lead. Maybe it was a test to see if I knew where Lieutenant Steele’s office was. Well, I’d been hauled in there before, so I flew there straight as a homing pigeon.
I raised my hand to knock, but Captain Woods reached past me and opened the door.
My nemesis, Lt. Tom Steele, stood up at attention, all natural irritation at seeing me wiped from his face in an instant. “Captain Woods, sir! What’s the problem?”
I could just tell Steele was dying to glare at me, but he wouldn’t in front of the captain. I sauntered in like I owned the place, hoping it would annoy him. “Hi, Lieutenant Steele.”
“No trouble, Lieutenant. Just an unescorted visitor who says he’s looking for you.”
Lily White, Rose Red: Grey Randall, Private Dick Casefile #1
47
“I know him, sir,” Steele said grudgingly, answering the unspoken question. His face was wooden, and he stood there stiff as a board.
Captain Woods smiled over my head in my general direction and then ignored me. I was beginning to feel like a forgotten chip on a poker table. Whatever was going on between them had nothing to do with me, and the tug of war was just beginning, with me in the middle.
Captain Woods was much better at this game. But maybe he’d had more practice. He kept the smile glued in place, at any rate. “Let’s see now, who is this young man?”
“He’s a private investigator, sir.”
I noticed that Steele didn’t mention my name.
Captain Woods couldn’t hide the little grimace that crossed his face, but maybe he enjoyed that Lieutenant Steele obviously didn’t like me, either.
I stood there looking between them, wondering at the contrast.
Lieutenant Steele was older, in his forties, with a seamed, ugly face that looked like a bulldog. Short and stocky, wearing a tweed sport coat and dark gray trousers, he stood ramrod straight, like an ex-Marine, which is what he was. He was your basic dedicated, honest cop. You can find them by the score all across the country, trying to make a dent in crime.
“I’ll get rid of him, sir,” Steele grunted.
“The public is always welcome here,” Captain Woods rebuked him in a deep voice. I was starting to wonder if he was thinking of running for something. He flashed me a vote-winning grin without meeting my eyes. “As long as they follow my rules. We have nothing to hide.”
Maybe it’s just me, but as soon as I hear someone say that, I want to throw them up against the wall and frisk them. Especially when they say it in such a friendly tone. I could see the face of his sidekick, Sgt.
Bert Guthrie, peering around Woods’s shoulder, nodding and agreeing.
On the other hand, maybe it’s just my knee-jerk reaction to higher authority, left over from being in the service.
48
CATT FORD
Captain Woods had to duck a little to make it out of the doorway without bashing his head, but he did it automatically, like it was habit.
Guthrie gave me a sharp glance out of his weasel eyes before bringing up the rear, trotting after the captain to keep up.
The lieutenant came to parade rest before he remembered I was there to enjoy it. He slammed the door shut as soon as soon as Captain Woods was out of sight and circled his desk, leaning both hands on it to snarl at me. “What the fuck are you doing here, shamus?” I could tell he didn’t like being put on the spot like that with me there to witness it, and I didn’t blame him. To put him at ease, I decided to irritate him.
“I’m a member of the great public you serve, Lieutenant,” I said in a wounded tone. “I just came down to drink in the atmosphere of the corridors of power and admire the efforts of you brave men in blue.”
“Whatever damn reason you had for coming here, it wasn’t that.
If I find you’re here to hijack one of our cases, you might just find yourself spending a night in the gray-bar motel, courtesy of the city of Las Vegas.”
“Me?” I put my hand on my chest. “I would never—”
“Yeah? Like you
I raised my hand to knock, but Captain Woods reached past me and opened the door.
My nemesis, Lt. Tom Steele, stood up at attention, all natural irritation at seeing me wiped from his face in an instant. “Captain Woods, sir! What’s the problem?”
I could just tell Steele was dying to glare at me, but he wouldn’t in front of the captain. I sauntered in like I owned the place, hoping it would annoy him. “Hi, Lieutenant Steele.”
“No trouble, Lieutenant. Just an unescorted visitor who says he’s looking for you.”
Lily White, Rose Red: Grey Randall, Private Dick Casefile #1
47
“I know him, sir,” Steele said grudgingly, answering the unspoken question. His face was wooden, and he stood there stiff as a board.
Captain Woods smiled over my head in my general direction and then ignored me. I was beginning to feel like a forgotten chip on a poker table. Whatever was going on between them had nothing to do with me, and the tug of war was just beginning, with me in the middle.
Captain Woods was much better at this game. But maybe he’d had more practice. He kept the smile glued in place, at any rate. “Let’s see now, who is this young man?”
“He’s a private investigator, sir.”
I noticed that Steele didn’t mention my name.
Captain Woods couldn’t hide the little grimace that crossed his face, but maybe he enjoyed that Lieutenant Steele obviously didn’t like me, either.
I stood there looking between them, wondering at the contrast.
Lieutenant Steele was older, in his forties, with a seamed, ugly face that looked like a bulldog. Short and stocky, wearing a tweed sport coat and dark gray trousers, he stood ramrod straight, like an ex-Marine, which is what he was. He was your basic dedicated, honest cop. You can find them by the score all across the country, trying to make a dent in crime.
“I’ll get rid of him, sir,” Steele grunted.
“The public is always welcome here,” Captain Woods rebuked him in a deep voice. I was starting to wonder if he was thinking of running for something. He flashed me a vote-winning grin without meeting my eyes. “As long as they follow my rules. We have nothing to hide.”
Maybe it’s just me, but as soon as I hear someone say that, I want to throw them up against the wall and frisk them. Especially when they say it in such a friendly tone. I could see the face of his sidekick, Sgt.
Bert Guthrie, peering around Woods’s shoulder, nodding and agreeing.
On the other hand, maybe it’s just my knee-jerk reaction to higher authority, left over from being in the service.
48
CATT FORD
Captain Woods had to duck a little to make it out of the doorway without bashing his head, but he did it automatically, like it was habit.
Guthrie gave me a sharp glance out of his weasel eyes before bringing up the rear, trotting after the captain to keep up.
The lieutenant came to parade rest before he remembered I was there to enjoy it. He slammed the door shut as soon as soon as Captain Woods was out of sight and circled his desk, leaning both hands on it to snarl at me. “What the fuck are you doing here, shamus?” I could tell he didn’t like being put on the spot like that with me there to witness it, and I didn’t blame him. To put him at ease, I decided to irritate him.
“I’m a member of the great public you serve, Lieutenant,” I said in a wounded tone. “I just came down to drink in the atmosphere of the corridors of power and admire the efforts of you brave men in blue.”
“Whatever damn reason you had for coming here, it wasn’t that.
If I find you’re here to hijack one of our cases, you might just find yourself spending a night in the gray-bar motel, courtesy of the city of Las Vegas.”
“Me?” I put my hand on my chest. “I would never—”
“Yeah? Like you
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