Read Online 3 Time to Steele by Alex P. Berg - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alex P. Berg
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certificate?”
“This is exactly what we’re talking about, Daggers,” said Steele. “You minimize everyone else. Turn everything into a joke. That’s why he dislikes you. Give him a chance. Talk to him. You’ll find he’s a pretty nice guy once you get to know him.”
Shay smiled as she said that last part. Were we still talking about Boatreng, or had she snuck in a jab about me there at the end?
“Hold on a moment,” I said. “You know Boatreng?”
“Sure,” said Steele. “I introduced myself within a few days of starting here.”
I looked around at my compatriots, and they all gave me same sort of look. I sighed. I wasn’t about to get any sympathy. “Alright. I’ll tell him about the sketch we need. And I’ll be civil. I just have one problem.”
“Being?” said my partner.
“I don’t know where his desk is,” I said.
“Second floor, near the back stairs,” said Rodgers.
I picked myself up, trudged up the stairs, and fumbled around on the second floor until I found Boatreng and his gleaming head near where Rodgers said I would.
I cleared my throat. “Um…Boatreng?”
“Yes?” he said, looking up from his work.
“We’ve got another case that needs your expertise,” I said. “A bouncer at a club on Flatley, called the 9’s, saw someone who may have been involved in a murder. If you could head down there, that would be great. You know, when you get a chance.”
The sketch artist looked at me quizzically. “Um…sure. I’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks.” I turned before he could ask me what was wrong and headed back down the stairs. I found the gang huddled together where I’d left them, chuckling.
“What did I miss?” I asked as I sat down.
“Oh, nothing,” said Quinto as the mirth died down. “We were just mercilessly mocking you like a bunch of bratty schoolgirls.”
“Sure you were,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “Everyone here knows I’m the leader of this pack.”
“A pack leader who likes to mix and match teenage girl and dog metaphors, apparently,” said Shay.
I wanted to argue that witty, off-the-cuff comedy had an inherent fail rate and that I’d be happy if even forty percent of my barbs made others chortle, but I’d spotted a runner enter the precinct and head for the Captain’s office. The fleet-footed youngsters delivered messages around the city, and they knew if they brought useful news regarding cases back to our headquarters, they’d get paid for their efforts. I thought of them as similar to crows in terms of their portentous ability. They always brought bad news.
“Uh-oh.” I pointed.
The runner sped into the Captain’s quarters. Through the glass walls of the office, I saw the urchin whisper into the bulldog’s ear. The Captain’s eyes widened, and he stepped to the door. We all held our collective breath.
“Detectives,” barked the Captain. “Looks like we caught a break. A neighbor reported a break-in at Darryl Gill’s apartment. If you hurry, you might be able to get there while the scent is still fresh.”
I released my breath in a puff. “Good news from a runner? The stars must’ve aligned while we weren’t looking.”
“Well, they’re going to unalign themselves if you don’t get moving.” Steele had already sprung out of her chair and snagged her coat.
I followed her lead and called out to the Captain. “Boss, can you let Boatreng know to stop by Gill’s apartment after he’s finished at the 9’s?”
My gruff-voiced commander-in-chief delivered a curt nod in response. Shay gave me a curious look out of the corner of her eyes, as if admonishing me for not doing it myself, but she couldn’t actually come out and say it. We needed to get back to Gill’s place, stat, and nobody could claim that trying to catch a thief and potential murderer in the act wasn’t a good reason for avoiding the shiny-headed sketch artist.
12
We had our pick of the litter of all the rickshaw drivers outside the
“This is exactly what we’re talking about, Daggers,” said Steele. “You minimize everyone else. Turn everything into a joke. That’s why he dislikes you. Give him a chance. Talk to him. You’ll find he’s a pretty nice guy once you get to know him.”
Shay smiled as she said that last part. Were we still talking about Boatreng, or had she snuck in a jab about me there at the end?
“Hold on a moment,” I said. “You know Boatreng?”
“Sure,” said Steele. “I introduced myself within a few days of starting here.”
I looked around at my compatriots, and they all gave me same sort of look. I sighed. I wasn’t about to get any sympathy. “Alright. I’ll tell him about the sketch we need. And I’ll be civil. I just have one problem.”
“Being?” said my partner.
“I don’t know where his desk is,” I said.
“Second floor, near the back stairs,” said Rodgers.
I picked myself up, trudged up the stairs, and fumbled around on the second floor until I found Boatreng and his gleaming head near where Rodgers said I would.
I cleared my throat. “Um…Boatreng?”
“Yes?” he said, looking up from his work.
“We’ve got another case that needs your expertise,” I said. “A bouncer at a club on Flatley, called the 9’s, saw someone who may have been involved in a murder. If you could head down there, that would be great. You know, when you get a chance.”
The sketch artist looked at me quizzically. “Um…sure. I’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks.” I turned before he could ask me what was wrong and headed back down the stairs. I found the gang huddled together where I’d left them, chuckling.
“What did I miss?” I asked as I sat down.
“Oh, nothing,” said Quinto as the mirth died down. “We were just mercilessly mocking you like a bunch of bratty schoolgirls.”
“Sure you were,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “Everyone here knows I’m the leader of this pack.”
“A pack leader who likes to mix and match teenage girl and dog metaphors, apparently,” said Shay.
I wanted to argue that witty, off-the-cuff comedy had an inherent fail rate and that I’d be happy if even forty percent of my barbs made others chortle, but I’d spotted a runner enter the precinct and head for the Captain’s office. The fleet-footed youngsters delivered messages around the city, and they knew if they brought useful news regarding cases back to our headquarters, they’d get paid for their efforts. I thought of them as similar to crows in terms of their portentous ability. They always brought bad news.
“Uh-oh.” I pointed.
The runner sped into the Captain’s quarters. Through the glass walls of the office, I saw the urchin whisper into the bulldog’s ear. The Captain’s eyes widened, and he stepped to the door. We all held our collective breath.
“Detectives,” barked the Captain. “Looks like we caught a break. A neighbor reported a break-in at Darryl Gill’s apartment. If you hurry, you might be able to get there while the scent is still fresh.”
I released my breath in a puff. “Good news from a runner? The stars must’ve aligned while we weren’t looking.”
“Well, they’re going to unalign themselves if you don’t get moving.” Steele had already sprung out of her chair and snagged her coat.
I followed her lead and called out to the Captain. “Boss, can you let Boatreng know to stop by Gill’s apartment after he’s finished at the 9’s?”
My gruff-voiced commander-in-chief delivered a curt nod in response. Shay gave me a curious look out of the corner of her eyes, as if admonishing me for not doing it myself, but she couldn’t actually come out and say it. We needed to get back to Gill’s place, stat, and nobody could claim that trying to catch a thief and potential murderer in the act wasn’t a good reason for avoiding the shiny-headed sketch artist.
12
We had our pick of the litter of all the rickshaw drivers outside the
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