TITLE: Shark – "Fleeting Glances"
AUTHOR: D M Harper.
SUMMARY: From the deep sadness of loss, a strong bond can sometimes be formed. A/U
PAIRING: Jessica Devlin & OFC; Sebastian Stark & OFC
RATING: MA for Mature readers.
DISCLAIMER: This story is simply entertainment for those of us who like to dabble in subtext. There is no intent to infringe on the copyright of 20th Century Fox Television and creator Ian Biederman. This tale does feature realistic consensual sexual interaction between two females, so if you are underage or unable to view due to restrictions in your part of the world, be gone and take my sympathy with you. If you find such material offensive, you have taken a wrong turn at the last intersection and need to back the bus up drongo!
A/N: Much gratitude to Wendy Woo proof reader extraordinaire. Be kind, read & review. This story is dedicated to Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States Military Personnel past and present. We are all indebted to your service!
Chapter 1
Jessica Devlin, thirty nine, blonde and five foot eight, cursed stridently when the cell phone lying on the bedside table sounded with Sebastian Stark's ringtone. Exasperated from having been woken from a deep slumber, she reluctantly turned on the lamp and reached for the annoying piece of equipment.
"Shit!" she mumbled again while pressing the phone to her left ear. "This better be good Stark, it's three ten in the god damn morning."
"Sorry about the time Jess, but we've got a Police Officer from the Central Bureau who's been shot and killed during the commission of a crime over on West Temple Street."
Climbing out of bed, Jessica reacted, "Jesus! In that case, screw the time. What do we have so far?" Going into the bathroom with her phone wedged between her left ear and shoulder, she switched on the light and opened the screen door of the shower.
"Officer's name is Gregory James Whatmore, thirty five, from the Rampart Division. He and his partner responded to a call for backup on an undercover drug bust gone wrong. Details are fairly light on at the moment. The shooting only occurred ten minutes ago. I am on my way to the scene now, oh and the perp is deceased too."
Slipping off her negligee, Jessica turned on the faucets, "Okay. I will meet you there in twenty Sebastian." "Damn, I hate cop killings," she thought while reaching for the shower gel.
-0-
Thirty seven year old LAPD Sergeant Sam Lake stood beside the ambulance and to the left of the stretcher containing the body of Greg Whatmore. Lake couldn't move or focus on the flashing lights and collection of emergency response vehicles gathered around the scene. All Sam could see was a best friend's lifeless form lying under a sheet and awaiting removal by the Medical Examiner's Office.
Captain John Wilson, fifty five and five foot eleven with greying black hair approached his Sergeant and placed a comforting hand on the six foot strapping Officer's forearm, "Come on, let's get you out of here and cleaned up."
With tears rolling down her face, Lake turned to her superior and whispered, "Cap, this is all wrong. It shouldn't have ended this way, it was an ambush."
Wilson patted his experienced Officer on the right shoulder and quietly said, "I know Sam. There will be an immediate investigation into matters and I swear to you, no one will get away with causing Greg's death." He turned to look at the fallen Officer's body and noted Sam was still holding onto Greg's blood soaked right hand. Looking up, Wilson saw the grief etched across the face of the Sergeant and he allowed his own tears to finally fall. Several seconds later, he wiped them from his eyes and regained some semblance of composure.
Greg Whatmore was a highly respected and well liked Officer by those he worked with at the Division and Wilson and Sam were two people who knew him on a personal basis and it was hard for either of them to quell their feelings. Officer third grade Whatmore had been with the Los Angeles Police Department for ten years and stationed at the Rampart Division for the past five. Lake had been partnered with him the entire time and the pair had made a formidable team. Wilson knew how devastated the Sergeant was, as would be the remainder of the Division.
Medical Examiner Doctor Rachel Taylor, thirty six, blonde and five foot seven, approached the ambulance and immediately dropped all protocol and hugged Captain Wilson, "John, I'm so sorry. I just can't believe this has happened to Greg." Teardrops fell from her green eyes and she hurriedly brushed them away with the sleeve of her coat.
Wilson stood fast as his chest tightened once more, "Thanks Doc and please take good care of him for us."
