The woman had just admitted to beating the hell out of some guys badly enough that they needed hospitalisation… and she didn’t look even bothered.
“What? You aren’t gonna arrest me, Wylde.
They could have killed us all, and they also got grabby,” Rose said, leaning back.
She winced in pain, and I felt sorry for her.
Her left side of her face was a mess. Not only was her eye swollen shut, but her cheek was also inflamed.
There was a deep three-inch cut running down the side of her forehead, and her lip was puffy.
“What the hell did they hit you with?” I finally asked.
“They swung the boom at me—and whack. I told them there was no more drinking as they were well over the limit anyway. They took offence and swung the boom at me. That almost capsized us. I pounded their asses, knocked them out, and called the coast guard to let them know what happened, and they met me at the docks. Two of your guys arrested them.”
“Want me to call anyone, Rose?”
“Nah, Saph will be coming soon. I sent her a message.”
“I’ll wait with you until she comes,” I said.
Rose sent me a surprised look, which matched how I felt inside. Why on earth had I just offered? I sat down, and Rose kept staring at me.
“What? I’ve got something on my face?” I teased, and Rose laughed and winced in pain. “Have you had any pain relief yet?”
“No. They took those assholes in. I’m still waiting to be seen,” she murmured.
“Bullshit,” I stated and headed over to the desk. The nurse made excuses, but I insisted that Rose get some pain relief. As she scowled, I still got my way by flashing my badge.
“She’ll bring some over,” I said to Rose as I sat back down.
“What’s in this for you, cop?” Rose demanded, staring at me suspiciously.
“Just being nice, Rose. Hey, there’s Dix and Knowles now,” I replied, looking at the two uniforms heading my way.
“Detective, surprised they called you in for a common assault,” Knowles said.
“They didn’t, I was visiting another vic—someone else,” I said, not wanting to call Jed a victim.
“Okay. Ma’am, would you stand up and place your hands behind your back?” Knowles ordered as Dix pulled out his handcuffs.
“Why are you arresting her?” I asked, surprised, rising to my feet.
“There are three men back there who claim she beat them. They’re a mess, Detective, we’re charging her with assault,” Dix replied.
“Without getting her statement? What about charging them with sexual assault, boating under the influence, and assault and battery?” I reached out, removed Rose’s hand, and let the officers see her face.
“They said nothing about that,” Dix retorted, and I knew his anger was rising. I was embarrassing him for not doing his job properly.
“Of course they wouldn’t; they need to be the victims, don’t want to be charged with sexual assault. The coastguard removed them from Rose’s boat while drunk and handed them to you. Did you breathalyse them?” I pressed, and Knowles glanced down at his boots.
“What’s it got to do with you?” Dix snapped.
“Because you haven’t done your jobs!” I snarled back, and Knowles looked worried.