Restoration

Chapter 17

Ignoring his cooling burger on his long-awaited break, John punches in the number for Councilman Abbot's office, hoping someone there isn't taking a late lunch too. Picking up his call after two rings, a harried voice recommends that John take the last appointment of the Councilman's long day, noting that the next available slot won't be for a week. It's scheduled for only a half-hour after his shift ends, but with luck, he should be able to make it.

"Still on your crusade, Five Percent?" Harper inquires.

"If you want to call it that," John admits. "But I'm also following orders. We're supposed to be doing what we can to help the homeless find safe places to live, that's what I'm trying to do."

"You're probably beating your head against a bureaucratic wall," Nyla warns.

"It's my head," John declares, "and I've had more frustrating things happen on the job."

"You mean when a detective let the sh*t who beat up a friend of yours walk, to take down a chop shop?"

"You heard about that?"

"If there's anything I learned working undercover, Boot, it's to listen. Word gets around. But that's the kind of decision detectives have to make. You know that Nolan, right?"

"Yes, Ma'am. You do what you have to do, and so do I."

"Fine, just don't let it interfere with your work on the street."

"No, Ma'am, I mean yes, Ma'am. I won't let it stop me from taking down the bad guys."

"I thought we were just going to talk to Samuelson," Bradford protests as Armstrong puts together his questions for interviews at the prison.

"If he is Rosalind's new apprentice, we don't want to show our hand," Armstrong explains. "We don't want to tip her off either. If he's just one of a bunch of guys we question, he won't stand out. We'll also be gathering more information. We're going to have to keep it cool, Bradford. Are you ready for this?"

"I can handle it, Armstrong."

"Good. You hold back and let me ask the questions, all right? But use your street eyes to look for reactions."

"I've been trying to teach Chen how important the eyes are," Bradford offers. "I can use mine."

"Good. How is Chen?"

"She's having a rough time, but she's a fighter. She's going to make it."

Armstrong rearranges a pile of personnel folders. "She'd have to be a fighter to put up with you. Let's do this."

Samuelson gazes mildly across a sturdy table at Bradford and Armstrong. "Of course I interact with Rosalind Dyer, she's on my block. She's actually less trouble than some of the other inmates. They try to attack me, grab my gun. Rosalind just talks."

"What does she talk about?" Armstrong asks.

"The world. How things work. What people do."

"How about what she did?" Bradford demands.

"I don't know that much about that," Samuelson claims.

"How about Antonio Hernandez?" Armstrong questions. "You know him?"

"He was on a different shift. I heard he blamed Rosalind for trying to bomb that cop. But every inmate here blames what they do on someone, except Rosalind. She understands how to take responsibility."

Armstrong forces his fingers not to curl into fists. "And you find that admirable?"

Samuelson smiles. "No, but it is refreshing."

"Samuelson's Rosalind's new puppet," Bradford insists as soon as he and Armstrong are out of range of prison surveillance.

"He had all the signs," Armstrong agrees, "but you know as well as I do that we haven't got any proof, Tim. I'll put a 24/7 watch on him. If he's working for Rosalind, he'll reveal it soon enough, possibly by trying to finish what Hernandez tried to do, and take out Nolan. Harper will be watching her Rookie's ass on duty, and I'll make sure John knows to look out for Samuelson when he's off the clock."

"Boot, what's going on?" Nyla askes as Nolan stares at the text on his phone. "You look like you're going to puke."

"Armstrong thinks another one of Rosalind Dyer's minions may be after me, a guard named Samuelson. He's going to put a watch on him, but it seems like we just got Hernandez. Rosalind's focused on me. I wonder if there's any way we can stop her."

"Dyer's in the highest level of security, which means she has very few contacts. She can't talk to the other inmates, her lawyer hasn't fallen under her spell, and she's scraping the bottom of the barrel with her pet guards. You managed to spot Hernandez on your own. This time you'll have me and Armstrong's units looking out for you. If Samuelson is after you, we'll stop him."

"And then what?" Nolan demands.

"Then you keep hanging in until all Rosalind's strings are cut. I've been there, Boot, looking over my shoulder, sleeping with one eye open. But the puppet masters always have a weakness. Rosalind's running out of options. You have good instincts. You'll survive until she does."

"Did I just get a compliment from my T.O.?"

"Don't let it go to your head, but I'll cover your ass when you go see your Councilman."

"Armstrong's guys should be on me by then."

"Yeah. I want to check out who he's got. I've invested too much time in you to have to start over with a new boot. And I bought a drawing table for Lila. I need you to put it together."

"Ah, now I know why you don't want to switch rookies. The only time West knows one end of a hammer from the other is when it's part of a gun. My assembly skills will be at your service."

Before knocking on Lucy's apartment, Rebecca reexamines the book that a co-worker urged her to take to Lucy. She'd talk about it with Tim, but he's concentrating on making sure that the monster who had Lucy abducted can't hurt anyone else. Rebecca's not about to interrupt him, and he might not take it well if she did. They've been together for months, and she still hasn't got him completely figured out. Of course, that's part of the attraction, but it can still be frustrating. She flips through "Battle in Blue, a Cop's Journey Back." Rebecca's not fooling herself that Lucy can beat PTSD by reading a book, but the story is right on point. She wants to see her friend anyway.

Lucy can tell from the rap on the door that her visitor isn't Bradford, Nolan, or her mother. Jackson is having dinner with Sterling, and he'd use his key anyway. He calls out when he comes in, to make sure she knows it's him. "Hey, Luce!" Rebecca yells through the door.

Lucy fumbles to open it, struggling with the lock. "Hey, Becka! You're the first non-cop or family member who's come to see me. Did you bring chocolate?"

Rebecca opens her oversized purse pulling out a gold-embossed box. "Belgian. Are you going to let me in?"

Lucy realizes that she's standing in the doorway and steps aside. "I can make coffee or Jackson bought a case of Snapple Diet Trop-a-Rocka Tea. His boyfriend is hooked on the stuff."

Rebecca drops the chocolate on the table and digs out the book she brought. "I don't need anything, Luce. but I do want to give you something besides a taste of extra-dark heaven. This is the firsthand account of a cop who was kidnapped and made it back to duty. If you're up to reading it, I thought it might help. I can sit with you while you see if you can get into it."

Lucy takes in the hopeful look on Rebecca's face. "Sure, Girlfriend. I'll give it a shot."