“Wait a minute,” Tower said, his voice sharp. “She gave you guys permission to search her house and you didn’t do it?”
Willow thought about blaming Kopriva, but instead, he just nodded.
“Whose bright idea was that?” Tower asked. “Yours or Kopriva’s?”
Willow half-shrugged. He didn’t want to beef Kopriva, but he didn’t want the detectives thinking he was a moron, either.
“Stef was in charge,” Browning said, in a voice that signaled both of them to drop the matter. “Anyway, maybe she’ll still be in the mood to let us search the place.”
“Maybe,” Tower replied. “The good thing is, it sounds like if she’s not in the mood now, we can probably just wait thirty seconds and try again.”
1559 hours
Stefan Kopriva watched Katie sleep. He’d read about people doing that in books and seen it in the movies. The truth of the matter was that he found it to be as corny as something from one of the romance paperbacks that lined the racks at the supermarket. Still, here he was, sitting in a living room chair, watching her in the dim light of the living room, a source of endless fascination for him.
After she’d fallen asleep on the floor, he’d lain with her for several minutes before he dared to move. He considered lifting her up and carrying her to the bedroom, but he didn’t want to risk waking her. Instead, he slipped away from her, and grabbed a pillow from the couch and a light blanket from the closet to make her more comfortable.
He watched her sleep and thought of the words he’d whispered. He wondered if she’d heard them, somewhere deep in her sleeping subconscious. He wondered if it were possible that she was dreaming about them even now, as she slept.
Now that is even cornier than those books in the supermarket, he thought.
But for some reason, he still liked the idea.
1604 hours
“Fuck you, motherfuckers!” Nancy Henderson shrieked at the three police officers in her living room. “I told that other piece of shit he could search and he didn’t want to. First one is free. Now you can go get a search warrant!”
Browning didn’t react to her outburst. “Mrs. Henderson, if you’re not involved-”
“I told you I’m not involved!”
“And that is why I am here. I need to eliminate all family members from the picture.” His voice remained calm and professional. “The only way I can do that is to conduct a search of each house.”
“You assholes had your chance last time,” Nancy said. She raised her beer can to her mouth with a shaking hand.
“Ma’am, I have to complete this search. If you won’t consent, I will have to go apply for a search warrant. I have no choice.”
“Don’t bluff me, sonny,” Nancy said. “You go get your search warrant and then I guess we’ll see.”
Browning allowed himself a small sigh. “Fine.”
“Yeah, fine,” she said triumphantly and took another drink. Fred stood against the wall, doing his best to remain invisible.
Browning turned to Willow. “I’ll radio for another uniform to stay with you while I go get the warrant. You know about locking down a scene?”
Willow nodded. “No one moves.”
“Or leaves your sight.” Browning turned back to Nancy. “You’ll have to remain on the couch until I return, Mrs. Henderson.”
“What?!”
Browning motioned to Fred. “You, too, sir.”
“You can’t tell me what to do in my own home,” Nancy protested.
“He can,” Tower said. “And if you don’t cooperate, you’ll be waiting in the back of police car in handcuffs instead. You got that, or you want to try and find out if it’s a bluff?”
Nancy shot Tower a dirty look. “What’s your badge number?”
“212,” Tower said, “Now, sit your ass on that couch or go to jail.”
Nancy huffed indignantly, but strode to the couch and flopped down on it. “What about him?” she asked in a petulant voice, pointing at Fred.
Browning motioned for Fred to sit down. He chose the chair next to the couch.
“Wait here,” Browning told Willow. He and Tower stepped out onto the porch.
“That went well,” Tower whispered once the door was closed behind them.
“Kopriva was right about the crazy part, anyway,” Browning said.
Tower shook his head. “He should’ve searched the place when she offered. You know that. Hell, even the rookie knew it.”
“What’s done is done. You want to wait here until the uniform gets here to back up Willow?”
“Sure. You want help with the warrant after that?”
“Yeah.”
Tower scratched his head. “Two things, Ray.”
Browning smiled slightly. “Go ahead.”
Tower raised one finger. “You better go to Judge Webster on this one. He’s about the most officer friendly judge there is.”
“Of course.”
“And two,” Tower said, raising his second finger, “there’s no way even he’s going to give you a search warrant on the probable cause we’ve got here.”
“No?”
“No. What do we have? They’re relatives and he used to be a child molester a decade ago.”
“Used to be?” Browning’s tone was playful. “I thought you said they never rehabilitated.”
Tower gave him a long look. “You’re playing with me.”
Browning shrugged.
“What else have you got?”
Browning smiled at him. “Did you see the videotape on top of the television, John?”
“The rental?”
Browning nodded.
“Yeah,” Tower said. “I saw it. So?”
“Did you see the title?”
“No. Did you?”
Browning nodded.
“And?”
“Somehow,” Browning said, “Nancy and Fred don’t strike me as the kind of folks that regularly rent movies like Disney’s Aladdin.”
Tower’s face paled.
“I’ll get the search warrant,” Browning said.
1645 hours
Lieutenant Crawford scrawled his signature on the approval block of the search warrant and handed it back to Browning.
“Which judge are you going to?”
“Webster.”
Crawford grunted his approval. “Didn’t we send that light-duty kid over to that address back when this all started?”
Browning nodded.
“And?”
“We were looking for a black guy and a Mexican guy,” Browning said.
Crawford stared at him.
“And the woman was a crazy drunk,” he finished.
“Go get the warrant signed,” Crawford finally said. “And call me when you execute.”
Browning turned to go. “Tower’s still there, but I could use another detective to help out with the search and any evidence.”
“Most everyone’s gone for the day,” Crawford said. “I’ll have to page someone back.”
“Billing’s still at his desk,” Browning told him. “I saw him on the way in.”
“Probably doing a crossword,” Crawford muttered.
“He knows the procedures,” Browning said.
“If he knew procedures, he’d still be in Major Crimes.”
Browning shrugged.
“Go,” Crawford said. “I’ll see that you have some help at the scene.”
Browning took his warrant and headed for the judge’s chambers, hoping to catch him before he left for the day.
1719 hours
Katie MacLeod woke slowly. The sounds and smells of her apartment felt safe and cushioned her somewhat from the ache in her chest. She opened her eyes and saw Kopriva sitting in the chair, watching her.
“Hey, girl,” he said.
“Hey,” she said back, her voice froggy from crying and thick with sleep.
“You feel better?”
She stretched and sat up. “A little.”
“Good.”
Katie stood and went to him in the chair, curling up on his lap and kissing his cheek. Then she nestled her head into his neck. She felt the warmth of his skin and could smell the remnants of his Irish Spring soap. When he wrapped his arms around her, she pressed closer to him, enjoying the strength in his arms and his hands.