Chapter 22 TYRONE
TYRONE
Ever since I had left my little café, it had been nonstop work, late nights, and more whiskey than I had had the entirety of last year.
But there was just too much information and too many holes.
The chief wasn’t answering any of my questions and while I still didn’t trust Merchant, I didn’t think he was the culprit.
He fit the profile of The King and at the same time, he usually had an alibi for when someone supposedly witnessed The King out at night.
Each lead became a dead end and now Jade wasn’t picking up my calls.
Was Chief Matthews covering for someone or was he the culprit altogether? I had requested all the files on The Three Terrors and it was appalling how little information was in these files. For a man working around the clock for the last several years on this, he didn’t have anything to show for it.
Worse, no one had called him out on it.
I sifted through the paperwork and pulled out the slim file I had compiled on Killian, well, Runo. Many of my suspicions made sense if I shifted the focus to his father or tried to pair them together for some of the Primrose murders.
Accusing the chief without any real evidence, though, was a death sentence to my career. I was working here as a favor to the precinct but all it took was one step in the wrong direction and the chief would have me out on my ass.
I looked up from my desk and frowned when I saw light spilling through the small window. What fucking time is it? My gaze fell on the clock just above my door and I grimaced. It was a few minutes past one in the afternoon, which meant I had been awake for nearly 24 hours at this point.
Fuck, I needed a cup of coffee to finish out the day and then like two or three days of rest. However, there just wasn’t time for that. Not when there was at least one, maybe more killers running around this city.
I pushed up from my desk and headed for the breakroom to grab some caffeine.
The precinct was quiet for the most part aside from shuffling papers and the whispered chatter.
I glanced across the bullpen, frowning when I caught Merchant at his desk.
It confused me why he had never grabbed an office.
He was the chief’s pet for the most part.
My thoughts changed once I found out that he did much of his work at his estate, in an office that I was sure was as big as this entire office. Still, he looked out of place there. I took a step toward him when the front doors swung open, a familiar face entering the precinct.
“Alex?” I said. “What are you doing here?”
He shifted, his eyes darting around the bullpen. “Can we talk?”
I nodded and gestured to my office, leading him down the hallway before pointing to a seat.
He quickly took it as I rounded my desk and placed my coffee on the surface.
Alex nervously shifted a few times before speaking.
“I wasn’t sure this should be said over a phone call, so I came in,” he said, glancing at the door like someone might burst in.
“Uh, I think Killian might have some of the information you need.”
I raised an eyebrow. “How so?”
Alex shifted, his eyes darting to the board behind me, pinned with photos of everything I had found over the last several days.
“I don’t know how much you know, but he’s been a bit of an oddball for a little while, and death seems to follow him.
Another employee of mine, Nyla, ended up dead after going out with him.
Reports say she got into a cab and went home, but… ”
I knew that—Nyla’s body was found in an alley, the cab receipt placing her with Killian hours before.
I had gone down all those leads almost a week ago before I was officially put on the case.
However, none of that added up, either. It was strange that Samael and Killian had been in the same place, several witnesses mentioning that it wasn’t their first time there.
However, between those two, Ryker and Phoenix, having kinky sex in strange places wasn’t a crime.
“I’ve catalogued that, yes. Have you noticed anything else?”
Alex leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “He’s started talking to himself, switching between voices and personalities, but I know that’s just the mind thing he has. I just think someone should look into him more.”
If Alex had come to me a few weeks ago, I might have thought I hit the jackpot. As of now, though, Runo was no longer my concern. Well, not my main one. “I’ll definitely do that. Is he at work today?”
Alex shook his head, his fingers twisting together in his lap.
When I had entered The Revival a few days ago, he had been bold, walking around like he owned the building.
Now, he seemed almost frail in comparison.
Scared, if that was the right word. “No, he took a few days off. He’s never sick, though, so I’m not sure what’s going on. ”
“Appreciate you coming in, Alex. This helps.”
Alex hurriedly nodded and slipped out of my office, my door shutting behind him. Runo’s instability fed into the main theory I had. If the chief was involved in these murders at all whatsoever, he could very well be hiding behind his son’s disorder. The question was… how involved was the chief?