Page 9 of Cohesion

“He looked like a plastic yellow token?” Quinn asked, approaching them.

Grady whirled around, dislodging Gideon’s hand from his chair. “The fuck are you doing here? You’re supposed to be on ‘official leave’ and not allowed in the office,” he said, using finger quotes. The sarcasm wasn’t lost on Quinn. Sounded like Grady had been reminded of the same thing a time or two. Probably by Riley.

“He did look like that,” Gideon confirmed, grinning. “Bald head and everything.”

“Go back to your own desk,” Grady grumbled. “Find something to amuse yourself with that doesn’t involve me, or anything to do with me.”

“If you keep trying, youmightbecome almost as bossy as Ange,” Gideon said, cackling as he walked away. “Maybe even have to ask for a partner transfer.”

“You want me to tell her that when she gets back?” Grady shot after him.

Quinn took Gideon’s place, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned his ass against the desk. “Did Ange go somewhere?” he asked.

“Had an emergency with her family. Nothing serious but she needed a few days. So, since you’re on leave, guess who gets to work together?” Gideon asked, beaming.

That seemed super fine and not a disaster waiting to happen. Quinn bit back a smile, and Grady glared.

“Riley sees you, he’ll have your ass,” Grady grumbled. “And mine. I might have asked a time or two why we couldn’t circumvent all that paperwork bullshit to get you back before I killed his worst detective.”

“He’s talking about me,” Gideon said. As if Quinn couldn’t work that one out.

“Would you stop eavesdropping?”

“He has to catch me first,” Quinn said. Also, he wasn’t afraid of Riley. They’d known each other too long. “I had to come in and make a psych appointment so I can get cleared to return.” That issue itself was separate from the supposed concussion that was keeping him from his job for an entire week of leave that he didn’t need.

“And?” Grady pushed, not giving an inch.

“You’re dodging my phone calls, and I want to know where the case is.” Four days was too long without an update. There was only so long that he would remain idle, and he’d passed it three days ago.

“It’s not our case anymore,” Grady said tersely. “Riley handed it over.”

“To who?” More importantly,why?

“You’ll never guess,” Grady grunted.

“We only work with four other detectives,” Quinn said. HadGradyhit his head while Quinn had been gone? “Unless Riley handed it to a different precinct, or he suddenly hired someone new,”—which he highly doubted Riley would do without letting them all know, regardless of who was on leave—“I think I can work it out in four guesses or less.”

Grady nudged Quinn’s knee with his own. “I’ll give you two, smartass.”

“It’s Greer, isn’t it?” Only one person could put that look in Grady’s eyes. Gideon made his eyebrow twitch, but Greer made him look like he was about to commit murder. It wasn’tthat dissimilar to how he looked when he was talking about Sebastian.

“I hate playing guessing games with you.”

“You started it.” Quinn couldn’t say he was entirely surprised. There were only three pairs of them to choose from, and since he and Grady were out, there was only either Ange and Gideon, or Greer and Henry. Everyone was overworked to begin with, and if Ange was out for a few days, it made sense to hand it to the only other full pair. They didn’t have to have permanent partners; it wasn’t a rule and was up to the officer in charge to how they were assigned. Their previous boss, before Riley had succeeded him, had paired them up because it made his life easier, and Riley had continued the tradition. Quinn preferred it; he and Grady worked well together, and Quinn considered him one of his closest friends. He’d trusted Riley implicitly when they’d been partners—still did—and he trusted Grady the same. Who else would he want watching his back and keeping him safe? “What has he found out so far?”

“No idea. Talking to Greer makes me want to commit a crime, and Riley won’t tell me shit. I stopped asking after he threatened to take my badge for ‘undermining him.’ Something weird is going on, and I don’t like it.”

Quinn couldn’t say he was much of a fan either. Not of having the case taken from him without Riley even giving him a heads-up, or to the secrecy that was starting to crop up everywhere he turned.

“Icantell you that the guy is being transported here for another interview if you wanted to catch it.”

“When?” Quinn asked.

Grady checked his watch. “Ten minutes, give or take a few minutes? You have perfect timing.”

Quinn glanced around the room. Henry was stacking newly stapled documents, handling them like they were precious andtaking extra care to line everything up. Way too much time on his hands.

“Why is Greer not here, then?”

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