Rachel nodded with understanding, "I will John." She pulled away from the embrace then looked at the shattered figure of Lake. Her heart broke for the sobbing Officer as she spoke, "Sam, you can let go, I will look after Greg now." Motioning to two Technicians, one of whom was holding onto a gurney, she placed her hand on the tall Sergeant's forearm and quietly said, "Sweetie, I need you to let me do my job."
Recognition registered with Sam's addled mind and a release of Greg's hand was forthcoming. Looking into the Doctor's eyes, she blubbered, "Rach, he never saw it coming . . . neither of us did."
The Techs moved in and gently placed Greg into a body bag then onto the gurney. Sam watched silently until her partner was loaded into the back of the Medical Examiner's van alongside the corpse of the suspect.
Turning to the blonde, Sam murmured in a broken voice, "Thank ... you ... Rach."
Rachel hugged Sam again, "If you need me for anything, I'm just a phone call away sweetie."
Too overwrought with heartache to reply, the officer just nodded with acknowledgement instead.
Rachel stepped back and addressed the Captain, "I'll put a rush on it."
"I appreciate it Doc."
The M.E. departed and joined her colleagues at the rear of the van as the Crime Scene Unit arrived in two vehicles.
Sergeant Dale Rogers approached Wilson without delay, "Captain Wilson, I'm real sorry to hear about Officer Whatmore. He was one of the good guys."
"That he was Sergeant. I will show you to the crime scene." He faced Sam and instructed, "You stay here and I will take you back to the stationhouse when I'm done inside."
Sam sat down shakily on a nearby shipping crate, "All right Captain." She observed wearily as Wilson left the area with the three CSU Officers and entered the long-time abandoned restaurant.
-0-
Jessica pulled her silver BMW in behind Stark's Mercedes convertible and turned off the engine. Stark alighted from the car and met up with her in front of his driver's door.
"Update?" enquired Jessica as she secured her vehicle and put the keys into the front pocket of her blue denim jeans. She unruffled her powder blue, long sleeved dress shirt and waited for a reply.
Sebastian looked at his beautiful boss and smirked, "How the hell do you manage to look so good at this time of morning?"
With a wry smile, Jessica answered, "Good parental genes."
Accompanied with a smirk, Stark shook his head, "Okay, I have spoken to Captain John Wilson on the phone and apparently a Detective Jason Wright and his partner Phillip Jordon had been working a drug dealer case. The pair had set up an undercover buy with the well-known dealer Tommy Chase."
Blonde brows arced upwards, "Isn't he one of your ex-clients?"
"Used to be, but even I have standards and he fell well below them a long time ago."
The pair walked towards the cordoned off perimeter and Jessica noted, "The District Attorney's Office has been after Chase for years, but he always seems to escape prosecution due to his high priced attorney Randall Tully. The man has the propensity for having his client acquitted at trial or pleading down to a lesser charge."
"That's why I dropped him, he was way out of control and it was only a matter of time before his money was even too dirty for me to touch."
Both attorneys displayed their District Attorney's Office badges to the Officer standing sentinel beside the barricade.
"Hey David," said Stark. "It's good to see you again. How's the wife and can you point us in the direction of Captain Wilson?"
"Morning Stark, Ms Devlin. Anne is good and the Captain just entered the crime scene over there." The young Officer pointed towards two parked ambulances, "Entrance is just to the side of the bus on the left and thanks for the Lakers tickets last week Stark."
"You are welcome my friend and thanks for the directions David," countered Stark before heading towards the ambulances.
Jessica followed a discrete distance behind her brash lead prosecutor and scanned the scene. Her eyes came to rest on the tall, greying male in his mid-fifties dressed in uniform and she recognised him as Wilson. He was speaking to Dale Rogers from the CSU. The District Attorney had worked closely with both Officers over the years and moved quickly to greet them.
The Officers both turned and spotted her simultaneously as well as Stark.
"Hey Jess," said John in greeting. "Stark."
"Hello John, Dale, terrible business," replied Jessica sincerely.
"Hey fellows, so what is the deal here?" asked Stark gruffly.
"If you will excuse me," began Dale. "Nice to see you Jess. I'll take this evidence back to the Lab and let you know as soon as I have any ballistics results." Dale was carrying several individually sealed plastic bags containing pistols.
"Okay Sergeant," answered Wilson. "I will bring you up to speed with the case Jess."
