A/N: Don't stone me...no Frank in this chapter. Just Jake/Jace and Shay/Brenna. More Frank soon...promise. ~wink~
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Taking a deep breath before she stepped out of her red 2002 Toyota Celica, Shay took on the persona of Brenna McKendry. She smoothed her dusk blue suit dress and checked her strawberry blonde hair in the window. Another deep breath and she turned and walked to the steps of the Peoria Police Department - 6th Precinct. The high heels of her shoes clacked noisily as she ascended the steps and entered the large building that had housed a train station back in 1955.
She approached the desk of the Duty Sergeant, who looked up at her with annoyance. "Yes?"
Brenna cast the disturbing man a stern glance. Overweight, glasses slid low on his nose, and oily grey hair, she had the feeling this man saw little action nowadays. "I have a meeting with your Captain, Sergeant. Detective Brenna McKendry."
Sergeant Devers checked the appointment schedule and found her easily. IAD. He frowned and looked up at the woman. "Take the stairs to the third floor. His office is at the end of the hall."
"Thank you, Sergeant," she bit out and headed toward the stairs. She had seen the letters IAD scrawled next to her name in large bold red letters. Inwardly she did not envy any of the IA agents this job. It was a lonely existence.
Reaching the third floor, she strolled confidently down the long corridor toward the Captain's office. Halfway down the hall, three officers stood talking and laughing with each other. She picked out "Jace" easily and standing next to him was Brunell. She had no idea who the third officer was.
Seeing movement further down the hall, Jake cast a glance in that direction and saw Brenna moving fluidly down the hallway toward them. He made no hint of recognition when their eyes met; nor did she. He laughed along with the other two officers when Brunell whistled at the beautiful woman.
The woman who sashayed closer to the group of men captivated Brunell. The dusky blue knee-length dress she wore brought out the stunning blue of her eyes and he found himself wanting to stop her and undo the French twist she wore her strawberry blonde hair in.
Brenna gave the three a cursory uncaring glance as she made her way past them. She wrapped her knuckles firmly on the Captain's door and waited for his acknowledgement to enter.
"Captain Steiger? I'm Detective..." she began.
"Yes, Detective McKendry. Pleased to meet you," he stood and walked around his desk to extend a hand.
Brenna smiled as she shook his hand firmly. He seemed young for a Captain, perhaps in his mid to late thirties. Neatly trimmed rich brown hair, clean-shaven and decidedly crisp looking in his uniform, Brenna found him to be a very attractive man. She almost sighed thinking he did not hold a candle to her husband and quickly pushed the thought aside. She could not handle such distractions at this time.
"Sir, would it be too much of an inconvenience if I interviewed Officer Parker here in your office?" She asked quickly, setting the tone for the businesslike manner in which she had to conduct her interview. Like a robot without feelings, she thought to herself. Funny, her husband had been described in that way on many occasions.
"No inconvenience at all, Detective. If you'll excuse me, I'll go find Parker."
After the Captain had gone, Brenna set her files on the front side of his desk and took up a chair there. Giving the interviewee the chair of power behind the desk gave them a false sense of power and security and often times lead them to slip up in their statements.
She stood when she heard the door open and Captain Steiger entered the room followed by Officer Parker.
"Is there anything you need, Detective?" Steiger asked, his hand resting on the door handle to leave the room.
"No. Thank you, Captain." She held her hand out to Parker. "Detective Brenna McKendry." She watched as Parker contemplated her outstretched hand before grasping it firmly and giving it a tug before releasing it sharply.
Resuming her seat in front of the desk, she indicated that he should take the seat behind the desk. "Now, Officer Parker, tell me what happened with Officer Brunell on the night in question."
Leaning back in the chair, Jace smiled warily. "We stopped off for burritos at Donotelli's around 8pm."
Brenna looked up from her notes with a look of irritation. "Officer Parker, don't waste my time. Tell me what happened that led to the death of the suspect during the drug bust."
"It's all in the report," he insisted with annoyance. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. "The guy pulled a knife. In the darkness, all you could see was a glint of metal. It could have been a gun. Pete shot him. End of story."
Brenna stared blankly at Jace. "Somehow I doubt that, Officer Parker. Please elaborate."
Jace sighed his displeasure. "When I left the building and went around back, I saw the man draw on Pete. I yelled for him to look out, but by that time Pete had already drawn his weapon and fired."
Brenna tapped her notepad with the end of her pen while she watched Jace's facial expressions and listened to the loyalty that dripped from his voice. "Witnesses say the man wasn't even in the house. He lived down the block and was cutting through the yard to save time. He did it on a nightly basis." She waited for his reaction but he gave none. He just stared back at her with dark unfeeling eyes. "They also say they watched Officer Brunell place that knife in the victims hand AFTER he was gunned down."
"That's a lie," Jace growled. "I was there! Look, who are you IAD types gonna believe? Me or the people that live in that place?"
By "that place" he meant "Drug Alley". That is what the force had affectionately termed that section of down. Drugs and whores passed through there on a regular basis. It was a business all unto itself. And it was Brunell's sector.
After interviewing dozens of people on the force and dissecting Brunell's records, Brenna had learned he had spent the better part of his career working that section. Oh, his record spoke for itself. He had a successful arrest record and convictions that followed. Broke up several drug and prostitute rings, but to what end? That section of town was still as dirty as it was when Brunell joined the PPD.
"Thank you for your time, Officer Parker. You'll need to come down to IAD next week to answer a few more questions." No reaction. "I'm under obligation to tell you that should you wish to consult a lawyer and bring one with you, please do so."
Closing her notebook, she stood quickly and left him to stew in his juices. She wasn't at all surprised to see Brunell waiting in the hallway and smiled sweetly at him as she passed.
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To be continued...