Buck and attractive, though today she seemed vague and distracted. Starkey showed her badge.
“Carol Starkey, Mrs. Daggett. I used to work with Buck on the squad. You and I have met, haven’t we? I’m sorry, but I don’t remember your name.”
“Natalie.”
“Natalie. Sure. Could I see Buck, please?”
“I had to stay home from work, you know? Buck’s so upset.”
“That’s right, Natalie. It’s terrible, isn’t it? Now, is Buck home?”
Natalie Daggett led Starkey through the house to their backyard where Buck was adding oil to his Lawn-Boy. As soon as Starkey stepped out into the yard, Natalie vanished back into her house.
“Hey, Buck.”
Daggett glanced up like he was surprised to see her, then scrambled to his feet. Just looking at him caused an ache in Starkey’s chest.
He shrugged at the Lawn-Boy and seemed embarrassed.
“I’m trying to keep busy. I’d hug you, but I’m all sweaty.”
“Busy is good, Buck. That’s okay.”
“You want a soda or something? Didn’t Natalie offer you anything?”
He came over, wiping his hands on a greasy orange cloth that soiled his hands as much as cleaned them. It was hot in the tiny backyard. Sweat dripped from his hair.
“I don’t have much time. We’re running short.”
He nodded, disappointed, then opened a couple of lawn chairs that had been leaning against the house.
“I heard you caught the case. You doing okay over there on CCS?”
“I’d rather be back on the squad.”
Daggett nodded without looking at her. She suddenly thought that if she was still on the squad that it might’ve been her down in Silver Lake instead of Riggio. Maybe he was thinking that, too.
“Buck, I’ve got to ask you some questions about what happened.”
“I know that. Sure. Hey, I don’t think I ever told you, but the guys in the squad are really proud you made the move to become a detective. That’s real police work.”
“Thanks, Buck. I appreciate that.”
“What are you, a D-3 now?”
“A D-2. I don’t have enough time in grade for the promotion.”
Buck shrugged.
“You’ll get there. Here you are with the lead, and only a D-2.”
Starkey worried he might be wondering if she was up to the job. She liked Buck, and didn’t want him to doubt her. She got enough doubt from Kelso.
“Anyone call you about the bomb? You hear about that?”
“No. Hear about what?”
He was searching her face, and it took all of her strength not to look away. He knew it was going to be bad. She could see the fear of it blossom in his eyes.
“What about the bomb, Carol?”
“It was detonated by remote control.”
He stared at her without expression for a time, then shook his head, something like desperation edging into his voice.
“That can’t be. Charlie made some good snaps with the Real Time. We didn’t see a radio device. We didn’t see
any
kind of detonator. If we’d seen anything like that, I would’ve yanked Charlie out of there. He would’ve come running.”
“You couldn’t have seen it, Buck. The power pack andinitiator were inside one of the pipes. The explosive was in the other. Something called Modex Hybrid.”
He blinked hard to hold back the tears, but they came anyway. Starkey felt her own eyes fill and put a hand on his arm.
“I’m okay.”
She let go of his arm, thinking the two of them were a fine pair.
Buck cleared his throat, took a breath and let it out.
“Modex. That’s military, right? I know that name.”
“They use it in warheads. Almost ten thousand feet faster than TNT. But we’re thinking maybe this batch was homemade.”
“Jesus. You’re sure about the remote? You’re sure it was radio-controlled?”
“We found the receiver. The person who set it off was somewhere in the area. He could’ve set it off anytime he wanted, but he waited until Charlie was right over the bomb. We think he was watching.”
He rubbed at his face and shook his head as if all of this was too much to bear.
She told him
“Carol Starkey, Mrs. Daggett. I used to work with Buck on the squad. You and I have met, haven’t we? I’m sorry, but I don’t remember your name.”
“Natalie.”
“Natalie. Sure. Could I see Buck, please?”
“I had to stay home from work, you know? Buck’s so upset.”
“That’s right, Natalie. It’s terrible, isn’t it? Now, is Buck home?”
Natalie Daggett led Starkey through the house to their backyard where Buck was adding oil to his Lawn-Boy. As soon as Starkey stepped out into the yard, Natalie vanished back into her house.
“Hey, Buck.”
Daggett glanced up like he was surprised to see her, then scrambled to his feet. Just looking at him caused an ache in Starkey’s chest.
He shrugged at the Lawn-Boy and seemed embarrassed.
“I’m trying to keep busy. I’d hug you, but I’m all sweaty.”
“Busy is good, Buck. That’s okay.”
“You want a soda or something? Didn’t Natalie offer you anything?”
He came over, wiping his hands on a greasy orange cloth that soiled his hands as much as cleaned them. It was hot in the tiny backyard. Sweat dripped from his hair.
“I don’t have much time. We’re running short.”
He nodded, disappointed, then opened a couple of lawn chairs that had been leaning against the house.
“I heard you caught the case. You doing okay over there on CCS?”
“I’d rather be back on the squad.”
Daggett nodded without looking at her. She suddenly thought that if she was still on the squad that it might’ve been her down in Silver Lake instead of Riggio. Maybe he was thinking that, too.
“Buck, I’ve got to ask you some questions about what happened.”
“I know that. Sure. Hey, I don’t think I ever told you, but the guys in the squad are really proud you made the move to become a detective. That’s real police work.”
“Thanks, Buck. I appreciate that.”
“What are you, a D-3 now?”
“A D-2. I don’t have enough time in grade for the promotion.”
Buck shrugged.
“You’ll get there. Here you are with the lead, and only a D-2.”
Starkey worried he might be wondering if she was up to the job. She liked Buck, and didn’t want him to doubt her. She got enough doubt from Kelso.
“Anyone call you about the bomb? You hear about that?”
“No. Hear about what?”
He was searching her face, and it took all of her strength not to look away. He knew it was going to be bad. She could see the fear of it blossom in his eyes.
“What about the bomb, Carol?”
“It was detonated by remote control.”
He stared at her without expression for a time, then shook his head, something like desperation edging into his voice.
“That can’t be. Charlie made some good snaps with the Real Time. We didn’t see a radio device. We didn’t see
any
kind of detonator. If we’d seen anything like that, I would’ve yanked Charlie out of there. He would’ve come running.”
“You couldn’t have seen it, Buck. The power pack andinitiator were inside one of the pipes. The explosive was in the other. Something called Modex Hybrid.”
He blinked hard to hold back the tears, but they came anyway. Starkey felt her own eyes fill and put a hand on his arm.
“I’m okay.”
She let go of his arm, thinking the two of them were a fine pair.
Buck cleared his throat, took a breath and let it out.
“Modex. That’s military, right? I know that name.”
“They use it in warheads. Almost ten thousand feet faster than TNT. But we’re thinking maybe this batch was homemade.”
“Jesus. You’re sure about the remote? You’re sure it was radio-controlled?”
“We found the receiver. The person who set it off was somewhere in the area. He could’ve set it off anytime he wanted, but he waited until Charlie was right over the bomb. We think he was watching.”
He rubbed at his face and shook his head as if all of this was too much to bear.
She told him
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