Stark rolled his eyes, "Captain, I know we have had our run-ins over the years, but I'm with the good guys now, so if you could cut me a little slack here and stop pretending I'm invisible, I would really appreciate it."
Wilson looked directly at the man known for his sarcasm and raised his eyebrows, "Yeah sorry Stark, I still have trouble remembering you work for the DA's High Profile Crime Unit instead of representing the scum of the earth."
"It's been twelve months and even I sometimes forget John," quipped Stark good-naturedly.
Wilson chuckled for a split second, "Okay, two detectives, Jason Wright and Phillip Jordon were undercover and running a drug buy with Tommy Chase."
"Shit, I hate that dirt bag," mumbled Stark under his breath.
"Yeah, that's the one," confirmed Wilson. "Anyhow, they arranged to meet inside this building. At zero two fifty dispatch received a Code Three call from Jordon requesting backup and stating shots had been fired. Officers Lake and Whatmore caught the call and arrived on the scene at zero two fifty two. The Officers entered the building and radioed the two detectives informing them they were on site. They asked for a location and were directed by Wright to the rear locking dock area." Wilson stopped talking and withdrew his notebook from his right breast pocket. "I want to be precise with this next part. I have spoken to both detectives and Sergeant Lake and I have conflicting statements."
"Go ahead when you are ready John," prompted Jessica, eager to learn more.
"Wright and Jordon claim Tommy Chase opened fire on them without provocation and they returned fire in an effort to defend themselves. Wright stated he discharged his weapon four times and hit Chase twice, while Jordon fired five times and made contact with Chase three times. Both detectives claim Chase fell to the ground as Officers Lake and Whatmore arrived on scene and his weapon accidently discharged and struck Officer Whatmore in the neck area. The detectives claim it was a wayward shot."
Stark shook his head, "Jesus! How unlucky can you get?"
"I gather Sergeant Lake has a different version of events?" enquired Jessica curiously with raised brows.
"Sergeant Lake maintains Chase was unarmed when they came on scene, but Wright was shouting at him to put down his weapon. Lake is adamant there was no weapon in Chase's hands and he was in fact standing with his hands above his head in the air. A shot was fired from Wright and Chase went down onto his knees. Lake states there were another eight discharges from the detectives before Wright walked over to the prone body of Chase, pulled another weapon from his ankle holster and placed it in Chase's hand. Lake said she told Wright to back off and Whatmore told Wright he was mad. The next second, Wright aimed the throw away piece at Whatmore and used Chase's finger to pull the trigger. Lake maintains she discharged her weapon at the same time, hitting Wright in the bicep. Wright turned the gun on Lake just as Officers Shaw and Connors arrived. Wright then released Chase's hand and staggered towards Lake. I arrived on site approximately thirty seconds later and Wright was sitting on the stairs. Sergeant Lake was performing C.P.R. on Officer Whatmore and the Paramedics arrived shortly afterwards."
"Holy shit!" exclaimed a stunned Stark. "Jesus, just what we need in this city, cops shooting at each other." He rested his hand under his chin and added, "I've got one question Captain?"
"Only one?" replied Wilson surprisingly.
"Yes, the forensics will sort out the bullshit from the truth. Was this little drug deal sanctioned by the detectives' Captain?"
Wilson shook his head, "I spoke to Captain Downer when I first arrived. The Captain is currently in Boston for the weekend with family and had no knowledge of the operation."
"Great, a couple of rogue detectives, this just keeps getting better," remarked Stark sardonically.
Jessica frowned and asked, "So where are the two detectives now?"
"Jordon has been escorted back to the stationhouse and Wright is currently in the back of the bus over there." Wilson pointed to his right and both Stark and Jessica looked in that direction. "Paramedics said his wound was a through and through and will be fine after some suturing at the hospital."
Stark crooked his right eyebrow, "And Lake?"
"The Sergeant is inside the restaurant going over her account of events with the investigating detectives from Internal Affairs."
Jessica asked the Captain, "What's your gut feeling on this one John?"
"Lake has my backing one hundred percent. Wright and Jordon are not what you would call popular back at the Division. Lake's reputation stands on its own merit and I'd never question her integrity."
