She grabbed one of the stuffed animals off her daughter’s bed and laid her head down on it, curling up on the floor beside him. “What are you doing?” Frank said. “Go back to bed.”
“I don’t understand whatever it is you’re going through, but I’m staying right here while you do.”
Frank looked down at his wife as she closed her eyes and tried to get comfortable on the floor. She reached out for his leg and he took her hand, holding it tightly in the darkness.
The station’s side door popped open and Jim Iolaus stuck his head out, blocking the door. “Good morning, sunshine! Did you bring enough coffee for everybody?”
Frank looked down at the single cup in his hand and said, “Not unless you all want to share this one.”
“How’s life in AID?”
“What’s that?”
“The Rat Squad. AID.”
“Isn’t AID the city’s Accident Investigative Division?”
“What’s Internal Affairs then?”
“I’m guessing IAD.”
“Fucking anagrams.”
Frank paused, about to correct him, then deciding not to bother. “Can I come in now, or do I need to know the secret word?”
“Staff Sergeant wants to see you.”
“For what?”
“Probably about the new child sex case we got this morning, but don’t tell him I told you that.” Iolaus pushed the door open to let Frank pass. He laughed as Frank rolled his eyes and sighed, “What’s the matter, Frankie, they finally making you two work a little down there? Who’s gonna sit around drinking coffee all day and yanking the Chief’s dick now?”
There were three people sitting in the station’s lobby. Two parents flanking a young girl. “Son of a bitch,” he whispered. He turned down the hall toward Erinnyes’s office, coming around the corner and snapping a quick salute, “New case?”
Erinnyes folded his beefy hands on the desk and said, “Unless your plate is too full.”
“I’m like you, Staff Sergeant. My plate is never too full.”
Erinnyes looked at Frank’s earnest expression for a moment, unable to unravel the meaning behind it. “I figure that as long as we are devoting so many resources to the detective division, we might as well get some use out of you for once.”
“Anything you say, sir. Do you know anything about the case?”
Erinnyes’s eyes narrowed, “I’m sorry. Do I suddenly work for you now? Do you want me to write the fucking report too?”
Frank held up his hand and said, “Sorry, sir. My mistake. I’ll keep you posted on how we make out.”
“See that you do.”
Frank turned the corner and headed for the stairs. He grabbed the handrail and eased himself down, feeling the pinch in his knee. By the time he reached the hallway, he could already hear snoring coming from the back office. He switched the cup of coffee into his other hand and gently opened the office door, walking around the bags of evidence littered on the floor. Vic’s head was buried in a crumpled up coat on his desk. Frank crept around his desk and sat down.
“What time is it?” Vic moaned.
“Nine AM.”
Vic cursed and sat up. “I don’t think I really got any sleep anyway.” He rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat. He saw Frank holding up the large cup coffee in the dim light coming through the open office door. “You are my hero,” Vic said.
“Any word on Paris?”
“Dez texted me at three in the morning to tell me the house was still empty. We’ll probably hear more about it a week after they arrest the guy and give a press conference.”
“Do we need to do anything else with it at this point?”
Vic kicked his feet up on the desk and leaned back. “Nope. If the Feebs want to sit in a car all day and night staring at an empty house, let them.” He closed his eyes and settled down in his chair, “Listen, give me another hour. Do you mind?”
“I’d love to. Unfortunately, we’ve got another child sexual assault.”
Vic’s head snapped forward, “Bullshit.”
“They’re sitting upstairs right now. Looks like a mom and dad and a ten year old little girl.”
Vic put his head in his hands and leaned forward on the desk. He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. Frank waved his hand at him and said, “Listen. I’ve got this. When you wake up, I’ll fill you in, and you can give me a hand.”
“I’d love that, really, Frank. But you’ll just fuck it up too.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Vic stood up, hunchbacked, trying to straighten out the kinks in his back from sleeping in the chair. “You’re learning, though. Pretty soon, I’ll be asking you for advice.”
The little girl fingered through the stack of pamphlets in the lobby, reading about DUI prevention and Elderly Abuse. The mother sat by her side, stroking the child’s hair. The father was seated one seat down, arms folded, staring straight ahead.
Vic opened the office door and said, “Good morning, folks. I’m Detective Ajax and this is my partner. How are you doing, kiddo?”
The little girl looked up at him and smiled. “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Good. What’s your name?”
“We’re here to report something regarding our daughter,” the father said.
Vic turned to him without speaking. He looked back at the little girl. “What’s your name, hon?”
“Beth Lamia.”
“I’m Vic,” he said. He looked at the two parents, “I need to bring Beth back with me, but I’d like one of you to come with her.”
“Can’t we both come?” the mother said.
“No.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because you can’t.”
The parents looked at one another, and finally the mother said, “I guess I should go.” The father still had his arms folded.
Vic held the door open and asked them to come inside. He led them to an interview room and held out the chairs for them. “What brings us in here today?”
Mrs. Lamia spoke first, “My daughter told me this morning that someone has been touching her.” Her jaw stared to quiver and she jammed her fist against her mouth. The little girl reached over and squeezed her mother’s leg and told her it would be all right.
Vic bent low on the table, nearly putting his chin on the wooden surface, bringing himself to Beth’s eye level. “Has somebody been doing that, Beth?”
“Yes,” she said. “Uncle Petey.”
“On your mom’s side or your dad’s?”
“He’s her Great Uncle on my husband’s side. This man raised my husband after his father died,” Mrs. Lamia said. Tears were starting to stream down her face and she dug in her purse for tissues. “I didn’t tell him who it was.”
“Where does he touch you?” Vic said.
“On my… what do you want me to call it?” she asked her mother.
“Call it what you normally do,” Vic said. “There’s no bad words in here, okay? Say whatever is easiest.”
“He touches my privates when I sleep over there and he comes in to tuck me in at night. He tells my Aunt he’s reading me a story, but then he comes in and touches me.”
“Outside of your underwear or inside?”
Beth looked at her mother, who had her eyes squeezed shut. “I’m sorry.”
“No, honey,” the mother said, “You have nothing to be sorry for.” She grabbed her daughter’s hand and held it firm. “This is going to kill my husband, Detectives, but nobody is allowed to hurt my little girl.”
“There you go,” Vic said. He looked back at Beth, “I’m going to ask you some questions that might seem a little yucky, okay, but I need to know so I know what to do. All right?”
Beth nodded.
“Does he touch you inside your privates or outside?”