Page 98 of Sticks and Stones
“About that…the FBI is pulling jurisdiction on the case he was working, and his case. We’re taking over the homicides, and the investigation regarding Corbin since they are clearly connected.”
The man stared at him.
Oh, and he didn’t look happy that someone played leapfrog over the man.
“Pardon?”
Greyson said nothing, letting Gene handle it—for now. What he was seeing was a situation that he didNOTlike for one of his agents. As long as Cantrell and Blackhawk worked at his office, they were his.
“Like I said, we are taking both cases. It’s been brought to our attention that there were three victims found dead, and we have every right to handle that. Since this is a problem in the city, the Deputy Director of the FBI has decided that we’re going to work that case, and since Corbin was working that, and it resulted in his assault, we’re taking that too.”
Here’s where the tap dance began.
“That screams serial killer to the FBI,” Gene added, “and you’re at three victims, and Corbin might have been the fourth had he not…lived.”
Oliver laughed.
“We both know it’s trafficking, and not a serial killer, Gene. Who are you kidding? The FBI has no jurisdiction here since we didn’t call them.”
Oh, he knew this was sketchy, but they had to get that case so that they could tie Corbin to the victims. If they went with‘he’s an escaped victim’, that would make him the fourth potential victim.
Gene laid down the law.
“No, we don’t know that. What we know is that Vice needed help with the homicides, and that pulled Corbin into the fray. Now, we’re coming in to clean up the mess. It’s safe to say that Corbin is the one who got away. It’s ours.”
That hung there.
Finally, Oliver spoke.
“That smells like dirty FBI games,” he said. “I thought we were beyond that since we had a relationship.”
Oh, Greyson was fully invested in the conversation now. Gene could see him watching from where he sat beside him.
Yeah, Gene wanted to sigh, but he didn’t.
This man was exhausting.
Once more, someone was taking liberties, and that wasn’t happening. It looked as if he was going to have to come clean to Greyson now too.
So much for anonymous sex to keep the battery charged. His past was up in his face again.
“We didn’t have a relationship, Captain Guy. What we had was a one-night stand, and that’s it. Don’t make this more than it is. This isn’t about us, this is about Corbin and our jobhere inPhiladelphia. The bottom line is that the FBI is taking jurisdiction.”
Oliver went there.
“I see. Well, I don’t think I’m inclined to hand it over. When I get the results of the rape kit, I’ll hand Corbin’s case over to one of our detectives who handles things like this. It’s staying in our precinct.”
And then, the whole building would know Corbin was raped.
Yeah, no.
Gene had to protect him.
Right now, he needed someone to stand between him and everyone finding out that he’d been raped. Detectives were a gossipy bunch, and that would make coming back to work difficult.
Gene went to say something, but he was cut off by his stand-in partner.
“Well, that’s problematic for you. Might I suggest that you call your commissioner?” Greyson asked, stopping this here and now. “Like immediately.”
