To Part 12
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Peter automatically glanced at the watch on his wrist and then at the clock on the wall. "I'm not even late. I'm five minutes early," he protested.
"Didn't say what she wanted. She blew by a half hour ago and said to send you in as soon as you got here." Broderick grinned. "What'd you do now?"
Rolling his eyes and heaving a sigh, Peter groused, "Hell if I know. Sometimes I think just being born was all I had to do." He shrugged his shoulders resignedly and strode over to his desk. Taking off his jacket, he threw it over the back of his chair before marching to the captain's closed door and knocking.
"Come in, Detective."
Peter entered the room and instantly felt the tension emanating from his superior. He automatically closed the door, unconsciously standing in a defensive posture. "What?"
"We've got a problem."
"We? I take it that means me." He sank into a nearby chair without waiting for an invitation. "What is it? Fischer's sister again?"
Simms stared at the papers in her hands. "She's filed a formal complaint with the commissioner, charging you with being a part of the Wong crime family, concealing evidence, obstructing the investigation into her brother's death, and a number of other perfectly ridiculous accusations."
Peter stared at her for one heartbeat before spitting out, "That's bullshit and you know it."
"IA has to follow up on the complaint." The captain dropped the papers in her grip and massaged her temples with the heels of her hands. "For the record, Detective Caine, I think these charges are the actions of a vindictive, malicious woman, but procedure demands --"
He rose slowly to his feet and stood with fists clenched at his sides. "Demands what, Captain? Suspension? With or without pay?"
She sighed and set her jaw grimly. "Don't make this any harder than it already is. You are not suspended. I spent an hour in front of the commissioner this morning, convincing him that you were too valuable to my team to cool your heels at home. I went to the wall for you, Detective, and I would appreciate it if you would stop treating me like I'm the enemy!" Her voice had risen in pitch and volume with every sentence and, when finished, she glared at him angrily.
Peter's head dropped a moment, and his mouth twisted sardonically as he looked up to meet her flashing eyes. "I'm sorry, Captain." He stared out the window and snorted bitterly. "I can't say I wasn't expecting something like this to happen."
"Why?"
He shrugged in resignation. "I don't know. Intuition. Premonition. Murphy's Law. Or maybe it was the way Ms. Wright looked at me when she said I wouldn't be working here much longer." He lowered himself down to his chair and sank back into the cushions. "What do you want me to do?"
Simms raised an eyebrow in surprise at this abrupt acceptance of the situation. "Well, you made a good start by being early for your shift." She regarded him soberly. "As of now, you are desk-bound until further notice. You report directly to me or Chief Strenlich if you so much as need to use the bathroom. Expect someone from Internal Affairs to interview you again, and be prepared to handle the whispering, the strange looks, and, unfortunately, the cold shoulders from some of your fellow officers."
He nodded. "Anyone being investigated by IA turns into some sort of pariah. Anything else?"
"Detective, is there ANYTHING you haven't told me about the incident with Jason Fischer?"
Peter thought a moment before speaking slowly. "I don't know that this means anything, Captain, but do you remember the day that Jack Wong came here to tell me his grandfather had ordered 'their people' to help look for Kacie?"
She nodded encouragingly. "What about it?"
"Before he left, he said that if they found her first, they wouldn't leave any loose ends to be tied up." He chewed his lip thoughtfully and paused briefly before plunging ahead. "Well, Wong and his grandfather stopped to see Kacie at the hospital, and the old man gave Kace this silk robe as a get-well present. As they were leaving, Wong made a comment about, did I notice how neatly the package was tied up, with no loose ends."
"Do you think he was referring to Fischer's death?"
"My gut told me he was, but my head said 'where's the evidence'."
"Why didn't you tell me about this before?"
"Because I still think it sounds like a lame lead. I told Kermit about it a few days ago, and he said he'd look into it. I really doubt that he'll get anywhere, though. Where are you going to find someone willing to admit to committing murder? I asked Wong at the hospital if he was trying to take credit for something, and he just said that he never did anything himself, that he always hired his work done. Look, Captain, Jack Wong is the biggest blowhard I've ever met. Talks a good game, but he'll never be more than a two-bit hood. When old man Wong dies, the whole house of cards is going to fall. Jack doesn't have the balls to run the family business." Peter rose to his feet. "Anything else before I chain myself to my desk, Captain?"
She shook her head. "That'll be all." He was halfway out the door when she called after him, "Peter?"
He stopped abruptly at her use of his first name and looked back at her in surprise. "Yes?"
"Let me know if there's anything else I can do, all right?"
He flashed his trademark grin at her and winked. "You've already done plenty, Captain." Squaring his shoulders, he marched quickly out the door and closed it.
Simms stared down at the papers before her and her forehead wrinkled as she frowned. "I just hope it's enough."