Page 25 of Bonded in Death

“Unofficially. A lot of us who fought through that ended up with names. He was Hound. He could always catch the scent. God, we were young.”

She caught a wistfulness, rarely heard, in Whitney’s voice.

“Young and fearless. In any case, that sort of name was common enough.”

“If it has to do with the Urbans, Commander, it’s a long time to wait.”

“A very long time. People scatter. Feeney and I stayed in New York, on the job, but people scatter.”

“Rossi didn’t. His killer knew where to find him, and what to say to get him here. An oath, he told his wife he’d taken an oath. And that might also connect to the Urbans.

“People went to prison,” she added, “some for a long time.”

“They did. But many sentences were commuted in the forties. It’s something to look at.”

“Three others—according to the message—are dead already. Fawn, Hawk, Rabbit. Rossi might not have been the first, just the latest. I’ll run like crimes. He may have used the same method, but—”

“He may tailor his kill to the victim,” Whitney concluded.

“Yes, sir. Or, it’s been a lot of years. And it was war. So the others maybe died in the wars, or from natural causes since. Without names…”

“And the widow?”

“I don’t think he told her anything, or as little as possible.”

“That wouldn’t be unusual. He was older, had family. He’d spare them the details to protect them, and himself. I want daily updates on this one, Dallas. If he has a stockpile of that gas in the city, we need to find him. Find it.”

“Understood. His widow is on her way here. I’ll talk to her again. She may know something she doesn’t understand she knows.”

“Keep me updated, and watch your six.”

“Yes, sir, I’ll do both.” She walked to the door, then decided not to resist. “Did you have a code name, Commander?”

He smiled and meant it. “Lightning. I could move fast in those days.”

She didn’t know war, she thought as she worked her way back to Homicide.

She knew battle and the risks of it, understood tactics, strategy, sacrifice, and blood spilled.

But she didn’t know war.

However long ago it had been, Feeney did, Whitney did. They’d lived it and survived it. They’d built their lives, their families, their careers despite it.

Maybe, in some ways, because of it.

Now she wondered, however long ago it had been, if Giovanni Rossi, who’d lived it, survived it, building his life, family, career because of or despite it, was yet another victim of war.

Chapter Four

She turned into Homicide, started to signal Peabody into her office.

Jenkinson and his atomic tie snarled.

“Some fucking fuck screwing with our LT. We’ve got your back, Dallas. We’re all in.”

She started to shoot Peabody a look, then remembered: Jenkinson. Her detective sergeant heard all, saw all, knew all, almost before it happened.

“I’ve got it, Jenkinson.”

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