Page 52 of Fighting for Brielle
“Cut the bullshit. You and I both know that’s not true. You haven’t earned a single commendation the entire time you’ve been on the force. In fact, you have a file full of complaints. So, either get real with me or get the hell out of my department. I’m on the fence about firing you, anyway.”
“You want real? All right, I’ll give you real. My sister was murdered fifteen years ago, and her killer has never been caught. She was eighteen, just graduated from high school, when Hayden was snatched right off the beach in broad daylight.Ourbeach.” Dooley paused, shaken by the memory.
“I was sixteen, and I remember that day as if it were yesterday. It’s burned in my memory. When she didn’t come home, my parents went ballistic trying to find her. Cops swarmed our house, but I remember one who took the time to notice me and what I was going through. Officer Miles Bryan.”
“The officer for whom the forensic lab is named?”
“Yeah, that’s him. He vowed to find my sister’s killer after her body was found in the Redwood National Forest. God, he devoted hours of his own personal time to follow the leads, but nothing ever panned out. When the FBI and local authorities finally gave up, Officer Bryan kept on looking until the day he died in a gunfight. He never forgot me, either. We kept in touch. He and my sister are the reason I became a cop.”
Justice studied him, wondering what went wrong. Why he became so ineffective and apathetic. But he also saw an honest part of Dooley he could mold into something better.
“Well, Dooley,” he addressed the officer as he tapped his pencil on his desk, “today’s your lucky day because I’m not going to fire you. Instead, you’re joining a team of five I’m creating. But,” he leaned forward, “you need to get in better shape, so your training starts tomorrow morning on the beach. 5 AM. My place.”
“Oh, hell no,” he growled. “That’s not happenin’.”
Justice rose to his feet. “You know, I’m sick of your insubordination. I’m giving you an opportunity to work with an elite team, and trust me, we’ll look for your sister’s killer, and to be a credit to Officer Bryan, and you’re turning it down?” He shook his head. “Looks like I’m firing you after all. Get out of my office.”
Dooley panicked. “Wait, Chief. Please. Give me another chance. I want to find Hayden’s killer. If you and this team can help, I’m in.”
Justice expelled his breath. “Fine. Go to the conference room and wait for me.”
Accustomed to holding his cards close to his chest, Justice’s expression revealed nothing when he met Carson next. He noticed, however, faint yellow and purple bruises on Carson’s face, and oddly, he wore a long-sleeved shirt in spite of the heat. Peeking beneath the cuffs, Justice observed partially healed ligature marks.
Frowning, Justice asked, “What happened to you, Officer Carson? Have you been in a fight? Let me see your wrists.”
Carson pulled back his cuffs to give Justice a brief glimpse of the marks. “Yeah, Chief. I’ve been in a fight with a beast of a horse. I flew home to Texas where I’m from, and a wild stallion threw me. I got caught up in the reins, and he dragged me all over the corral until my dad’s ranch hands caught him.”
Justice gave him credit for his creative lie. He suspected Carson had been brutally punished by someone for losing the assault rifle and ammo. “Well, Officer Carson, you’re going to have to be more careful around wild stallions. Can’t afford to lose you. I hope you’ve learned your lesson, though.”
“I have, Chief, and I’m ready to get back to work.”
“Excellent. I can see an improvement in your attitude already. For the time being, I want you to ride with Officer Rivera. I think you can learn a lot from him. He has a meeting with me in a couple of minutes, so you’ll be heading out after that.”
“Okay, Chief.”
When they left Justice’s office, they headed in opposite directions.
Cool as a cucumber. No more blank, empty looks. What’s up with that?Justice thought.
He put aside his concern over Carson as he entered his conference room and faced Tawny, River, Martini, Dooley, and Hutch. All five looked at him, a common question in their eyes. Why were they there?
“Good morning. I can see you’re wondering what’s going on. The simple truth is, I need you to help me do this job and to have my back. I know this is unorthodox, but I’m forming a team. Each of you brings something unique to the table which we will definitely utilize moving forward. We have a situation, a dangerous one, but before I get into it, I have to share some information about myself.”
In the silence following his explanation of his brain injury and its effect on him, Justice waited, holding his breath for their response.
One voice eventually broke the heaviness in the room. “I’ve got your back, Chief. Whatever you need from me, I’m in,” River declared, his tone firm and confident.
Four others echoed the same promise.
Chapter 14
Grateful for their support, Justice straightened his shoulders and took command. He handed everyone a file folder Brielle had prepared and methodically laid out the situation he believed he’d been sent to investigate.
“As you can see, we have few facts and a lot of conjecture,” he finished. “Something is brewing, none of it good. We need to find out where those arms are coming from and who’s stockpiling them.”
“And why and where they’re being kept,” Luca added. “Jesus. This is nuts.”
“What do you need from us, Chief?” Hutch asked.
