Page 99 of Gem Warfare

Outside the main entrance, a family were shouting at each other while two officers attempted to intervene and keep themapart. A teenager whizzed past me on a skateboard, then another, forcing me to take a couple of steps behind Garrett. I hurried to catch up, sidestepping the two young women in uniform until I realized one was my cousin.

“Hey, Tara,” I said, lifting a hand to wave.

“Hey, you! I’m heading out on a call. Let’s catch up later? I hear you’re working on that cold case. Can’t wait to hear all about it!” Tara grinned as she moved past me to follow her partner.

I turned away, catching the eye of another female officer exiting the building as she pushed sunglasses onto her sweetheart face, adjusting them as she turned away.

Something about her was familiar but then, so was half of MPD. I was either related to them, knew someone who dated them, knew them socially, or I’d dated one or more of them.

A few steps from the entrance and I grabbed Garrett’s arm.

“What?” he asked.

“That was her!”

“Who?” He looked over my head.

“Her! One of the women from Maddox’s photos. That was her.” I paled, the fuller picture filling my head. “And she was wearing a police uniform.”

“What are you talking about?”

Garrett’s words were lost to the breeze as I turned on my heel, running back the way I came. I reached the sidewalk, looking left and right. The warring family were still arguing, and several people idled, but the uniformed police woman was nowhere in sight.

“Are you sure?” Garrett asked when he reached me. “You recognized someone from a photo?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Maddox showed me photos of the suspect in his case. A thief! It was her. Her hair was different, but she had a police issue hat on and her makeup was different but it was her.I’m sure it was. Garrett, why would someone Maddox is looking for be wearing a police uniform here?” I stopped, a new thought coming to me. “He said she was a thief. What did she have access to?”

“The evidence locker,” Garrett and I said at the same time.

We turned to each other and my stomach dropped. “The jewels,” we said. As soon as we locked eyes, Garrett was taking off, running to the police station. He created the path as we barged through the main doors, across the lobby and into the building, not slowing down until we reached the evidence locker.

A detective was walking out, staring at her receipt, as we entered. The sergeant on the other side of the thick wire screen was making notes. Otherwise, the small lobby was empty.

“Who’s been in here today?” asked Garrett.

“Who hasn’t?” asked the sergeant without looking up from his computer.

“Can you narrow it down to women in the last hour?” I asked.

This time, the sergeant looked up. “Now why would I do that?” he asked. Then he saw Garrett and got to his feet.

“We think someone might have accessed something they shouldn’t have,” said Garrett.

“Give me the box number and I’ll check, Lieutenant.”

Garrett reeled off the number and the sergeant input it into his computer. He shook his head. “No one accessed this box since you logged it in as evidence,” he said.

“You’re sure?”

“Positive. Before you ask, yes, I’m the only one on duty. I’ve been here the whole afternoon and I haven’t left the desk in the past hour, and no, no one else could have given someone access.”

“This is good news,” said Garrett. “Did anyone ask for access to that box and get refused?”

“No, I haven’t refused any requests. Let me save you some time here. In the last hour I had four submissions, all from maleofficers. There were five females, three accessing evidence. One submitting. One brought me a coffee. She was my favorite.”

“Did you check all their credentials?”

Sergeant rolled his eyes.

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