Justice (27 page)

“
Not the words I’d use to describe it,
”
she says with a cruel smile.

“
It was, even for the Ward. The pregnant girlfriend watching her up-and-coming mobster boyfriend gunned down right in front of her by her ex. It was all anyone could talk about for a week. All the details are seared into my brain.
All
of them.
”

Her mouth twitches.
“
What do you want?
”

I smile as brightly as I can.
“
I told you. I’m looking for your son.
”

She folds her arms.
“
He’s not here. He’s told the police everything he knows. He needs to rest.
”

I raise an eyebrow.
“
Well, if he needs to rest, why isn’t he here? Gallivanting all over town can’t be good for him,
”
I say with a chuckle.
“
Neither can going out without protection. Huh.
”

“
Get out of my apartment, Detective,
”
Dodd says.
“
You have no right to be here. Get out!
”

I cock my head to the side.
“
Why so serious?
”
I reach behind, opening the bedroom door as I spin around. A scared Logan, bad arm in a sling, stands on the other side of his bed filling a duffel bag.
“
Going somewhere?
”

The kid reaches down onto the bed with his one hand, and my instincts take over. As he raises his arm, I barely get a glimpse of the gun before leaping behind the wall for cover. Two gunshots ring out, hitting the doorframe where I just stood, missing me by an inch. I reach into my purse for my weapon and there’s another shot, this one hitting the recliner in the living room. The front door pounds open at the same time. Geoff and Bryan, guns out, bust in. Sophia Dodd screams and backs into a corner. Not so tough now. Geoff covers Sophia, but Bryan runs over to me. There are no more shots. I peek around the corner carefully, but no shots ring out. I check again and take in the empty room and open window.

“
Geoff, go out the front! He’s running!
”
I shout as I enter the room with Bryan.

Logan is halfway down the fire escape when I leap onto it. The rickety metal shakes as we storm down it. Logan fires, the bullet hitting and sparking a few inches from my hand. It doesn’t stop us. Nothing will. Bryan returns fire, missing too. Logan hits the ground first, sprinting down the narrow alleyway as he fires wildly before rounding the corner onto the street.

When we reach the street I spot him crossing Ditko Ave and disappearing behind the shops. The police cruiser does a U-turn, lights flashing. Geoff runs out of the building and the patrolmen jump the curb to stop him. He can take care of himself. I stay on Logan’s tail. No way in hell I’m losing him.

We haul ass after him for three blocks, gaining ground, until he goes inside a bodega. People inside the store stare as we run through. I can tell his path by the fallen food in the aisles. He went out the back, the door slamming shut as we enter. Logan’s about halfway down the alley when we run out. At the same time an SUV skids to a stop on the street, cutting off his means of escape. I’d be thrilled if I didn’t recognize the car as one parked down the street from Logan’s apartment. The gun pointed out the window doesn’t help my general
“
Oh, shit
”
feeling.

Dodd sees it too. He stops dead, holding up his gun at the car. It takes me all of a split second to figure things out. Bryan pulls me back into the store. Logan and the men in the car fire at the same time as he runs for cover behind a dumpster. Dodd hits the side of the car, but the assassin misses. The passenger leaps out of the car as he opens fire. At the same time the driver fires as well. Two against one. When the passenger starts running toward Logan, who is huddled behind the dumpster, too afraid to move or fire, I can’t wait a moment longer. I know it’s a stupid move the moment I make it. I run out, shooting at the men to cover my ass. Logan could easily hit me, but he just watches as I race toward him. Prison or death, he’s picking the right one. Bryan is right on my tail, returning fire too. There are so many gunshots I lose track.

I’m just about to reach Dodd when an invisible truck hits my chest, knocking the wind out of me. I spin around and fall behind the dumpster. I don’t know if it’s the shock or adrenaline but I feel no pain, just pressure below my right breast. There’s a flattened gold slug in my coat. It burns my fingers when I pull it out. I have the wherewithal to point my gun at Logan, whose own hangs limp in his hand. He’s in shock too.

Bryan runs toward the car and I hear tires squeal as the car drives away. There are no more shots. A moment later, my bodyguard returns, gun pointed at Logan.
“
Drop it,
”
he commands. Like a zombie, Logan does.
“
You okay?
”
Bryan asks me.

“
I’ll live,
”
I say, still having a hard time breathing.
“
The men?
”

“
One’s dead, but the other got away. I couldn’t get the license plate.
”

Sirens come closer. My brothers in blue. I look at Logan, who stares into space with his knees pulled into his chest like a small child. I almost feel sorry for him.
“
Logan Dodd, you are so under arrest.
”

***

All it took for me to get back on the case was a gunfight and bullet to the chest. Small price to pay. I’ll have a bitch of a bruise, and be in pain when I turn, but the bullet broke nothing. I got shot and only have a bruised rib. Thank you, Justice. They wanted me to go to the hospital, just in case, but there was no way in hell I was missing a minute of the drama I set in motion.

Cam arrived first as I was being examined by paramedics. I gave him the Cliffs Notes version of the events and after a minute of screaming at me, he went off to take charge. Geoff wouldn’t leave my side, even when I had my shirt off. I did convince him not to call Justin. I don’t need that right now. I also instructed all the first responders not to mention names, so the press doesn’t get wind of the Alkaline connection. Right now this is nothing more than another shooting in the Ward.

Poor Bryan was taken away in handcuffs to be questioned. I gave Mirabelle and Kowalski my statement, so Bryan should be released by tonight. If this isn’t justifiable homicide, I don’t know what is. The poor guys drew the short straw and have to investigate this mess. I don’t envy them, or me for that matter. Internal Affairs is going to kick my ass.