Stark posed the next question, "How long has Lake been on the job?"
"Fourteen years, the last ten of those at Rampart. Sam was promoted to Sergeant second grade five years ago and is an exceptional and loyal officer. Qualified second in her class at the Academy and is very solid all round."
"What can you tell us about the detectives?" enquired Jessica as she took notes.
"Wright has been on the job about ten years, the past two at Rampart as a detective. Before that the pair both worked Narcotics over at Western. Jordon's been six years with the Department and made detective twelve months ago. He was assigned to Rampart last year."
Jessica looked at her notebook, "You mentioned they weren't popular, what is the reason?"
"They are known as a pair of cowboys, always pushing the limits and having a hard time following orders or rules," replied Wilson honestly.
"Has either of them been written up before?" asked Stark.
"Wright has been twice and Jordon once."
Just then a medium height, brown haired male in his early forties approached them. His right upper arm was swathed with a bandage and Jessica assumed the moustached man was Detective Wright. She took in the arrogant gait and instantly disliked the man with shifty eyes.
Wilson turned to face him, "Detective Wright, Lieutenant Bond from IA wants a word with you, so I suggest you go back to the station and wait or go have yourself checked out at hospital."
"Sir, if it's all the same, I would rather go home," answered Wright with a hint of conceit.
"Unfortunately for you, that is not an option," snapped Wilson. He got on his radio and called for a uniformed officer to escort Wright back to the divisional station.
"Is it necessary for me to have a baby sitter?" complained Wright to Wilson.
"Yes it is and I suggest you get a union rep Detective."
An officer joined them and led Wright to a nearby parked patrol car.
"He doesn't seem too upset or anxious over the situation," noted Stark.
"No, he doesn't," agreed Wilson. "And that is a worry."
Jessica's attention was drawn to her left and the three people exiting the front door of the restaurant. She looked closely at the two men wearing dark suits and gathered they were from Internal Affairs. In spite on the graveness of the situation, Jessica found herself attracted to the tall, black haired Sergeant walking beside the two detectives. As the officers neared, Jessica took hold of her untimely raging libido and dismissed the churning in her stomach. Under the beam of light being projected from the two portable floodlights, Jessica could see the grief etched upon the police officer's features. Deep blue eyes were misted with unshed tears and the uniform splattered with blood, as were their hands and left side of the neck. Jessica could only image how the patrol officer was feeling after losing a partner under more than dubious circumstances.
"Captain Wilson," began the taller of the two detectives. "Sergeant Lake is suspended with full benefits until further notice and can return to the Division for further questioning. Detectives Wright and Jordon are similarly suspended pending investigation."
"Okay Lieutenant Bond. Wright is on his way to the station now and Jordon is already there. I will be transporting Sergeant Lake back there myself."
"Very good Captain," acknowledged Bond before looking at Jessica then Stark. "Well if it isn't the mighty Shark himself, I heard you changed sides. You guys can interview Lake first at the station if you like?"
"Gee thanks Tobias, that's very generous of you," answered Stark smartly.
Captain Wilson placed his hand on Sam's right shoulder, "Come on, let's get you back to the station."
"Yes sir," whispered the distraught Sergeant.
Jessica observed the two uniformed officers leave and get into a black and white patrol car. She couldn't help but notice the slumped shoulders of the Sergeant as she slowly walked away.
"You got any information to share Tobias?" solicited Stark.
"Not at this stage Stark, but I'll share if you do."
"You have a deal my good man; see you back at the station."
"Will do."
The two Attorneys entered the building and spoke to CSU and asked for copies of the crime scene photographs. They took their time and inspected the area, careful not to interfere with the officers' cordoned off sections.
-0-
Sam carefully handed the backup Glock, ammo magazines and badge to Captain Wilson before entering the front door of the Division, "I guess I won't need these for a while."
"Everything will be okay and IA will clear all this crap up. Now, go bag your uniform for the Crime Lab and take a shower."
"Okay sir."
"When you are done, came to my office and we can make a start on the paperwork and formalities," directed Wilson.
"Yes Captain," replied Sam softly.
