Chapter 39
Emery
April
Knuckles rap against my door a moment before it swings open. “McAllister. Good, you’re free.” Doug Freeman strolls in without an invitation, shutting the door behind him.
I calmly set the budget report I was reviewing aside. “Hey, Doug, this is a surprise. What are you doing out of headquarters?”
“Just a little drive, visiting my detachments.” He drops into the spare chair, his girth testing its construction.
“Little drive, huh.” His territory covers an area from Parry Sound to Moosonee, a town at the edge of the Arctic, so remote that you can only get to it by plane or train or an ice road in the winter.
“The local ones,” he amends, running the back of his hand under his nose to catch the perpetual drip before adjusting his uniform shirt collar.
The subtle move highlights the gold maple leaf and bar on his shoulder, marking his rank and the proof that one can be promoted far beyond their level of competence.
“How’s your girl doing? Still into the hockey?”
“She is, but their season’s over.” They lost by one goal in a heartbreaking defeat playing against Manitoulin, losing their chance to compete in provincials. Isla moped for a day, but I’m not going to lie—I don’t mind having my evenings free from driving to practice.
And the only time Doug tries to have a friendly conversation with me is when he’s about to ruin my day. “What can I do for you?” I don’t believe for one second he’s simply “touring,” and there’s only one reason I can think of that he would make the drive rather than pick up the phone.
“You know, for such a small detachment, yours really does create a lot of noise.” His lips purse in thought. “A complaint has been filed against you. Apparently, you traumatized a sixteen-year-old girl at a tournament in November?”
“Let me guess. Erin Griffin.”
“The parents are claiming abuse of authority.”
Something told me they might escalate after they stewed on it for a bit. They care more about their daughter’s embarrassment than her horrid behavior. I have no regrets.
“It’s going to PSB.”
The Professional Standards Bureau is where all complaints for an OPP officer go. “Great. I have Cold River’s mayor as a witness to the exchange.” And Dillon was equally appalled by what Erin said, once he got over Logan being there. “Is that it?”
“No.” He smooths out his tie. “It’s been brought to my attention that you are in a relationship with a recent parolee who has a criminal record that includes double manslaughter and violent assault.”
I keep my expression calm, even as my stomach clenches. “Okay.”
Doug’s eyebrow arches. “That’s your answer? ‘Okay’?”
“I didn’t hear a question.”
“Well? Are you in a relationship with Logan Landry?”
“A ‘relationship’? He’s my neighbor and childhood friend so, yes, we do have a relationship by definition.”
“You know what I mean,” he blusters, his annoyance rising.
“Are you asking me who I’m fucking in my private life, Doug?”
“That’s not—” He regroups, his face turning red. “There is a serious conflict of interest—”
“What conflict of interest? The one Brad Whitley is manufacturing?”
“I wouldn’t call the Monroe case manufactured.”
“Logan has nothing to do with that case. He has an alibi, obtained by CIB investigators you sent.”
“His alibi is you.”
“And two other people. And why on earth would I cover for him, Doug? What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything.” He shakes his head to emphasize that, forcing his hand to catch another drip.
I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms. I don’t care if it’s a defensive stance.
I am on the defensive. “Logan has served twenty years of his sentence and was released from prison to serve the rest of it on the outside, even if some people in this community don’t want to accept that.
And regarding the assault, there’s a lot more to that story. He is not naturally violent.”
“Are you sure? Because from what Sergeant Lynch told me, it took you everything to keep Landry from ripping apart that guy at the arena parking lot.”
“First off, that’s false. Of course Logan was angry.
Axel Murphy shoved me to the ground.” My hip is still tender.
A bone bruise, according to my doctor. “But he didn’t do anything other than move quicker than my own officer did to come to my aid.
” And I guess I know who’s been feeding Freeman information.
“Logan’s not a threat, and my relationship with him is none of anyone’s damn business.
” Even if it’s clearly being forced out into the open.
I’ve never raised my voice or spoken to Doug like that before and by his expression, it’s not being well received.
“Watch yourself, McAllister,” he snaps, before toying with a button on his shirt.
“The health and reputation of this detachment is very much my business, as is the conduct of my officers. And if Holly Monroe’s case circles back around to Landry, you will be facing a serious misconduct investigation.
I’ll make sure of it.” With that he collects his hat off my desk and marches out.
I exhale a shaky breath.
One day down the road, I’m going to look back on this conversation and probably say, “Yeah, that was the beginning of the end for me as a police officer.”
But for now, I have a detachment to run.