Page 194 of Black Bird

CHAPTER 35

BLOOD BARGAIN

The end of his pen tapped loudly against a stack of paperwork he’d tried his best to concentrate on, as Captain Foley sat unusually late at his desk at the 12th precinct. He sighed deeply and ran his palm across his bare head. It was damp with sweat. The pen dropped, rolling across the stack and stopping where it met his name plate at the edge. A pair of worn black shoes appeared in his line of sight at his doorway. Foley glanced up.

“Do you ever sleep, sir?” Jenkins asked, leaning against the door jamb. Foley scoffed, shaking his head.

“About as much as you probably do, detective. You got something for me?”

“I’d reckon this is semi-lucky. Could I borrow you for five minutes?”

Foley followed him to his desk, surprised to find Rhaena Northwood sitting there as she leaned into the monitor and clicked away with the mouse. Her attention shot up as he approached, and he caught the slight tension in her face before she tried to pass it off, pretending it never happened.

“Evening, sir,” she nodded.

“Gloves.” He nodded back. “What are we lookin’ at?” He peered over her shoulder, and she backed up a video feed from a camera that looked to have been placed on the back side of a building he didn’t recognize.

“I went to question the staff at the coffee shop where Vintorri’s apartment is,” Jenkins started, “the traffic cams in the front of the building really didn’t have much to give us a lead. However, when I spoke with the owner, he told me he had a camera installed in the back entrance due to an attempted robbery a few years ago. He mans them himself.” Jenkins pointed at the monitor. “Take a look.”

Foley watched as a blue sedan pulled up and turned their lights off. No one got out. “Now watch.” Northwood sped up the feed, stopping it just as a lone figure emerged from the passenger side, masked, and snuck just out of clear view of the camera. Moments later, the same figure returned, forcing a stumbling, half-dazed redhead past the frame and into the waiting car. They sped out onto the street and disappeared.

“Well, that looks like our girl …” Foley sighed, shaking his head. “Any luck running that tag?”

“I take a lot of pride in my skill with finding a runner,” Jenkins shrugged, “but I’m ashamed to say, they got us this time, Cap. I can’t make out a single number on that plate. I’ve checked the feeds from othertraffic cameras, but they’re smart. Somehow, they avoided all my lucky ones.”

He watched Northwood’s shoulders sag. “I’m sorry, detective. I know this is difficult.”

“Foster’s still working on it,” Rhaena breathed, turning in her chair. “She went to check rental car spots around that area. Maybe it wasn’t even their car, and they thought they’d be safe. We’re gonna find her. I don’t care what it takes.”

“I know you will.” Foley clapped her shoulder and offered her a slight smile. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and when he pulled it out, his brows lowered. “Excuse me for just a minute.”

Both the detectives turned back to the monitor, and he made himself scarce down the hallway, lowering his voice.

“This is Captain Foley.”

“Captain, it’s Brent Stratford.”

“Mr. Stratford. I hope you’re not about to tell me you’re calling to offer me real estate.”

Stratford quieted for a moment.“Actually, now that you mention it … that could be a possibility. But no, sir. That’s not why I was calling.”

“Oh, did she pass? I’m sorry … that was terrible timing on my part. My apologies—”

“No, no … it’s fine. I—I’m calling to let you know … that I’m about to violate a restraining order. I was um … giving you an opportunity to arrest me.”

He wasn’t sure what to expect from this call … but it definitely hadn’t been that. Especially not from one of the top lawyers in the city. “Stratford, why would you tell me something like that? I don’t under—” It hit him then. He was asking him to follow. To catch a bad guy. He was giving up his father.

“If we’re on the same page … I’m heading to the mansion across town. If I’m right, then you can take us both in.”

“Stratford, if you’re right … you could be walking into something you might not walk out of. This is me asking you not to. Please don’t try to be a hero, kid.”

“I’m going. I just figured I’d let somebody know that I’m uh … breaking the law.”

The call ended before he could respond, and something in his gut told him that some bad shit was about to go down. He rushed back down the hallway to where Northwood and Jenkins were pulling on their jackets to leave.

“Stratford residence. We need to go. Now.”

They both looked at him as if he were mad. “Brent? Or Conrad?” Northwood asked, checking her weapon.

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