Sam went to the storage closet and withdrew a large plastic evidence bag. Going to the rear section of the first floor, the officer entered the locker room, retrieved a pair of three quarter length denim shorts, underwear, sky blue polo shirt and a pair of Colorado slip-ons. Picking up a toiletries bag, she made for the nearest empty shower stall. Stripping off, the Sergeant put every item of clothing, utility belt and boots into the bag before sealing it. Considering the fact no one else had taken possession of the clothing was a strong indication to Sam that there was no issue with her statement of events.
After placing the bag outside the door, Sam turned on the water and stepped in under the warm stream. Looking downwards, Lake watched as the blood of her beloved friend washed off her body and slowly flowed down the drain. Holding back the tears that threatened to engulf her very being, Sam steadied shaking hands and reached for the soap.
The images of Greg's last moments of life kept playing over and over in Sam's head in slow motion and she held onto each frame so as to have it clear in her mind for the meeting with Lieutenant Bond and Sergeant Springer as an official record of interview. Sam was aware that would be followed by a statement to the District and Deputy Attorneys. She had noticed Stark and Devlin standing outside the crime scene and had been relieved to forego speaking with them at that time. Lake knew from experience she were suffering from shock and was grateful for the opportunity to collect her thoughts and emotions before having to speak to anyone, even if only for a short time. During the ride back to the Division, Sam had remained quiet and cried for the duration of the trip, but once Wilson pulled into the parking lot, she had regained control and was prepared for the next phase of protocol.
Reaching for a bottle of shampoo, Sam quickly finished up in the shower, dried off and dressed. After disposing of the evidence bag to the desk Sergeant, she tapped on the window of Captain Wilson's open office door and waited to be invited in.
Wilson raised his head, "Come in and take a seat."
Sam did as directed and sat uncomfortably on one of the two armchairs positioned in front of the desk.
Wilson stood and sat on the front edge of his desk, "Internal Affairs will still be a while. I have instructed them to conduct your interview in here and I will be sitting in as your Union delegate."
Sam looked at the Captain, "Thank you sir, I appreciate that."
"The DA and DDA will speak to you first."
"Sir, has notification been made to Greg's parents?"
"Yes, Lieutenant McClure rang them some time ago and arranged for them to be on the first available flight out of Miami. They should be here around eleven hundred hours. The Lieutenant is picking them up from the airport and they have specified they wish to stay at Greg's house."
"Okay sir. Poor Ron and Janet must be devastated."
"They are Sam," replied Wilson sadly.
"Sir, where is Wright now?"
"He should be upstairs waiting to be interviewed by Bond and Springer."
Sam bent forward and buried her face in trembling hands, "This is a bloody nightmare."
"It sure is," agreed the teary eyed Captain.
"Excuse me Captain," interrupted a husky voice from the doorway.
Both officers turned their heads towards the threshold and saw Jessica and Stark.
"Come in," instructed Wilson. "Internal Affairs are still with Jordon, so if you'd like to speak with Sergeant Lake, you are free to use my office?"
Jessica moved into the room and looked at the traumatized Sergeant. "Are you sure you are right to speak with us?"
"Yes ma'am. I'd like to get it over with while events are still fresh in my mind."
"Okay, this interview will be recorded and you will receive a copy in due course," explained Jessica as she sat on the other side of the desk. "John, do you want to stay?"
Wilson nodded to the DA, "Yes thanks Jess."
Stark took a seat next to Sam, withdrew a pocket sized recorder and placed it on the desk, "Sergeant Lake, please take your time in answering the questions and if you require a break, just ask."
"Okay sir."
Jessica withdrew an A4 sized legal pad from her briefcase and sat down opposite Sam and to the side. She couldn't help but look at the Sergeant and feel a long forgotten heat rise in her blood. Ignoring the sensation, she looked at Stark then said, "All yours Sebastian."
"Thanks Jess." He activated the digital recorder and began, "This is a recorded interview being held in Captain Wilson's office at the Rampart Division. Present are Captain John Wilson, Sergeant Sam Lake, District Attorney Jessica Devlin and myself, Deputy District Attorney Sebastian Stark. The time is zero four eleven on Friday March the seventh, two thousand and eight. In your own time Sergeant Lake can you please tell us what occurred from the time you and your partner Officer Gregory Whatmore took the call for assistance from dispatch at zero two fifty?"
