funeral.”
“Hey, buddy, you’re the one that took off. Don’t talk to me like I’m a child. I’m not an idiot, but I’m also not family. They make the decisions, not me, and you don’t either.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right, but it’s just too much for Paul to handle right now. He needs more time, and we have to figure out a way to give it to him. I’ll be heading back down in a few days. Any word on when they’re moving Caleb?”
“Probably tomorrow, but they won’t have him ready for a few days. Don’t worry; I’ll take care of things here. Can you get back by Friday?”
“Yeah, sure thing,” said Grey, ending the call. A few seconds later there was a knock on his door. Grey opened it to see his boss, Frank Perkins.
“Everything okay?” asked Perkins.
“I wish I could say yes,” answered Grey. “I was about to come up and see you. They don’t think Kate is gonna come out of her coma, and if she does, she’s going to be a vegetable. They’re already talking about taking her off life support.”
“Before they bury their son?”
“I’m glad somebody else understands how screwed up that is. Paul is already on the edge. That’ll send him over in a heartbeat.”
“Listen, Grey. I understand why you wanted to come back, but it isn’t necessary. Hank has been doing a decent job filling your shoes since you left for vacation. I think he likes the idea of being in charge. I’m okay with him doing that for a little while longer. You don’t need to be here. You need to be with your friend.”
Grey rubbed his temples and returned to his chair. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling while Perkins took the chair across from him. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m good,” said Grey, bringing his eyes forward. “We’re never the helpless ones. We solve the problems, but there’s nothing I can do for him. My hands are tied on the case, and I have no idea what to say to him anymore. What do you say to a man who’s experienced what he has? How do you convince him life is worth living anymore? His son was murdered, and his wife will be dead soon. How do you recover from that?”
“You don’t,” said Perkins. “And there isn’t a damn thing you or anyone else can do. You’re a spectator, son. As much as I wish you weren’t, you are. That’s not a familiar place for you, and it’s tearing you up. I can see it in your face. That’s why you need to take some time off and deal with this head on.”
“I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”
“You and I both know there’s an unnatural progression in these types of cases,” said Perkins. “You need to be down there for him when they bury Caleb; you need to be there when Kate slips away; and you need to be there when Paul has to put the pieces back together and go home. After that, you need to get back to your life. And if you’re not there for him when those things happen, you’ll always regret it.”
Grey took a moment before he spoke. “Okay.”
“I’ll go ahead and put you in for a month of leave,” added Perkins. “If you need more time, don’t hesitate to ask. Focus on him and get this place out of your mind for a bit. There will be plenty of bad guys left when you get back – unless Hank puts them all away.”
“He’s too fat to get them all,” said Grey. “Thanks, boss.”
“Don’t mention it. But for my own peace of mind, I’m going to remind you again, no cowboy shit down there. Let the Florida investigators do their job.”
*****
Carol and Joel of the IFS ducked under the yellow tape stretched across three parking spaces. A grey Ford LTD with tinted windows was parked in front of a motel located a few miles north of Homestead. The used police vehicle auctioned to the public still had the spotlight attached to the driver’s door. They walked past the car to the open hotel room with two uniformed officers standing inside.
“Morning, troopers,” greeted Carol. “Smells like you’ve got a
“Hey, buddy, you’re the one that took off. Don’t talk to me like I’m a child. I’m not an idiot, but I’m also not family. They make the decisions, not me, and you don’t either.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right, but it’s just too much for Paul to handle right now. He needs more time, and we have to figure out a way to give it to him. I’ll be heading back down in a few days. Any word on when they’re moving Caleb?”
“Probably tomorrow, but they won’t have him ready for a few days. Don’t worry; I’ll take care of things here. Can you get back by Friday?”
“Yeah, sure thing,” said Grey, ending the call. A few seconds later there was a knock on his door. Grey opened it to see his boss, Frank Perkins.
“Everything okay?” asked Perkins.
“I wish I could say yes,” answered Grey. “I was about to come up and see you. They don’t think Kate is gonna come out of her coma, and if she does, she’s going to be a vegetable. They’re already talking about taking her off life support.”
“Before they bury their son?”
“I’m glad somebody else understands how screwed up that is. Paul is already on the edge. That’ll send him over in a heartbeat.”
“Listen, Grey. I understand why you wanted to come back, but it isn’t necessary. Hank has been doing a decent job filling your shoes since you left for vacation. I think he likes the idea of being in charge. I’m okay with him doing that for a little while longer. You don’t need to be here. You need to be with your friend.”
Grey rubbed his temples and returned to his chair. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling while Perkins took the chair across from him. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m good,” said Grey, bringing his eyes forward. “We’re never the helpless ones. We solve the problems, but there’s nothing I can do for him. My hands are tied on the case, and I have no idea what to say to him anymore. What do you say to a man who’s experienced what he has? How do you convince him life is worth living anymore? His son was murdered, and his wife will be dead soon. How do you recover from that?”
“You don’t,” said Perkins. “And there isn’t a damn thing you or anyone else can do. You’re a spectator, son. As much as I wish you weren’t, you are. That’s not a familiar place for you, and it’s tearing you up. I can see it in your face. That’s why you need to take some time off and deal with this head on.”
“I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”
“You and I both know there’s an unnatural progression in these types of cases,” said Perkins. “You need to be down there for him when they bury Caleb; you need to be there when Kate slips away; and you need to be there when Paul has to put the pieces back together and go home. After that, you need to get back to your life. And if you’re not there for him when those things happen, you’ll always regret it.”
Grey took a moment before he spoke. “Okay.”
“I’ll go ahead and put you in for a month of leave,” added Perkins. “If you need more time, don’t hesitate to ask. Focus on him and get this place out of your mind for a bit. There will be plenty of bad guys left when you get back – unless Hank puts them all away.”
“He’s too fat to get them all,” said Grey. “Thanks, boss.”
“Don’t mention it. But for my own peace of mind, I’m going to remind you again, no cowboy shit down there. Let the Florida investigators do their job.”
*****
Carol and Joel of the IFS ducked under the yellow tape stretched across three parking spaces. A grey Ford LTD with tinted windows was parked in front of a motel located a few miles north of Homestead. The used police vehicle auctioned to the public still had the spotlight attached to the driver’s door. They walked past the car to the open hotel room with two uniformed officers standing inside.
“Morning, troopers,” greeted Carol. “Smells like you’ve got a
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