With her mother standing right behind her, though, there was no way she would reveal anything.
“Okay, Tabitha, thanks. If you think of anything, you’ll let me know, right?”
“Sure,” she said, turning away and heading up the stairs.
Stanton turned toward the house and saw Benny arrive. There was another arson investigator that the police department liked to use, but Stanton couldn’t remember his name. He would have to look that up when he got back to the precinct.
His cell phone rang. There were two calls he was waiting for and this was the first one, though it came much quicker than he would’ve thought.
“Hi, Danny.”
“You out of the damn multiple-wife havin’, magic underwear wearin’ mind a yours? What the fuck did you go on the news for?”
“I had to-”
“No, no, fuck you. Fuck you, Jon. I had to sit at my desk and have Chin Ho chew my ass for ten minutes. Do you know what kinda panic this’ll cause? How many old farts with itchy trigger fingers will blow their neighbor’s head off ‘cause they think he’s a damn arsonist?”
“I know, but I had to risk-”
“Get your ass back here right now.”
“I’m working the scene.”
“Fuck the scene and fuck you. Get back here, now!”
The phone clicked and ended. Stanton took a deep breath as he walked to his car and watched Benny arrive and get his kit out of the truck and go to work.
CHAPTER 29
Stanton sat in a chair across Lieutenant Daniel Childs’ desk. Captain Phillips was out and Chin Ho had delegated the task of yelling at him to Childs. Stanton watched as Childs rose twice and paced around the room, his muscles bulging underneath the tight long-sleeved shirt he had on. He finally sat back down and folded his arms in front of him on the desk.
“You’re off this case.”
“Danny, I know what I did was risky. But the only way I could get the help we need was to run a segment like that.”
“You had one of the uniforms give a photo of the family to the news. Them kids’ grandparents called us. We hadn’t had a chance to notify next of kin yet. That’s how they found out all six of their grandkids was dead.”
“I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t have been any easier coming from you.”
“What did you say?”
“Danny, this isn’t an accident. This is a pattern. We have something unique here, something we haven’t dealt with before. Benny is useless on this case. I need Emma to help me on this.”
“Who the fuck is Emma? That professor you brought in on the last one? Well you ain’t got to worry about it ‘cause I’m giving this case to Nate and Slim Jim. Now get the fuck outta my office.”
“Danny, you and I go back a long ways, you know me. Do you really think I’m wrong about this?”
Childs shook his head. “That’s your problem, man. That’s why I’m sitting in this chair and you sittin’ in that one even though you ten times the detective I was. It don’t matter if you’re wrong or right. You gotta do things the way the higher-ups want. You think I don’t know they fuck up your cases? You think I don’t know dope dealers go free every damned day ‘cause we gotta get approval to spend sixty dollars for flash money to make a fake buy? You think I don’t see the captain’s friends getting let off of DUIs and bar fights just ‘cause they know him? Don’t forget I been a cop longer than you. I know it all, man. And I’m telling you it don’t matter.”
Stanton rose. “It does matter. And if you don’t do anything about it, you’re no better than them.”
Stanton got into his car and drove away from the precinct well over the speed limit. He didn’t feel like working any cases or speaking to any victims right now. He felt like getting his board and heading out into the ocean and being alone on the waves, if they would have him. But his cell phone rang incessantly and interrupted his thoughts. He answered and it was Melissa, his ex, asking for changes to child support payments this month, then his psychiatrist’s office called to confirm his appointment for tomorrow, and then Gunn called.
“Hey, Stephen.”
“Hey, man. I just heard we’re off the arson cases.”
“Yeah, well, what can you do.”
“Oh, man. Why is it I get scared when you act defeated?”
“What?”
“You’re not stoppin’ on these cases, are you?”
“They’re heading in the wrong direction. And who’s going to solve them? Benny? We used to have a Metro Arson Strike Team and now we have Benny?”
“Metro Arson cost us an arm and leg my friend. You like makin’ more than someone at McDonald’s? Then I suggest you not complain. Now look, get this shit outta your head. I ain’t gettin’ suspended ‘cause of a couple of fires. Besides we got somethin’ more interestin’ on our plates.”
“What is it?”
“Western called over and asked for some help on a scene. They thought it was a fuckin’ massacre but it turned out it was just one vic, a young woman. I’m headed down there right now. You should come too, the news is already there. Supposed to be some fucked up shit.”
“I appreciate you trying to cheer me up with…that, but I think I’m heading out to surf.”
“All right, look, they asked me for help but this sounds like one sick fuck. I need your help.”
“What do you care about a case out of Western? It’s not our jurisdiction, let them handle it.”
“Oh shit. Look who cares about proper procedure and jurisdiction now? It’s my fuckin’ ex-wife’s case.”
“I thought you weren’t speaking?”
“I thought so too, but she called and said I may be able to help her. Can you come?”
Stanton sighed. “Yeah, sure, just text me the address. I’m on my way.”
Thirty-five minutes of sitting in traffic later, Stanton pulled up to Maplewood Drive and drove down the street. Crowds had gathered behind the police tape. He watched their faces, their reactions. Some had brought out lawn chairs.
Several police cruisers and a CSI van were parked nearby. Stanton walked to the tape and showed his badge to a uniform he didn’t recognize. The man was large, muscular beyond comfort, and asked him a few questions about what he was doing here rather than just letting him through which was custom. Stanton politely answered his questions and heard someone call his name behind him. Gunn ran up and went to duck under the police tape when the uniform stopped him.
“What are you here for?”
“What? Fuck you dickhead. Get the fuck outta my way and go write some traffic tickets.” Gunn brushed past him and got up next to Stanton. “You see Erin yet?”
“No, I just got here.”
The house was large, three stories with a yard. There was a car parked in the driveway and the driver’s side door was open. They made their way up past the car and glanced in before going inside the house.
Music was playing somewhere; a classic rock station. Gunn’s ex-wife Erin Dallas was standing over a pattern of blood spatter on the wall, directing the forensic techs as to what she wanted done. Another tech was walking around the house with a camera filming the scene and there were a couple of other detectives there. A newspaper reporter sat on the couch with a laptop, his press badge dangling from his neck.
“How you doin’, baby?” Gunn said.
“Steve, I’m glad you came. Hello, Jon.”
“It’s good to see you, Erin.”
“You too.” She turned to Gunn. “So you want the quick rundown or you guys wanna explore for a bit? Don’t mind the music; it was playing when we got here.”
“Just tell me what you got.”