Crucified by Adelle Laudan Page A

came
from behind a closed door down the dingy hallway. She motioned for
Taylor to stay back, as she inched her way to the door.
    What is he doing in there? Is Casey in there with him? The undeniable sound of a toilet flushing
assaulted the quiet. She banged on the door. “Federal Agents,
Mr . Gilbert. Open
up! Come out with your hands in the air.”
    She trained her
gun at the door, her feet set slightly apart.
    The toilet
flushed again.
    Without a
moments hesitation she pulled back her leg and kicked out with all
of her strength. The door burst open, flinging back at her after it
hit the hard tub. Her reflexes stopped the door from closing on her
with her foot. A wide eyed man knelt next to the toilet, shredding
photographs and tossing them in the bowl. Despite the intrusion, he
acted as if they weren’t there.
    “ On your feet,” ordered Dianne.
    Ray looked up
at her. Fear and madness danced in his bloodshot eyes. He let out a
burst of air and struggled to his feet. The stack of photos
fluttered to his feet. Young girls’ and boys’ faces stared up at
them. He raised his hands and linked them behind his head.
    “ Where did you get these pictures?” She kept her gun aimed at
him. His gaze shifted erratically, never once meeting hers.
Taylor’s presence behind her did not go unnoticed.
    “ The pervert has a telescope pointed to Main Street. He’s got a
Polaroid camera, and a whole shitload of pictures.”
    “ Do you know where Casey is?” she demanded of Ray.
    His expression
stilled, and he met her gaze for the first time. His mouth moved
slowly, until it formed a smile.
    Taylor almost
knocked her into the bathtub. He lunged past her, hitting a
wide-eyed Ray squarely in the face.
    “ You sick fuck. Where is she?” Taylor grabbed him by the
collar. Blood spurt from Ray’s nose.
    Dianne grabbed
the confused man, pushing him so his gut spilled out over the
counter, and pinned the arm closest to her behind his back. The
muzzle of her gun pressed against his temple.
    “ What the hell was that?” Anger riddled her body.
    Taylor raised
his hands in mock surrender. “Easy now.”
    Dianne glared
directly into his eyes. “Go find a phone and call the station for
backup.”
    Taylor stood
his ground. He still didn’t want to leave her alone.
    “ Now!” She commanded, the last thread of composure slipping
away.
    He held up his
hand in defense. “Okay, I’m going.”
    “ Don’t touch anything.” Her request came out a little angrier
than intended. She knew he hadn’t intended to push her buttons. It
took her many years to stop her coworkers from treating her
different because she was a woman. She had to work twice as hard as
her male partners to prove her abilities as a cop. Her anger toward
Taylor wasn’t personal. He was genuinely concerned for her
well-being.
    Ray squirmed
under her weight taking her focus off of Taylor. In one fluid
movement, she unclipped her cuffs from her belt and snapped them
shut around his thick wrists. “Why don’t you save us all a whole
lot of time and tell us where Casey is.”
    He giggled and
she stifled his laughter by pushing his face into the countertop.
Footsteps made their way down the hallway, stopping with Taylor’s
appearance in the doorway. They’d no sooner made eye contact than
the blare of sirens filled the street. Taylor stood outside the
bathroom.
    “ She’s up here.”
    Seth bolted
past him first. “Does he have Casey?”
    Dianne shook
her head and shrugged. “He’s not talking.”
    Seth grabbed
hold of Ray’s arms, freeing her from having to restrain him. She
pointed out the photos scattered around the base of the toilet. “It
seems he’s pretty handy with the camera. He’s got a telescope at
the front window.
    “ You just earned yourself free room and board.” Seth pulled the
grinning perp upright, and pushed him out of the bathroom where a
uniformed officer stood next to Taylor. “Read him his rights and
take him to the station. I’ll be there