Chapter 15 #2
Behind him came Talbot and a cop I didn’t know.
He seemed pretty young, making me wonder if this might be his first job.
Talbot scanned the room again, as if he expected to see cocaine and other drugs on the tables and illegal weapons piled in the corner.
Idiot. The other guy was wary. Payne brought up the rear.
I noted the way Talbot kept shooting glances over his shoulder at our enforcer.
He should be afraid to have Payne at his back.
Tank led them straight to Bull, who stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, wearing an unhappy scowl.
“Talbot, what brings you here again? Don’t tell me Jessup Crane called you again for a wild goose chase,” Bull said in his low growly voice.
“I’m here to speak to Dayanara and Brighton Crane again. I have some follow-up questions,” he said arrogantly.
I saw Joker was unobtrusively texting under the table.
“Shouldn’t Officer Oberlin be the one doing that? He was the lead for the report,” Raina called out. Talbot curled his upper lip.
“I don’t see why we need dispatch. You should stay in your lane.”
Joker’s head snapped up, and he came to his feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tank leave the room.
“You might want to change your tune. She spoke the truth. Don’t get pissy with her, Talbot,” Joker said.
“It’s Officer Talbot,” the cop snapped back.
“Sure, whatever you say, Talbot,” Joker replied.
“And what exactly do you need to ask them?” Brae asked. “Or are you going to tell me to stay in my lane, too?”
Talbot’s face reddened. His partner glanced nervously around. I watched the kid’s Adam’s apple bob as he gulped.
“Just some follow-up things. We’ve had new information brought to our attention.”
“And you had to come out here in the middle of the night on a weekend to ask. Let’s hear what they are,” Jocelyn added.
“I don’t see the need for lawyers to be involved. You two, come with us. We’re going to the station.” He pointed at Daya and Breezy. I barely held back my growl.
“They’re not going anywhere unless you have probable cause. Are they under arrest?” Brae asked.
“Not this again. We have the right to question anyone we want. It’s not conducive to do it here,” Talbot stated.
“Who’s your buddy? Does he speak?” Ace asked.
“You are obligated to identify yourselves clearly, and we need to know his name in case we have to file a complaint,” Jocelyn informed Talbot icily.
“He’s my new partner, Officer Mahoney. Now you know who he is. Let’s go.”
“If you need to question them, then we’ll arrange a day and time to bring them to the station. Since you’re clearly not here to arrest them, it can be done at their convenience,” Brae informed him.
“It’s not convenient for us to wait,” Talbot snapped.
“We have nothing to say. Our lawyers are entrusted to speak on our behalf,” Daya cooly told Talbot.
His fury grew. It was evident from the color of his face and the tightness of his fists at his sides. Officer Mahoney reached up and put his hand on Talbot’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Whatever he said, Talbot disagreed with him. His head was shaking, and his scowl grew worse.
“I’m not playing games. We’re doing this tonight,” Officer Talbot demanded.
As he did, his hand came to rest on the butt of his gun. That’s when I saw the holster snap had been undone. A snap usually kept their guns in the holster so they wouldn’t get dropped during a chase, or so someone couldn't take them off them. Anger grew inside of me. What was the fool up to?
Suddenly, the main door opened, and in walked Tank. On his heels was the last person I thought to see tonight. It was Chief Scarelli. His face was a thundercloud as he marched inside.
“Talbot, Mahoney, what the fuck are you doing here?” he barked.
Mahoney snapped to attention, and Talbot stiffened.
“Chief, what are you doing here?” Talbot asked, suspiciously.
“The last time I looked, I wasn’t obligated to tell you where I go or why. However, since you’re wearing that uniform and I’m your boss, you are obligated to tell me. Why are you out here bugging these people again?”
“Chief, we’re here to speak to Brighton and Dayanara Crane again. We have new information that has come to light since our last talk. We asked them to come with us to the station. They were trying to refuse.”
“How can there be new information? These women aren’t hostages.
Their brother filed a false report over a domestic dispute.
He doesn’t like his sister’s choice in men—end of story.
If there is a reason for them to be questioned, they can schedule an appointment to come to the station to speak with Officer Oberlin.
It was his case, not yours. You simply came along for the ride,” Scarelli reminded him.
“Sir, you don’t understand. Information has come to light that wasn’t known during our first visit,” Talbot protested.
“What kind of information?” Chief Scarelli fired back.
When Talbot didn’t answer, Scarelli barked at him, “You can either tell me now, or get your ass back in your squad car and leave.”
“It seems that Brighton Crane accused a man of molesting her when she was a teenager. He was convicted and sent to prison. That man got out early two weeks ago. He hasn’t been seen since two days after his release. I find that highly suspect,” Officer Talbot stated.
“You mean Marshall Webb molested Ms. Crane when she was fifteen, and was rightfully convicted and sent to prison. What does his non-appearance in public have to do with Brighton or Dayanara? I can assure you, they haven’t seen or spoken to him.
They want him to stay as far away from them as possible,” Brae interjected.
“I need to ascertain the last time either of them saw or spoke to Mr. Webb.” Talbot wasn’t giving up.
“The last time either of us saw him was the day he was sentenced and led out of court, which was over five years ago. And if we’re lucky, that’ll be the last time. I don’t make it a habit to go anywhere near my molester,” Breezy told him coldly.
“Talbot, you and Mahoney need to leave. If there are any more questions that aren’t asinine, Officer Oberlin will ask them. You are not working on this case. If there was some confusion about that, I’ve cleared it up,” Scarelli told him coldly.
You could see that Talbot wanted to argue, but he must’ve known that his job was in jeopardy.
Without a word, he turned on his heels, snatched a hold of Mahoney’s arm, and as he marched out, he practically dragged his partner.
Payne and Tank were right behind them, making sure they got off the property.
Thank God he left when he did. I was hanging onto my temper by a thread.