Read Online Murder in the City: Blue Lights by Clare Tatum - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Clare Tatum
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finally in her heart. How did he know about that?
Brice’s head swiveled toward the reporter and he motioned with his hand for him to come forward. “Let him through,” he said to one of the uniformed cops manning the police line.
Canton slipped underneath the yellow police tape, and walked forward as though he’d gotten an invitation to the White House, strutting a bit for the benefit of the other reporters.
“Hey, why’s he getting to go inside?” another male reporter yelled. That guy anchored the weekend news, so it was obvious the TV stations were pulling out their big guns.
“Treat us all equal,” a blonde female reporter Lainey recognized said loudly.
Canton turned and lifted his hands and shoulders in a big shrug. He didn’t think they were all equal, clearly.
The male reporter/anchor frowned but the female just smiled as if she recognized something more was going on than a simple sound bite.
When Canton reached them, Brice leaned in, speaking in a low voice but clearly and with a hint of edge. “Why would you ask that question?”
Canton’s face went purposefully blank. “Makes sense, that with a crime spree happening, and with even the mayor’s daughter not safe, that she would stop the furloughs of the men and women who keep our city safe.”
Brice tilted his head, his eyes narrow and hard. “Really? That’s all?”
“Why else?” the reporter sawed back with just as tough a tone as Brice’s. “Is there something you want to tell me, detective?”
“Huh,” Brice guffawed roughly. “Is there something you want to tell me? Is there something you know that the police should know?”
Canton’s expression wavered for a minute. “I got a tip. That it was a demand for the mayor.”
Brice’s eyes opened and his face relaxed a bit. Maybe the guy could be some help. “Do you know who gave you that tip or anything else that could help us?”
Canton shook his head, his face serious and almost truthful. “I don’t. Just a call from an anonymous tipster. Happens all the time.”
“We need that phone number, to see if we can trace it.”
Canton lifted a shoulder. “I tried calling back but there was no voice mail, and no one picked up. Probably a burner phone, so it couldn’t be traced.”
Brice studied him for a minute. “We might could find out some information from it, anyway, like where he bought it, see if the store has any video.”
Canton nodded.
“Let me know if you get any more tips or anything else we can use.” Brice gave him a card, took Lainey’s elbow and turned toward his car.
“Do you believe he doesn’t know who tipped him off to the demand?” Lainey asked when they were in the car.
“Don’t know.” Brice buckled his seat belt. He pointed at the car radio. “Almost the top of the hour news. Maybe we can get some info from the news guys. Seems like they know more than us.” His jaw tightened, as he pulled away from the curb, driving out of sight of the cameras.
Lainey gripped her armrest hard. She wanted to scream as the tension coiled inside of her tighter and tighter. Where was Julie? “Why would the kidnapper come by my house to pick up Julie? If he wanted power over the mayor, why would he bother with another little girl? Another witness?”
She put her hands to her face to hide the anguish that poured out of her. Her face felt as if it were crumpling from the pressure.
Just then, her cell phone rang. She yanked the phone out of her pocket and looked at the incoming call number. It was Julie’s cell phone.
Chapter Nine
Brice pulled over to the curb, as Lainey feverishly hit the connect button. “Julie.”
“Mama,” a small voice bleated out. It was Julie’s voice but Julie never called her that.
“Julie,” she said.
“I call her that sometimes,” Julie said to someone off phone. “Mama, I just wanted to tell you that the mayor needs to stop the furloughs of the police. They need all the police they can get.”
Mama was a signal
Brice’s head swiveled toward the reporter and he motioned with his hand for him to come forward. “Let him through,” he said to one of the uniformed cops manning the police line.
Canton slipped underneath the yellow police tape, and walked forward as though he’d gotten an invitation to the White House, strutting a bit for the benefit of the other reporters.
“Hey, why’s he getting to go inside?” another male reporter yelled. That guy anchored the weekend news, so it was obvious the TV stations were pulling out their big guns.
“Treat us all equal,” a blonde female reporter Lainey recognized said loudly.
Canton turned and lifted his hands and shoulders in a big shrug. He didn’t think they were all equal, clearly.
The male reporter/anchor frowned but the female just smiled as if she recognized something more was going on than a simple sound bite.
When Canton reached them, Brice leaned in, speaking in a low voice but clearly and with a hint of edge. “Why would you ask that question?”
Canton’s face went purposefully blank. “Makes sense, that with a crime spree happening, and with even the mayor’s daughter not safe, that she would stop the furloughs of the men and women who keep our city safe.”
Brice tilted his head, his eyes narrow and hard. “Really? That’s all?”
“Why else?” the reporter sawed back with just as tough a tone as Brice’s. “Is there something you want to tell me, detective?”
“Huh,” Brice guffawed roughly. “Is there something you want to tell me? Is there something you know that the police should know?”
Canton’s expression wavered for a minute. “I got a tip. That it was a demand for the mayor.”
Brice’s eyes opened and his face relaxed a bit. Maybe the guy could be some help. “Do you know who gave you that tip or anything else that could help us?”
Canton shook his head, his face serious and almost truthful. “I don’t. Just a call from an anonymous tipster. Happens all the time.”
“We need that phone number, to see if we can trace it.”
Canton lifted a shoulder. “I tried calling back but there was no voice mail, and no one picked up. Probably a burner phone, so it couldn’t be traced.”
Brice studied him for a minute. “We might could find out some information from it, anyway, like where he bought it, see if the store has any video.”
Canton nodded.
“Let me know if you get any more tips or anything else we can use.” Brice gave him a card, took Lainey’s elbow and turned toward his car.
“Do you believe he doesn’t know who tipped him off to the demand?” Lainey asked when they were in the car.
“Don’t know.” Brice buckled his seat belt. He pointed at the car radio. “Almost the top of the hour news. Maybe we can get some info from the news guys. Seems like they know more than us.” His jaw tightened, as he pulled away from the curb, driving out of sight of the cameras.
Lainey gripped her armrest hard. She wanted to scream as the tension coiled inside of her tighter and tighter. Where was Julie? “Why would the kidnapper come by my house to pick up Julie? If he wanted power over the mayor, why would he bother with another little girl? Another witness?”
She put her hands to her face to hide the anguish that poured out of her. Her face felt as if it were crumpling from the pressure.
Just then, her cell phone rang. She yanked the phone out of her pocket and looked at the incoming call number. It was Julie’s cell phone.
Chapter Nine
Brice pulled over to the curb, as Lainey feverishly hit the connect button. “Julie.”
“Mama,” a small voice bleated out. It was Julie’s voice but Julie never called her that.
“Julie,” she said.
“I call her that sometimes,” Julie said to someone off phone. “Mama, I just wanted to tell you that the mayor needs to stop the furloughs of the police. They need all the police they can get.”
Mama was a signal
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