Between Friends by D. L. Sparks Page A

Briscoe, handle that.” I cracked a sinister smile.
    Hatred flashed in his eyes, letting me know that if there hadn’t been a house full of law enforcement, things would be going a lot differently now.
    I gave him a wink before heading out the door behind Phil.
    We got into the truck, and Phil pulled a Hostess cake out of nowhere and opened it up.
    â€œDon’t get crumbs everywhere,” I said.
    He held out the chocolate cake. “Want one?”
    I just shook my head and cranked up the truck.
    Â 
    Once we were back downtown, we sat in the conference room and scoured stacks of paperwork for hours, trying to piece them together like a puzzle. Trying to find a pattern, a slipup, anything that would give us a clue on what the connection was between all of this and how it tied in with the jail.
    â€œThere’s a lot of money and drugs being moved in and out of there for nobody not to know anything,” Phil mumbled while studying files. “There has to be something we’re missing.”
    â€œNot to mention this phantom dealer who’s taking over territory under the radar. Atlanta got more problems than they realize.”
    â€œShit, I know,” Phil agreed.
    I stood up and tried to walk off the tension in my back. I stretched a little and peered out the window. “We’ve been over this stuff a million times. Ever since the trail pointed in this direction, we’ve been on top of everything. We may never plug this hole.”
    â€œMaybe you not as good as they thought, pot’na.”
    I turned around and saw Lincoln walking in the room, followed by two city cops. A few seconds later, Lenny appeared in the door.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?”
    Lincoln sat down at the end of the table farthest from me. “Now, I know you didn’t think we were gon’ let you ride in town on your white horse without letting us play, did you?”
    I looked at Lenny. “What is he doing here?”
    â€œLieutenant Briscoe is supervising the UC’s over in Zone One and has a good bit of information on some dealers and their runners. It couldn’t hurt to let him know what you’ve collected so far.”
    Phil stood up. “Why don’t you have Lieutenant Bankhead here just give us his list of names and let us do what we came here to do?”
    Linc mean-mugged Phil. Part of me wanted him to at least try to go after him to justify the ass kicking I’ve wanted to give him for years.
    â€œOnce this case crossed state lines, technically, it became our jurisdiction, Lenny,” I countered. “We don’t have to share lunch with this cop.”
    I heard Lincoln let out a disgusted sound. “Hey, we can do this the easy way or we can do this my way, don’t matter to me, ya dig.”
    Lenny let out a sigh. “Look, don’t turn this into a cockfight. This case is starting to take on a life of its own, and you two know it. So, Spencer and Porter knock off the Crockett-and-Tubbs act and close this case so I can get the hell out of Georgia.”
    With that, Lenny turned and walked out of the room.
    â€œSo, fellas, what you got so far?” Lincoln asked, leaning back in his chair.
    â€œYou can read, right, Briscoe?” I started.
    Phil tossed the folder he was holding in his direction, causing the contents to fly out and scatter across the tabletop. The two city cops that were with Linc started picking up the scattered papers.
    â€œFigure it out,” Phil finished.
    Phil walked out and I started to follow, when Lincoln stopped me.
    He let out a slight laugh. “Yo, I ain’t goin’ nowhere, dog. You might as well get used to seein’ me. Fed may trump city, but this is still my backyard, pot’na.”
    Fire rose in my chest and lapped around my neck and ears. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Phil had reappeared in the doorway to the conference room.
    â€œYo, Trip, he ain’t worth it, man. Let’s