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Bill stared at him. “Tell me what’s going on with Erin,” he said.
“I’ve already told you. She’s helping a friend in Manchester. We
went to the Cape just a few weeks ago.”
“You told Coffey that you went to a restaurant in Provincetown
with Erin, but the restaurant closed six months ago and there was
no record of you checking into the bed-and-breakfast you
mentioned. And no one has seen or heard from Erin in months.”
Kevin felt his head filling with blood, making the pounding
worse. “You checked up on me?”
“You’ve been drinking on the job and you’ve been lying to me.”
“I haven’t—”
“Stop lying to me!” the captain suddenly shouted. “I can smell
your breath from here!” His eyes flared anger. “And as of now,
you’re suspended from duty. You should call your union rep
before you meet with Internal Affairs. Leave your gun and your
badge on my desk and go home.”
“How long?” Kevin managed to croak out.
“Right now, suspension is the least of your worries.”
“Just so you know, I didn’t say anything to that woman.”
“They heard you!” Bill shouted. “Your partner, the medical
examiner, the crime scene investigators, the boyfriend.” He
paused, visibly trying to regain his calm. “Everyone heard you,”
he said with finality, and all at once, Kevin felt as though he’d lost
control of everything and he knew it was all Erin’s fault.