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you this group has lots of sway and they want this bastard found and punished pronto.” Ridon reached for the phone console. “Why are you still standing here? Vamoose! I told you Egan needs all the help he can get.” He hit the blinking light, and once again, Margarita Estoban’s incensed voice bled over the earpiece. Ridon mouthed, “Someone shoot me.”

~~~
    Captain James Egan was also on the phone. He waved Lido into the office. Cupping the receiver, he said, “I’ll just be a minute,” in a reserved voice.
    Lido sank into a chair and waited until Egan was finished with his call. “Sorry to barge in,” he began.
    “Forget it, Lido. Spending five minutes with a hardworking cop is a hell of a lot more important than the hour I just wasted on a dumb compliance conference call.”
    “More red tape?”
    “Miles of it, Lido, procedural initiatives, new chain of evidence protocol . . .” He puffed out his lips. “Pretty soon the squad will have to spend the bulk of its time in a classroom instead of being out on the street. Anyway, how’s Stephanie? Coming along?”
    Lido sensed that he was taking too much time to respond and threw out a quick, innocuous answer. “You know Stephanie, she’s like a force of nature.”
    Egan snorted. “I’ll bet that woman keeps you on your toes.”
    Lido grinned. “You’ve got no idea, Captain, no idea whatsoever.”
    “So what can I do you for, Lido?”
    “The case Stephanie was working on before the shooting—Serafina Ramirez—can I get in on it?”
    “You’re just stepping back into the ring, Gus. You’re not even up to speed on your own caseload. Why the sudden interest in the Ramirez case?” He glanced at Lido over the top of his glasses. “You wouldn’t possibly be interested because you think it’ll help you find your wife’s shooter, would you? Not that I would blame you for trying.”
    “I hear you’re forming a task force. I also hear the brass are chewing their way down the ranks.”
    “Down the ranks and up my ass,” Egan said flatly. He closed his day planner and pushed back in his chair. “You know, I could give you an earful of shit about conflict of interest, protocols, and the rest of that mindless mumbo jumbo, but you’re a good cop and I can use all the help I can get. You want in? You’re in. I’ll add you to the task force, but I’m not pulling you off any of your current assignments, and I’m not giving you carte blanche to carry out a vendetta. Is that clear?”
    “Completely clear, Captain.”
    “Good! Find the Ramirez killer and the cop killer, and find them fast. People are watching us. Important people. I’ve got the brass so far up my rectum, I could shit bullets.”
    Lido gave Egan a thumbs-up.
    “Okay, then. Get out of here, Lido, and don’t make me regret my decision.”
    “Not a chance,” he said, and blew out the door.

Chapter Twenty
    It took Lido about two hours to read through the Serafina Ramirez file and schedule an appointment to visit her parents.
    He had been to the crime scene before, yet the spot where his wife had been shot still filled him with dread. He couldn’t stop his imagination from replaying the event—Stephanie and Yana walking toward their car, the crack of two rifle shots, and the two detectives lying on the ground. A shiver raced through him as the scenario tortured him yet again. Just ahead of him was the apartment building they had visited on that fated night and the rooftop upon which the sniper had stood. It took a moment for Lido to pull himself together, after which he walked determinedly toward the building.
    Wearing a flannel shirt and a vinyl trooper cap with the earflaps pinned at the top, Jack Burns opened the door to his apartment before he knew who had rung the bell. “Can I help you?” he asked in a trusting tone.
    Lido flashed his detective’s shield. “Detective Gus Lido. We have an appointment.”
    Burns nodded. “Oh yeah. Come on in.” He walked back into the