Kowalski is still going over my statement as I sit in a patrol cruiser with ice on my ribs when Harry lifts up the crime scene tape and sprints over to us. A tech tries to stop him to ask a question, but he waves her away. It takes effort, but I get out and stand. Without a word Harry takes me into his arms. It hurts, but I don’t let on. I squeeze him back.
“
Are you okay?
”
he asks.

“
I’m fine,
”
I say, pulling away.

Kowalski clears his throat, all of a sudden extremely uncomfortable. Gee, I wonder why. He can’t even look at us. We can be expecting more of this from now on. As I said, so worth it.
“
Um, sir, we, uh, still don’t have an ID on the dead guy. We have an APB out on the make and model of the car his accomplice was driving.
”
He looks at me.
“
And I, uh, need your gun for comparison.
”

I bend down to pick up my purse but wince in pain.
“
I’ll get it,
”
Harry says. He retrieves the gun from my purse, handing it to Kowalski.

“
Right. Thanks. I’ll just, uh, leave you two…yeah.
”
He scurries away.

“
Guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh?
”
I ask as I watch Kowalski tell Mirabelle.

Harry grabs my arm, drawing my attention back to him.
“
Are you out of your fucking mind?
”
he hisses.
“
What the hell were you thinking?
”

“
I just had a hunch. If I was wrong, I didn’t want to waste your time. I didn’t think it would turn into Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. And I had back-up.
”

“
Your back-up killed a man. You were shot!
”

“
I’m fine, it’s just a bad bruise. I was wearing my supercoat.
”

“
You were shot, Joanna!
”
he screams, his face tight.
“
Do you have any idea what I thought when I—
”

He can’t even finish, the idea of it too much for him. He steps away from me, running his hand through his hair. He thought I was dead. Shit, I’ve done it again. I hurt him. I wait a few seconds before approaching. I hug him from behind, resting my cheek on his shoulder blade.
“
I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just, I don’t think sometimes. I’m sorry.
”

After a few seconds, his body relaxes and he pats my hand.
“
Don’t do that to me again. I mean it.
”

I squeeze him again.
“
Promise.
”

I let go when I see Cam walking toward us. If he’s shocked by our PDA he doesn’t let on.
“
Sir, Logan Dodd and his mother are waiting at the station. I’m headed over there now.
”

“
He lawyer up?
”
Harry asks.

“
Not yet. I told them to wait until we’re there before talking to him.
”

“
Then let’s go,
”
Harry says, walking away with Cam.

I chase after them. Neither says a word when Geoff and I climb into the backseat, though Cam glances at me with a hint of annoyance. They both know it’d be pointless to say or do anything. I’d run all the way to the station for this. We don’t talk on the way, or at least to each other. Harry fills the commissioner in on recent events and for once he seems pleased. A rare occurrence.

When I walk back into the squad room it feels like any other day. I’ve missed this place. My desk remains as I left it, a mess. I miss my messy desk. There isn’t time to greet everyone as I stay on the heels of men with a purpose. I do wave to a few. Chip, our A.V. guy, sits behind the two monitors, one with a petrified Logan just staring into space and the other with Sophia, arms folded and out for blood. Gee, I wonder who will break first?

“
We locate anything pertinent at the apartment yet?
”
Harry asks.

“
Just started the search, but we did look earlier this week and turned up nothing,
”
Cam says.

“
Why didn’t we know about his connection to Ryder before?
”
Harry asks.

“
His father was never officially linked to Ryder’s syndicate,
”
I say.
“
It was just a rumor. The official motive for Desmond Logan’s death was due to his relationship with Sophia, not his job. I didn’t know Sophia Dodd was Logan’s mother until I read it in your notes. Put two and two together.
”

“
So, what’s your theory?
”
Cam asks.

“
Ryder kept in touch with his old friend’s girl and kid, maybe passing them money or work from time to time. Or maybe Dodd’s worked for Alkaline his whole life, I don’t know.
”

“
We interviewed his friends and extended family. They didn’t mention any criminal activity in his past. There was no juvie file and the prison did a background investigation,
”
Cam says.

“
Then I’d go with St. Alkaline asking for a favor,
”
I say.

“
We can ask the mother,
”
Cam says.

“
Have we charged her with anything yet?
”
Harry asks.

“
No. We have nothing on her,
”
Cam says.

“
Then there’s no way she’ll talk. My money’s on Logan.
”

“
Okay,
”
Harry says, putting in his earwig. Cam does too.
“
I’m thinking high intimidation factor.
”

“
I agree,
”
Cam says.
“
I’m going to enjoy this one.
”

“
Just try and stay objective,
”
Harry says.
“
Let’s go.
”

I sit next to Chip for the show. Wish I had some popcorn. This is going to be good.

On the monitor Logan wipes a tear away with his stump. If he hadn’t tried to kill me, I’d feel bad for the kid. He’s facing a life behind bars if the psycho who spews blood doesn’t get him first. Not an enviable position.

Cam and Harry step in, both sporting scowls that would frighten the blind. Cam slams the door shut as hard as he can, jolting Logan out of his pity party. A calm Harry sits, but Cam picks up the chair and smashes it back down, freaking the man again. He’ll be peeing his pants in a few minutes. Glaring, Cam leans back in his chair and folds his arms.

“
This is Lt. Harold O’Hara and Det. Terrance Cameron with Logan Dodd. It is Wednesday, May twenty-third, at 2:56 pm,
”
Harry says.
“
Mr. Dodd, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of a police officer and accessory to first degree murder. Have you been read and understand your rights?
”

“
Yes,
”
he says quietly.

“
Do you wish to have an attorney present for questioning?
”