Chapter 118 - Hawk
Hawk
The interrogation room at the Copper Cove Police Department hadn’t changed much since I was fifteen and the Sheriff hauled me and a buddy here for fighting some other boys. Same buzzing fluorescent lights, same yellowing paint that made the walls look like they’d been smoking for fifty years.
Julia stood on the other side of the one-way mirror, arms crossed, jaw tight. She’d been pacing ever since we brought the cartel thug in.
“Relax,” I said, leaning against the wall. “You’re wearing a hole in the floor. Why are they letting you question the guy? You don’t work here.”
Her eyes flicked to me. “Sometimes I help them out. Plus, he shot at me, Hawk. I’m allowed to pace. Why would someone shoot at me?”
“Technically, he shot at me too.”
“Technically, you’re not law enforcement, which means you shouldn’t have been there.”
“Technically,” I said, grinning, “if I hadn’t been there, you’d still be chasing tire tracks, and it was our property they were on.”
She glared, but I saw the corner of her mouth twitch. Progress.
Inside the room, the suspect sat with his head bowed. Young, maybe mid-twenties, with cartel ink up both arms and the kind of smirk that made me itch to knock it off his face.
“Name’s Diego Vega,” Julia said. “Colombian passport, fake ID, fake everything. Refuses to talk. So I’m sure that’s not his real name.”
I stepped closer to the glass. “Mind if I try?”
Her brow lifted. “You’re not trained for interrogations.”
I smirked. “Not the kind you do.”
She rolled her eyes but opened the door anyway. “Fine. But I swear, if you break any rules—”
“Detective,” I said, walking past her, “you’ve known me since I was eight. When have I ever broken rules?”
“Every day of your life.”
I grinned. “Fair point.”
The door closed behind me, and the air felt heavier. I pulled out the chair across from Diego and sat, folding my hands on the table.
“Long night, huh?” I said.
He looked up, eyes dark and flat. “You are not police.”
“Nope. But I’m the guy who dragged your ass out of the woods.”
He gave a dry laugh. “Then I thank you.”
“Don’t. I don’t do rescues for free.”
That got his attention. He studied me a moment, then leaned forward. “What do you want?”
“Names. Why are you here? Who sent you?”
He looked away. “You will not stop them. Someone higher up approved the location. You should be looking into your government.”
I stood, walked around the table, and leaned close enough that he could smell the gunpowder still on my shirt. “Maybe not. But I can make sure they stop breathing first.”
His jaw flexed. “They are already here.”
“Who?”
He hesitated, and I saw the flicker of fear in his eyes before he masked it. “The man who owns Copper Ridge Mine. He works for them now.”
I frowned. “Copper Ridge? That mine’s been shut down for years.”
“Not anymore,” he whispered. “Tunnels. Hidden. Perfect for cooking.”
Julia’s voice came over the intercom, tight with shock. “Hawk, get out of there.”
I turned just as Diego’s body convulsed. Foam at the mouth. His eyes rolled back.
“Son of a—” I grabbed him, but it was too late. He was gone.
Julia burst into the room, gun drawn, scanning for threats. “What happened?”
“Cyanide capsule,” I said, grim. “Someone made sure he wouldn’t talk. They all have to carry a tablet, I suspect.”
She looked down at the body, then at me. “How did they know?”
“Because someone inside this town tipped them off.” I met her eyes. “You’ve got a leak, Julia.”
She swallowed hard. “And you think it’s someone from the Sheriff's office?”
“I think it’s someone close. Someone who knew exactly when we brought him in.”
For a moment, the only sound was the hum of the lights.
She turned toward me, her voice quiet. “If you’re right, then everyone in town is in danger.”
I stepped closer, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek before I even realized what I was doing. “That includes you.”
Her breath caught. “You should stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m the only thing you want to protect.”
I let my hand fall and smiled faintly. “Maybe you are.”
Her eyes softened, just for a second, before she straightened and walked toward the door. “We’re not doing this, Hawk. Not now.”
“Then when?”
She paused. “When it’s safe.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to make it safe.”