Sergeant Lake was clear and precise with the answer. She outlined her account of events as Captain Wilson had earlier stated to Stark and Jessica back at the crime scene. Jessica took notes the entire time and when Lake had finished, Stark asked his first question.
"Sergeant Lake, did you fear for your own safety when Detective Wright pointed the Beretta at you?"
"Yes sir, his intent was obvious."
Wilson picked up a folder off his desk and handed it to Jessica. It was the Sergeant's jacket, her Departmental Service file. Jessica opened it and commenced reading while Stark continued with the questions.
"Sergeant, what did Detective Jordon do or say when Detective Wright shot Officer Whatmore?"
"Detective Jordon didn't appear to be surprised by Detective Wright's actions and pardon ma'am." Lake turned to Jessica then continued, "Now we have to quickly clean up this fucking mess."
"Did Detective Jordon say or do anything when Detective Wright aimed the gun at you?"
"Yes sir and begging your pardon again ma'am, he said "You better get it over with Jason, we don't have much time to cover up this shit." I instructed Detective Wright to lower his weapon twice and informed him I would shoot if he made an attempt to discharge the weapon again."
Jessica smirked. She thought it was rather charming and old fashioned the way the Sergeant took the time to consider her feelings in regards to swearing.
"Did Detective Wright reply to either of those statements?" enquired Stark.
"No sir. Officer's Shaw and Connors called on the radio and announced their arrival."
"What happened after that Sergeant?"
"Officers Shaw and Connors approached our location as Detective Wright started to pull the trigger of the gun using Chase's finger, then said, "We stick together on this Phil, you owe me." He dropped the gun, stood up straight and came towards me."
Jessica stopped reading. She interrupted and stated, "Your file indicates you are an exceptional marksperson."
Lake was unassuming with the reply, "Yes ma'am, I work hard at maintaining a high level of skill."
"So your initial intention was only to disarm Detective Wright and not kill him?" proposed Jessica.
"Yes ma'am."
Stark nodded his head and resumed, "You were confident of your shot?"
"Yes sir, but I do regret not shooting the detective earlier and saving my partner's life."
"Sergeant Lake, did you have any reason to expect Officer Whatmore would be shot?" asked Stark, wanting to assure the officer that she were not to blame.
"No sir, I did not."
Jessica spoke again, "Then how could you have prevented it?"
"I don't rightly know ma'am," answered Lake gloomily.
"What happened after Officers Shaw and Connors arrived?"
"Detectives Jordon and Wright started towards me and screamed that Chase had shot Officer Whatmore."
"And what did you do Sergeant?"
"I holstered my weapon and checked on Greg, I mean Officer Whatmore. I knew he was already gone, but I knelt down and checked his pulse."
"How did you know he was deceased Sergeant?" asked Stark wanting the answer on disc so a jury could hear it if required.
"Half his throat was missing and most of it was on my shirt and face sir."
Jessica looked directly at the officer and silently admired her resolve in not falling apart.
Stark took a moment before asking, "What actions did you take then?"
"I started cardio pulmonary resuscitation as protocol dictates and waited for the bus to arrive sir."
"Who called for the ambulance?"
"Officer Shaw did."
"What were Detectives Wright and Jordon doing during that time?"
"They regrouped at Chase's body and conversed in whispers."
"Did Detective Wright mention the fact he had been shot by you?"
"Yes sir. He told Officers Shaw and Connors he got hit in the crossfire."
"Did you say anything to the contrary?"
"No sir. I was too busy with Officer Whatmore and I didn't want to get into a he said, they said, he's dead argument."
Stark smirked at the comment, "Sergeant do you know of any reason why Detective Wright would want to murder Officer Whatmore?"
"I do sir."
"Care to elaborate Sergeant?"
"Officer Whatmore had started dating Detective Wright's ex-wife several weeks ago and Wright threatened to deal with him if he didn't back off and leave his wife alone."
"How do you know this Sergeant?"
"I was present in the car park when Detective Wright made the threat."
"What did you do at the time Sergeant?"
"I made an official complaint against Detective Wright to Captain Wilson sir."
Captain Wilson cleared his throat, "I can verify that as correct. The matter was handed over to Internal Affairs two weeks ago and Detective Wright was interviewed last week by Detectives Ferguson and Blair, as were Sergeant Lake and Officer Whatmore."
