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Authors: Janice Cantore
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with the paddle, she sought to quiet her mind, drown out the images of the shooting and of the storm that now hung over the shooting.
Reporters like to sensationalize. Maybe that’s all this was and it will blow over.
12
“ISN’T THERE AN OLD-TIMER I can work with?” Jack stood, shoving his chair back so hard it tipped over. For some reason, when Jack’s supervisor had said he’d be partnered with Brinna Caruso, Jack immediately felt going back to patrol was a mistake. He’d heard about her. She was a hard charger, and he doubted he’d be able to hide if partnered with her.
“Sorry, no. Caruso happens to need a partner just like you do,” Lieutenant Hoffman answered.
“I’ve just never worked with a woman,” Jack said, knowing how lame a statement it was but continuing on. “And ten hours a shift in a car with one . . . I don’t know.” He bit his bottom lip and frowned, struggling to think of something that made more sense.
“O’Reilly, you don’t have a choice. What happened to not wanting to rock the boat?” the lieutenant countered. “And you can’t back out now. The chief has already signed off on this.”
Jack sighed, clenching his fists. “I know; this is whatI wanted. I just never banked on a woman for a training partner.”
“She’s been on five years and is a good solid cop. She’s being reassigned because the press is all over her case.”
“Why?” Jack saw amusement in Hoffman’s eyes.
“You really don’t read the paper or watch the news, do you?”
“My life is depressing enough. Why do I need to know about the depression in other people’s lives?” Realization dawned. “She’s the cop who was in the 998?”
Hoffman nodded. “It’s become a controversial incident. Kind of like nine years ago when you shot that doctor’s kid out east.”
A light went on as Jack remembered the incident. “You mean that sixteen-year-old who tried to scalp his mother with a kitchen knife and beat his dad half to death with a golf club? He came at me with both. After I shot him and his parents healed, they insisted he was just misunderstood. Same type of deal for Caruso?”
“Exactly. You’ll probably be able to empathize with Caruso.”
Jack rubbed his chin. “Well, I came out clean back then; maybe this officer will do the same.” And maybe she’d be gun-shy enough to relax and do nothing for ten hours a night.
“In any event, it’s only for two weeks. You can handle anything for two weeks, can’t you?”
Running a hand over his flattop, Jack blew out a breath. “Whatever you say, Gary. Whatever you say.” Resigned butstill angry, Jack could think of no valid excuses. And the important fact was that it was only for two weeks.
“Report to the patrol squad room Monday afternoon for watch three.”
Jack nodded and turned to leave but Hoffman stopped him.
“I want you to know I’m holding your slot in homicide open for as long as I can. I hope the old Jack O’Reilly will want his job back before long.”
Jack grunted and left the office, letting the door slam behind him.
* * *
Sergeant Janet Rodriguez poked her head into Lieutenant Hoffman’s office.
“I just saw O’Reilly leave. Will he show up on Monday?”
Hoffman shrugged. “Don’t know. Wish I could say I didn’t care, but Jack is a good guy. I don’t want his career to end with him getting fired or psycho retired.”
“You think he can handle patrol?”
“Dr. Bell signed off on it. What about your end? Have you told Caruso what’s coming down yet? Can she handle O’Reilly?”
Rodriguez blew out a breath. “She just got back from Utah. I asked her to come in and talk to me tomorrow. I’ll break the news then. And she can handle O’Reilly. I’ll just have to agree with her when she points out that reassignment sucks.”
“Maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t. It’s best for her to lie low for a while. How do you think she’ll take it?”
“Probably same as O’Reilly. But just
Reporters like to sensationalize. Maybe that’s all this was and it will blow over.
12
“ISN’T THERE AN OLD-TIMER I can work with?” Jack stood, shoving his chair back so hard it tipped over. For some reason, when Jack’s supervisor had said he’d be partnered with Brinna Caruso, Jack immediately felt going back to patrol was a mistake. He’d heard about her. She was a hard charger, and he doubted he’d be able to hide if partnered with her.
“Sorry, no. Caruso happens to need a partner just like you do,” Lieutenant Hoffman answered.
“I’ve just never worked with a woman,” Jack said, knowing how lame a statement it was but continuing on. “And ten hours a shift in a car with one . . . I don’t know.” He bit his bottom lip and frowned, struggling to think of something that made more sense.
“O’Reilly, you don’t have a choice. What happened to not wanting to rock the boat?” the lieutenant countered. “And you can’t back out now. The chief has already signed off on this.”
Jack sighed, clenching his fists. “I know; this is whatI wanted. I just never banked on a woman for a training partner.”
“She’s been on five years and is a good solid cop. She’s being reassigned because the press is all over her case.”
“Why?” Jack saw amusement in Hoffman’s eyes.
“You really don’t read the paper or watch the news, do you?”
“My life is depressing enough. Why do I need to know about the depression in other people’s lives?” Realization dawned. “She’s the cop who was in the 998?”
Hoffman nodded. “It’s become a controversial incident. Kind of like nine years ago when you shot that doctor’s kid out east.”
A light went on as Jack remembered the incident. “You mean that sixteen-year-old who tried to scalp his mother with a kitchen knife and beat his dad half to death with a golf club? He came at me with both. After I shot him and his parents healed, they insisted he was just misunderstood. Same type of deal for Caruso?”
“Exactly. You’ll probably be able to empathize with Caruso.”
Jack rubbed his chin. “Well, I came out clean back then; maybe this officer will do the same.” And maybe she’d be gun-shy enough to relax and do nothing for ten hours a night.
“In any event, it’s only for two weeks. You can handle anything for two weeks, can’t you?”
Running a hand over his flattop, Jack blew out a breath. “Whatever you say, Gary. Whatever you say.” Resigned butstill angry, Jack could think of no valid excuses. And the important fact was that it was only for two weeks.
“Report to the patrol squad room Monday afternoon for watch three.”
Jack nodded and turned to leave but Hoffman stopped him.
“I want you to know I’m holding your slot in homicide open for as long as I can. I hope the old Jack O’Reilly will want his job back before long.”
Jack grunted and left the office, letting the door slam behind him.
* * *
Sergeant Janet Rodriguez poked her head into Lieutenant Hoffman’s office.
“I just saw O’Reilly leave. Will he show up on Monday?”
Hoffman shrugged. “Don’t know. Wish I could say I didn’t care, but Jack is a good guy. I don’t want his career to end with him getting fired or psycho retired.”
“You think he can handle patrol?”
“Dr. Bell signed off on it. What about your end? Have you told Caruso what’s coming down yet? Can she handle O’Reilly?”
Rodriguez blew out a breath. “She just got back from Utah. I asked her to come in and talk to me tomorrow. I’ll break the news then. And she can handle O’Reilly. I’ll just have to agree with her when she points out that reassignment sucks.”
“Maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t. It’s best for her to lie low for a while. How do you think she’ll take it?”
“Probably same as O’Reilly. But just
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