Page 142 of Gunner

“We are doing everything we can—”

Getty’s fist crashed into the desk. “Save that bullshit for the media. You have been working on this case for over three months, and you’re no closer to solving it. I’ve turned a blind eye to the reports that have reached my desk of you gallivanting about with that filthy biker because you reported they were cooperating, but now I’m starting to believe those rumors.”

Rumors? People were talking about me and Gunner? I straightened my spine and clenched my teeth. “Mayor Getty, I understand you’re upset about the kidnappings and murders in Smoky Vale, but I do have to remind you to be careful with yourwords. As someone in the public office, surely you understand the need to choose your words wisely.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I wouldn’t dare, but the bikers have done nothing for you to disparage them. Gunner has done nothing for you to talk about him like that, and frankly speaking, I won’t stand around and listen to this sort of talk, so are we here to discuss the case or who I’m sleeping with?”

“When who you’re sleeping with has a direct impact on the case, it is my duty to question it, and you’re treading on very thin ice.”

“I want to solve this case as well as anyone, and I’m working on it. By the end of the day, I may have something concrete to show you. In fact, I am about to check with the head of our IT department right now because he has found some information that may help solve this.”

“I’ll expect a verbal report by the end of the day,” he said. “Public opinion isn’t in my favor right now, Chief Witter, and you’re going to help me to turn that around.”

I walked out of his office, utterly disgusted. He wasn’t even hiding that his only concern was his popularity as a mayor. Getty didn’t give a damn about those poor women who had died or those babies who had been stolen, but he was only upset at how the crimes made him look as mayor.

My stomach sank. Solving this case would require a lot more than catching those people responsible. The children needed to be found and returned to their rightful homes.

I pushed the mayor from my mind. Reporting to him was just a formality I couldn’t worry about. As I left city hall, I rang Anders again to get his address, but he didn’t pick up, nor the other three times I called. Remembering Darling was on duty, I called her.

“Officer Darling,” she answered.

“Darling, do me a favor, please. Check Anders’s file and give me his address.”

“Anders? You haven’t heard about the news?”

“What news?”

“He was found dead in his living room this morning?”

My stomach soured. I pulled over to the shoulder of the road, too shaken to continue driving.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. A team just arrived at his house.”

“Shit.”

“Do you still want that address?”

“Yes.”

I closed my eyes and swallowed past the dryness in my throat. Anders was dead. Fuck. Whatever he’d found out must have made someone uncomfortable. Had he spoken to anyone about the case despite me telling him not to?

I couldn’t see him discussing the case with anyone else. Unless that person was one of us. A cop. Not just any cop either. Someone in a high position. Gunner might have been right after all.

Darling rattled off the address, and I entered it into my GPS. Nausea rose inside me. Anders had been doing his job, working on this lead, but now he was dead because of me. First the prison warden had died, and now him. If I wasn’t careful, I would cause the loss of more lives.

When I arrived at Anders’s home, three squad cars were parked outside. Thoms was the first person to greet me at the door.

“What happened?” I asked as we stepped inside.

“Someone reported they heard noise coming from the house early this morning, and when they didn’t see any sign of Anders leaving for work like he usually does, she got concerned and called. A unit came by to check and found Anders dead.”

“How did it happen?”

“Stabbed to death in the living room.”

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