Out to Protect by Amber Skyze

thought.” The chief shook his head.
    Grant could tell learning this new information had taken a toll on Heslin. The chief admired Ralph and thought of him as one of his best. Learning that one of his longtime officers was potentially a killer had to be difficult. Grant knew he was having a hard time accepting the fact that Ralph could be a killer.
    “I’m not sure I believe it’s Ralph.” Okay, so he was desperate and grasping at strings by denying Ralph’s involvement.
    “Don’t try to sugarcoat the situation, Matteson. I’m not some guy off the street. I’m chief for a reason.”
    Grant hung his head in embarrassment. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself to the chief; he just didn’t want to speak the words out loud.
    “Besides, why in the world would Ralph threaten you if he were innocent?”
    Grant shot Parker an evil look.
    “What, you didn’t think the chief should know? I realize you guys were partners forever, but there comes a time when you have to own up and admit the truth. Your life is in danger. We can’t keep anything from the chief.”
    Fucking Parker. He had to be all noble and do the right thing. Yes, Ralph needed to be caught and taken off the streets if he was a killer, but shit. Grant didn’t want to believe it. Or, for that matter, say it out loud, but deep down he felt Ralph was guilty.
    “So what are we going to do about this?” he asked.
    “I want you and Parker to track him.”
    “Good idea. If he’s involved, we need to get him off the streets as quick as possible.” Grant paced the room.
    “I don’t want Ralph knowing we’re on to him. If we act like everything is normal, we can follow him and catch him in the act.”
    “He must know something if he threatened me. How can I act like everything is normal when he told me I’m next?” Grant took a deep breath, trying to digest the chief’s reasoning.
    “Or he could be talking about something we have no idea of,” Parker said.
    “Now who’s in denial?” Grant slumped into the empty chair. He couldn’t think straight. He couldn’t breathe. This was not what he wanted to deal with today or any day, for that matter. The walls in the room were closing in on him, suffocating him.
    Grant tugged on his collar.
    “This doesn’t feel right. Doesn’t anyone want to even consider another suspect? And what about the possibility of two killers? We could have a copycat, trying to pawn it off on the prostitute killer.” Grant didn’t bother looking up. He stared at the floor, trying to digest what the chief wanted them to do.
    “I can’t see it being Stanley or Susy. Call it a gut feeling. I’ve been doing this too many years. Grant. This is the work of the same person. I realize I’m asking a lot from you. Tailing your best friend and former partner will be hard, but you need to understand where I’m coming from. I don’t want to involve internal affairs just yet. I want to keep this quiet.”
    “I agree with the chief, Grant. I think this should stay in the precinct.”
    “It’s not in the precinct. It’s only the three of us who know what’s going on and possibly a fourth,” Grant said, referring to Ralph. If Ralph was the killer and suspected Grant was on to him, nothing would stop him from killing again.
    “How about I compromise? You two follow Ralph for a few days, see what you can come up with. If things look like they’re getting dangerous, I’ll pull you and get internal affairs assigned.”
    Grant looked up at the chief. The stress lines on his face showed a man who’d been put in a very precarious position. He didn’t look happy about the decisions he had to make. Grant’s heart broke.
    Much against his gut feeling, Grant relented.
    “Fine, Chief. I’ll do this for a few days. If I get one inkling that Ralph suspects we’re on to him…I’m gone.” And when he said gone, he meant gone. He’d hightail it out of Bristol.
    “Thank you, Matteson. I’d rather not get to that