"I gather there has been no official reply from IA on their findings?"
"No, not yet," answered Wilson regrettably.
"Rather a moot point now don't you think Captain?" quipped Stark before he recommenced his questioning, "Did Detective Wright make any further threats to Officer Whatmore?"
"No sir, not that I am aware of."
"Would Officer Whatmore have told you if there were?"
"Yes sir, we were best friends and shared everything."
The phone rang on Captain Wilson's desk and Stark deactivated the recording device.
"Sorry about this," apologised Wilson before picking up the receiver. "Captain Wilson, okay Doc, that all makes sense. I appreciate the rush job Rachel and keep me apprised." He hung up the receiver and addressed the others, "That was the Medical Examiner with preliminary results on Tommy Chase. The gunshot residue pattern on his right hand indicates something was covering the majority of his hand at the time the Beretta was discharged and shielded it from the spray of powder. Doctor Taylor also said Greg died from massive blood loss as a result of a severed carotid artery."
Lake hung her head and the tears began to flow freely.
Jess stood up and patted the Sergeant on the shoulder, "We have all we need for now Sergeant. I am truly sorry for your loss." She shook Wilson's hand, "We will need to speak with Officers Shaw and Connors as well as the two detectives."
"No problem Jess. IA shouldn't be much longer with Jordon."
Stark retrieved the recorder and stood up.
There was a knock on the door and Wilson opened it. Lieutenant Bond and Sergeant Springer were standing on the other side.
"Captain," commenced Bond. "Jordon has coughed up Wright. He had a change of heart when told initial findings didn't corroborate his version of events and rolled over the second he found out we knew his Captain had no knowledge of their dealings with Chase. Sergeant Lake, you are returned to duty effective immediately and all we need is for Wright to turn up."
Wilson's face dropped, "He should have been here an hour ago. Don't tell me the bastard has gone on the run?"
"Shit!" exclaimed Bond. "Who was bringing him in?"
The reply came from Wilson, "Officer McAlister."
Lake stood up from the chair and reached for the phone, "Yeah Alan, it's Lake, can you put a call out to Officer McAlister via radio and cell phone. If you can't get a hold of him, put an APB out on him and the patrol car."
"You got it Sarge. I will get back to you as soon as I know something."
"All right, call me back on the Captain's phone and thanks." Lake hung up the phone and turned to the Captain, "If Wright's on the run, he has a good hour head start on us."
"Any idea where he might head?" enquired Bond.
"He's got family in West Hollywood," answered Wilson.
"My bet is he has gone to the ex-wife Sheree's house," posed Lake. Checking her wristwatch, she added, "Sheree is not off duty at the hospital for another two hours, so that gives us some time if that's where he has gone."
Wilson nodded, "It's a strong possibility Sergeant."
The phone rang again and Lake picked it up, "Lake here."
"Hey Sammy, Alan here. I couldn't reach McAlister, but the GPS locator on his patrol car has it parked at one zero four South Hill Street."
"Okay, thanks for the information, I owe you one."
"Not a problem, bye."
Putting down the phone, Sam explicated, "That was Alan from dispatch. McAlister is not answering his radio or cell phone, but the GPS locator shows his patrol car is parked outside Sheree's house." Lake gave the assembled group the address.
"Good work Sam. Let's get over there straight away," directed Wilson. "I will call SWAT and have the team met us there. Wright won't go quietly and god only knows what the hell he is capable of." He turned to Lake, "Top drawer Sam."
Sam nodded and went behind the desk to retrieve her shield and weapon. She attached the badge holder to the front of her belt and loaded the magazine clip to the Glock before tucking it into the back of the belt.
Jessica stood and observed the dark haired Sergeant in full action and was more than impressed when she ran out of the office and down the hall. The DA surprisingly felt turned on by the confident go-to attitude Lake exuded and was in a trance as the other officers left the room.
She came back to reality when Stark asked, "You okay Jess?"
Blinking away the thought of Lake, Jessica answered, "Yeah, I am fine."
"You feel like tagging along on the manhunt?"
"Well, we have come this far, may as well be there for the fireworks."
"Exactly, we can take my car."
-o-
Chapter 2 has been posted ... read on.