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Kevin wondered if the offer was genuine. On days like these, Bill
liked to pretend he was just one of the guys instead of the captain.
But he was hard-edged. Cunning. More a politician than a cop.
“I’ll mention it to her.”
“When did she take off?”
“Earlier this morning. She’s already there.”
The burgers were sizzling on the grill, the drippings making the
flames jump and dance.
Bill pressed down on one of the patties, squeezing out the juice,
drying it out. The man knew nothing about barbecuing, Kevin
thought. Without the juice they would taste like rocks—dry,
flavorless, and hard. Inedible. “Hey, about the Ashley Henderson
case,” Bill said, changing the subject. “I think we’re finally going
to be able to indict. You did good work, there.”
“It’s about time,” Kevin said. “I thought they had enough a while
ago.”
“I did, too. But I’m not the DA.” Bill pressed down on another
patty, ruining it. “I also wanted to talk to you about Terry.”
Terry Canton had been Kevin’s partner for the last three years, but
he’d had a heart attack in December and had been out of work
since. Kevin had been working alone since then.
“What about him?”
“He’s not coming back. I just found out this morning. His doctors
recommended that he retire and he decided they were right. He
figures he’s already put in his twenty and his pension is waiting
for him.”
“What does that mean for me?”