Chapter Twenty-Two #2
“If you don’t feel up to this today, Havoc, you can tap out. You got clawed up by a demon, take the rest of today off.”
“No, thank you, Lieutenant, but I want to help get this guy.”
He gave me that look that said he wasn’t sure he believed me, but he said, “Fine, but if at any point you think you need a break, take it; Bridges will drop you back at your car, or your apartment, whatever you need.”
“I must look worse than I feel for you to baby me like this,” I said, smiling to try and make it a joke.
The look he gave back was serious with no hint of a smile. His dark eyes were trying to read past the smiling, pleasant face I was giving him. He knew me too well to believe it, but he finally gave a small nod.
“Tell the parents we’re looking for him and you’re just there to gather information to help us figure out what is going on.”
“Will do, Lieutenant,” Bridges said.
“I’ll try to keep an open mind about Cookson, sir.”
“That’s all I ask, Havoc. Now go and find out things. I’ll take Sato and head back to the original crime scene and work it from that end.”
“Aye-aye, bossman,” Bridges said, and headed for the elevators again. This time I followed her without questioning it. I’d try to keep an open mind, but I knew what I’d heard. Mark Cookson wasn’t a victim; he was a bad guy.
My watch vibrated against my wrist. One glance was enough to make me groan. I so did not need this right now.
“What’s wrong?” Lila asked.
“I’m due at couples therapy with Reggie.”
“Oh, Havoc, I’m sorry. Couples therapy sucks,” Lila said.
She’d gone through her own messy divorce just after I joined the unit.
Her ex-wife had come to the precinct once and thrown a box at Lila full of couple gifts.
At least my personal issues hadn’t gotten that messy, not yet.
I tried picturing Reggie throwing stuff at me at work in front of strangers.
No, she’d never lose control like that in public.
She saved her passion for private, including her anger.
“Thanks, Lila, I appreciate the solidarity.”
“Bitches be crazy, and dudes are stupid—I’ve married one apiece, trust me, it all sucks.” I’d met her ex-husband, Rob; he seemed okay and a lot less likely to throw shit at you than her ex-wife, Annie.
Charleston came back to us; apparently he’d overheard. “I’ve been happily married to my beautiful wife for thirty years. Not all marriages end in divorce.”
“You got lucky,” Lila said.
“Part of it’s luck, finding someone who’s willing to work on the marriage and their own personal issues. A couple either grows together or grows apart.”
“In the spirit of trying to grow together, I can’t miss this appointment, Lieutenant, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me, Havoc,” he said.
I turned to Lila. “I’m so sorry, I’m leaving you hanging here. You need some magical backup in case the parents are involved somehow, or in case there’s been enough black magic done in the house to thin the veil between this reality and Hell.”
“I know my job, Havoc,” Lila said, giving me a look that made me try to explain.
“I’m not questioning that; you know I’d take you as backup any day. It’s just I’m feeling guilty that I won’t be there to help you face it, whatever it is.”
Her face softened. “You’re a good guy, Havoc.”
“Thanks, I just hope my wife agrees with you today.”
“Well, she won’t if you miss the appointment,” Charleston said, frowning. “We can get MacGregor to meet Lila at the home.”
“Old MacGregor or young?” Lila asked.
Charleston half laughed and half sighed. It was funny, but it was making things more complicated. “They aren’t related, Bridges.”
“Let me see: a middle-aged or a little older white guy who’s nearly six feet tall and hasn’t hit a gym in almost as long as Antero, compared to a twenty-something, younger-than-Gimble black man who is as tall as you and Havoc—by God they are twins, or at least long-lost family.
” She was smiling and overly pleased with herself, but the fact that the newest temporary officer in our unit shared a last name with the detective who had been with us the longest had led to a lot of jokes.
“MacGregor has been in the unit longer than anyone except Ravensong, so he’s MacGregor,” Charleston said as if he’d just decided it.
“Okay, what do we call MacGregor two, then?” she asked.
“Why not just use his first name?” I asked.
“I tried calling him Goliath,” Lila said, “and he gave me this look, said he doesn’t go by it.”
“I can understand why he doesn’t use it, but what does he go by?” I asked.
Charleston said, “I already had this talk with him, and he goes by MacGregor.”
“How about Mac?” I suggested.
“His stepdad is Mac,” Charleston said.
I glanced at my watch. “I feel like I’m leaving you guys in the lurch, but I have to go if I’m going to make the appointment.”
“You sure you feel well enough to drive yourself?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Lila said, “I was supposed to be your taxi because you got cut up by a demon.”
“I’m good.” And in my head I thought, no way was I taking Lila and me off the job for my couples counseling.
They both gave me hard looks, but I managed to just wave and start inching my way toward the elevators. “Just let me know what nickname you decide on for Officer Goliath MacGregor, so I don’t get it wrong.”
“Oh, don’t worry, if you get it wrong Goliath will let you know,” Lila said, rolling her eyes.
Charleston grinned. “I told him it could always be worse, try being a boy named Adinka through elementary school and seventh grade.”
Lila gave a low whistle. “Everybody thought it was a girl’s name, didn’t they?”
Charleston nodded.
“Wait,” she said, “you said just seventh grade, not junior high, what happened to make it bearable in eighth grade?”
“I hit my growth spurt fast and hard the summer between seventh and eighth grade.” He grinned again, but this time it was fiercer, the smile that the sports magazines had touted as his killer smile.
I’d seen suspects confess after being offered to be alone with him and that smile.
Charleston would never have harmed them, but he gave off raw menace better than almost anyone I knew.
He’d tried to teach me how to do it since I had the size to intimidate, but he finally gave up, saying, “I guess you get to be the good cop.” I was okay with being the good cop.
I wondered if Goliath MacGregor would be able to do bad and good; he was certainly tall enough to intimidate most people.
“Good luck, I’ll contact you both when I’m out of the appointment,” I said.
“You got this, Havoc,” Lila said.
I shook my head. “If I asked you what women want, would you have an answer?”
She smiled, but it was more bitter than funny. Her eyes were bleak as she said, “If I knew the answer to that I’d still be married to my own wife.”