fire, paramedics. It’s a fucking circus, not sure about the number of casualties yet.” Grim news, just what I expected. He shook hands with Martin, too. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. We might be here for a while.” More good news. He noticed my oddly toweled arm. “We can get a paramedic to take a look.”
“Nah, I’m good. It’s just a scratch.” O’Connell looked unsure, as did Mark. I swear men probably think they need stitches when they get a paper cut.
“Might as well send some one up, just in case,” Martin told them, and Jeffrey began to leave the office.
“Jeff rey,” my tone was serious, “make sure everyone else is taken care of first before you bring anyone up here. You got that?” I gave him a sharp look, and he timidly left.
“S o.” O’Connell was trying to rein us back in. The two uniforms were standing by, notebooks at the ready, to write down anything we had to say. “Can we interview you separately?” Mark was getting agitated. He thought it was ridiculous, but it was just protocol.
“That’s fine. ” I moved toward the door. “My office is right over there.” One of the uniforms followed me out, and Mark and I exchanged a quick glance. “Stay with Mr. Martin, he’s had a rough afternoon.”
Across the hallway , I gave my recantation of the events from the time we exited the elevator in the lobby until the police came knocking on the door. I left out the previous threats to Martin since I wasn’t sure if it was my place to say anything, but the police officer realized there was more to the story.
“Why would you think there was a sniper?” he asked. I informed him of my background, which I was sure Mark had already done, and then told him I was hired to investigate threats and protect Martin. So much for keeping my mouth shut. He took some notes but didn’t ask for any details. “I guess that’s pretty much it. Seems like you might have been some kind of hero today.”
“It’s just the job. ” I shrugged it off.
M artin was finishing up with the detective, so we went back into his office, and Det. O’Connell questioned the two of us together to cross-check our stories.
“W hat does the OIO have to do with any of this?” O’Connell asked Mark.
“ Officially, nothing. But I’ve been looking into things for James since he first received the threats.”
O’Connell looked at me. “Which explains why you work here, why you noticed the sun reflection, and how you got Mr. Martin out of the way?” He was solidifying the facts in his head.
“Guess so,” I said. “Did you find anything on the other building? I don’t know what I saw, but like I said, I was expecting shots fired, not an explosion.” He hesitated because it wasn’t something he should be able to discuss, but I didn’t know if he was a bend the rules kind of guy or not.
“We’ll let you know wh at we find,” he finally decided. He looked at Mark. “We can read your office in, but just remember, this is our show. It’s a local crime on local ground. You have no jurisdiction, and I don’t want to start a turf war.”
“I appreciate the favor,” Mark said congenially.
Jeffrey appeared in the doorway with a paramedic. “Is now a good time?” No one disagreed, so the EMT cleaned my arm, took a shard of glass out, and bandaged it up. He remained silent since he had already seen way too much today to think of this as anything that needed detailed questions or conversation.
“Well , gentlemen, if that’s it, I have a company to run and employees who have been through hell,” Martin announced. I was reluctant to let him go anywhere without an armed guard. It was because I was still being hyper-vigilant and felt guilty for not taking the situation more seriously sooner, before things started exploding.
“If you remember anything else or get any more threats, let me know.” O’Connell handed Martin his card. Martin looked at it and put it in his pocket before walking
“Nah, I’m good. It’s just a scratch.” O’Connell looked unsure, as did Mark. I swear men probably think they need stitches when they get a paper cut.
“Might as well send some one up, just in case,” Martin told them, and Jeffrey began to leave the office.
“Jeff rey,” my tone was serious, “make sure everyone else is taken care of first before you bring anyone up here. You got that?” I gave him a sharp look, and he timidly left.
“S o.” O’Connell was trying to rein us back in. The two uniforms were standing by, notebooks at the ready, to write down anything we had to say. “Can we interview you separately?” Mark was getting agitated. He thought it was ridiculous, but it was just protocol.
“That’s fine. ” I moved toward the door. “My office is right over there.” One of the uniforms followed me out, and Mark and I exchanged a quick glance. “Stay with Mr. Martin, he’s had a rough afternoon.”
Across the hallway , I gave my recantation of the events from the time we exited the elevator in the lobby until the police came knocking on the door. I left out the previous threats to Martin since I wasn’t sure if it was my place to say anything, but the police officer realized there was more to the story.
“Why would you think there was a sniper?” he asked. I informed him of my background, which I was sure Mark had already done, and then told him I was hired to investigate threats and protect Martin. So much for keeping my mouth shut. He took some notes but didn’t ask for any details. “I guess that’s pretty much it. Seems like you might have been some kind of hero today.”
“It’s just the job. ” I shrugged it off.
M artin was finishing up with the detective, so we went back into his office, and Det. O’Connell questioned the two of us together to cross-check our stories.
“W hat does the OIO have to do with any of this?” O’Connell asked Mark.
“ Officially, nothing. But I’ve been looking into things for James since he first received the threats.”
O’Connell looked at me. “Which explains why you work here, why you noticed the sun reflection, and how you got Mr. Martin out of the way?” He was solidifying the facts in his head.
“Guess so,” I said. “Did you find anything on the other building? I don’t know what I saw, but like I said, I was expecting shots fired, not an explosion.” He hesitated because it wasn’t something he should be able to discuss, but I didn’t know if he was a bend the rules kind of guy or not.
“We’ll let you know wh at we find,” he finally decided. He looked at Mark. “We can read your office in, but just remember, this is our show. It’s a local crime on local ground. You have no jurisdiction, and I don’t want to start a turf war.”
“I appreciate the favor,” Mark said congenially.
Jeffrey appeared in the doorway with a paramedic. “Is now a good time?” No one disagreed, so the EMT cleaned my arm, took a shard of glass out, and bandaged it up. He remained silent since he had already seen way too much today to think of this as anything that needed detailed questions or conversation.
“Well , gentlemen, if that’s it, I have a company to run and employees who have been through hell,” Martin announced. I was reluctant to let him go anywhere without an armed guard. It was because I was still being hyper-vigilant and felt guilty for not taking the situation more seriously sooner, before things started exploding.
“If you remember anything else or get any more threats, let me know.” O’Connell handed Martin his card. Martin looked at it and put it in his pocket before walking
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