Read Online Internal Affairs by Alana Matthews - Free Book Online Page B

agreed with Sloan’s attorney, but so did Pine.
    “No, what you did was screw up, Franco. I talked to Deputy Harris and I know exactly what happened. You aren’t the first cop to get his weenie in a knot over a woman, but you chose the wrong ex-husband to go after.”
    “Why?” Rafe said. “Everyone in the department knows Sloan is dirty. This was our chance to put him away.”
    “There’s just one small problem with that.”
    “Which is?”
    Pine smiled patiently, then got to his feet. “There are some people who want to talk to you.”
    He gestured and Rafe stood up, following him out the door. They moved down a long corridor to a conference room, Rafe wondering what was going on until Pine threw open the door to reveal who was inside.
    The were four people seated at the conference table, two of whom Rafe had seen earlier that morning: his sister Kate and her partner, Charlie Eberhart. Sitting beside them was Kate’s boss, Captain Weeks, and at the head of the table was none other than the County Undersheriff himself—the man Kate was rumored to be dating—Daniel Macon.
    As the door closed behind Rafe, Macon gestured. “Have a seat, deputy.”
    Rafe did as he was told. He glanced at Kate, but her face was a mask. He had no earthly idea what this was all about, but figured he would soon find out.
    And he knew it couldn’t be good.
    Once Rafe was settled in his seat, Macon said, “I’m sure you’re aware, Deputy Franco, that Oliver Sloan has long been a target of this department.”
    Rafe nodded. “I know he’s been a thorn in our side for quite some time.”
    “And I’m sure,” Macon continued, “that you thought arresting Sloan on a petty drug charge was a way to put him behind bars where he belongs.”
    “I didn’t go there to arrest him,” Rafe said. “Just talk to him. I saw the drugs, and did my duty.”
    “Be that as it may,” Kate said, “you also jeopardized a nine-month-long investigation.”
    Surprised, Rafe swiveled his head toward her. “Investigation?”
    “The woman you arrested along with Sloan was an undercover operative for this department. She’s been one of my confidential informants for years.”
    “That’s right, genius,” Eberhart told him. “You just cowboyed your way into an ongoing investigation and nearly blew the whole thing.”
    Rafe was speechless. What was there to say? No words he uttered would change what had happened.
    But how could he be blamed for this? He may have gone to Sloan’s hotel suite for personal reasons, but the bust he’d made had been righteous. By the book.
    Was he about to be hung out to dry for doing his duty?
    “Fortunately,” Macon said, “the judge saw fit to drop the charges against him. A judge we think could very well be in Oliver Sloan’s pocket. Only this time it worked to our advantage.”
    Kate leaned forward. “But do you see the stakes we’re dealing with here? This isn’t just about Oliver Sloan. It’s about the network he’s built and all the people who are beholden to him.”
    “Including his ex-wife,” Eberhart said.
    Rafe stiffened, felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Were they suggesting that Lisa was part of Sloan’s criminal organization?
    That was ridiculous.
    First, Rafe knew she’d never get involved in any illegal activities—not now, not ever. Three and a half years couldn’t have changed her that much. And second, her reaction to the truth about her ex-husband’s activities had been genuine. Even if she had suspected that Sloan was up to no good, it was obvious that such suspicions had been vague and ill-formed, and nothing to do with organized crime.
    “We understand his ex is an old girlfriend of yours,” Macon said.
    Rafe nodded. “We dated in college.”
    “And where was that?”
    “University of Illinois.”
    “He pretty much kept her under wraps, too,” Kate said with a smile. “Only brought her out here once during all that time and I never even got a chance to meet her.