are. I can squeeze you in next week if you need to come to the office.”
“Thanks.” I say as I stand and pull her into a hug. She grabs her purse and heads out the door while I order another mocha to go.
Once I have my warm drink in my hands, I too enter the busy sidewalk heading back towards HQ and Chief Matthews. As I walk, I think back to earlier and the madder I get. How dare he accuse me of airing ‘dirty laundry’? He knew my father, he knows what he did and he blames me? He’s no better than my mom and brother. The bastard. If he thinks he is going to throw my past in my face, he’s got another thing coming. I think this is good. Anger. It’s better to be angry than embarrassed. Hopefully Gabe won’t be there and I can give good old Chuck a piece of my mind.
As I walk along , someone slams into me, which is not unusual in this city. But my scorching hot mocha goes flying and lands in a splatter on the sidewalk. I turn back to see who it was and to maybe give them a piece of my mind, but all I see is a young boy marching with his head down and his hands in his pockets. “Asshole.” I murmur under my breath. I pick up the cup and toss it in to a trash can and keep walking.
Once I arrive at HQ I stop at the door and take a deep breath. I pull the door open and step in, the door slamming behind me in the wind. “Is Chief Matthews in?” I ask the girl behind the counter, who is not the same girl from earlier, thank goodness.
“Your name?”
“Doctor Sydney DeCarlo.”
She picks up her phone and calls him, then hangs up and motions towards the door. As I reach it, I hear the electronic lock click and I tug the steel door open. “Third door on the right.”
She says as the door closes behind me. I don’t mention that I already know where I’m going.
I tap on the door and peek through the crack, “Chief?”
“Come on in Sydney. I’m glad you came back, you forgot your folder.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here.” I say as I take the folder from his hand.
“Sit Sydney, we need to talk.”
“No Chief, I’ve talked enough today. I want to go home and dig in to this file and see what I can come up with.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What?” I reply in surprise.
“I said ‘I’m sorry’.” He repeats. “I put you on the spot earlier and I was wrong. I shouldn’t have done that. I know what you went through, hell - I was there. I shouldn’t have made a mockery of it and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Wow, just wow. Now, maybe he will apologize for making an ass of me in front of Gabe.
Course, then again, I made an ass out of myself in front of Gabe, so I’m no better. I just hate being put on the spot. I have a career of putting people on the spot, not the other way around.
I sit down in the chair across from his desk, laying the case file in my lap. My fingers pick at the edges as Chuck stares at me. He leans forward, setting his elbows on the desk and takes a deep breath. Great, here comes the speech.
“Sydney, if this case is too much for you......”
“No, Chuck. It isn’t. I’ve already spoken to Leslie and she’ll be there for me if I need her. It will be tough, cause the details........”
“I know. The girls ’ appearance, their deaths....I know. And I know what you’re thinking too.”
“Oh really? Tell me Chuck, what am I thinking?” I ask as I lean forward cocking my head to one side.
“Sydney, your father is dead.....”
“Hold up one second, Chuck. Don’t you think I know this? I. Pulled. The. Trigger. I killed the bastard. He raped me, beat me to within an inch of my life and then strangled me with barbed wire. In our scuffle, I knocked his gun free and grabbed it. I put a bullet in his head at point blank range. I know he’s dead, Chuck. I was there.”
“Sydney, that isn’t what I meant.”
“Well, what pray tell did you mean then Chuck?”
His eyes drift up towards the door and I know immediately someone is standing in the
“Thanks.” I say as I stand and pull her into a hug. She grabs her purse and heads out the door while I order another mocha to go.
Once I have my warm drink in my hands, I too enter the busy sidewalk heading back towards HQ and Chief Matthews. As I walk, I think back to earlier and the madder I get. How dare he accuse me of airing ‘dirty laundry’? He knew my father, he knows what he did and he blames me? He’s no better than my mom and brother. The bastard. If he thinks he is going to throw my past in my face, he’s got another thing coming. I think this is good. Anger. It’s better to be angry than embarrassed. Hopefully Gabe won’t be there and I can give good old Chuck a piece of my mind.
As I walk along , someone slams into me, which is not unusual in this city. But my scorching hot mocha goes flying and lands in a splatter on the sidewalk. I turn back to see who it was and to maybe give them a piece of my mind, but all I see is a young boy marching with his head down and his hands in his pockets. “Asshole.” I murmur under my breath. I pick up the cup and toss it in to a trash can and keep walking.
Once I arrive at HQ I stop at the door and take a deep breath. I pull the door open and step in, the door slamming behind me in the wind. “Is Chief Matthews in?” I ask the girl behind the counter, who is not the same girl from earlier, thank goodness.
“Your name?”
“Doctor Sydney DeCarlo.”
She picks up her phone and calls him, then hangs up and motions towards the door. As I reach it, I hear the electronic lock click and I tug the steel door open. “Third door on the right.”
She says as the door closes behind me. I don’t mention that I already know where I’m going.
I tap on the door and peek through the crack, “Chief?”
“Come on in Sydney. I’m glad you came back, you forgot your folder.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here.” I say as I take the folder from his hand.
“Sit Sydney, we need to talk.”
“No Chief, I’ve talked enough today. I want to go home and dig in to this file and see what I can come up with.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What?” I reply in surprise.
“I said ‘I’m sorry’.” He repeats. “I put you on the spot earlier and I was wrong. I shouldn’t have done that. I know what you went through, hell - I was there. I shouldn’t have made a mockery of it and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Wow, just wow. Now, maybe he will apologize for making an ass of me in front of Gabe.
Course, then again, I made an ass out of myself in front of Gabe, so I’m no better. I just hate being put on the spot. I have a career of putting people on the spot, not the other way around.
I sit down in the chair across from his desk, laying the case file in my lap. My fingers pick at the edges as Chuck stares at me. He leans forward, setting his elbows on the desk and takes a deep breath. Great, here comes the speech.
“Sydney, if this case is too much for you......”
“No, Chuck. It isn’t. I’ve already spoken to Leslie and she’ll be there for me if I need her. It will be tough, cause the details........”
“I know. The girls ’ appearance, their deaths....I know. And I know what you’re thinking too.”
“Oh really? Tell me Chuck, what am I thinking?” I ask as I lean forward cocking my head to one side.
“Sydney, your father is dead.....”
“Hold up one second, Chuck. Don’t you think I know this? I. Pulled. The. Trigger. I killed the bastard. He raped me, beat me to within an inch of my life and then strangled me with barbed wire. In our scuffle, I knocked his gun free and grabbed it. I put a bullet in his head at point blank range. I know he’s dead, Chuck. I was there.”
“Sydney, that isn’t what I meant.”
“Well, what pray tell did you mean then Chuck?”
His eyes drift up towards the door and I know immediately someone is standing in the
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