Read Online The Final Line by Kendall McKenna - Free Book Online

sorry, did you say homicide?”
    Sean’s eyes widened and he frowned, his mouth falling open slightly in surprise.
    Lopez spoke again. “Sergeant Nygaard has confessed to beating his girlfriend to death.”
    “Fuck,” Corey whispered. His mind raced and he began to walk slowly in a circle as he tried to sort this out. “I don’t understand why you’re calling me.”
    “When we arrest you active duty folks for something this serious, we’re required to notify your command,” Lopez replied. “Command usually takes care of notifying family so arrangements can be made for bail and attorneys.”
    Corey rubbed a hand up and down the bristles of hair on the back of his head as he continued to pace in a circle. “Nygaard and I don’t share a billet any longer; we haven’t since we returned from Afghanistan. Even back then, I was never his Platoon Sergeant.”
    “When we asked him for a contact number at the time the detectives booked him in, he gave us yours.” When Corey didn’t reply, Sergeant Lopez kept talking. “When he gave us the number he said you’d understand. You know what happened to him and why he is the way he is.”
    Corey pinched the bridge of his nose. His body was tense from head to boots and he was breathing like he’d just swum the length of the BRC pool underwater. He clenched his jaw against a sudden wave of nausea. “I have no idea what that means,” Corey said through his teeth.
    He jumped and gasped, curling his hand into a fist at the feel of a hand gripping his arm. Corey’s eyes snapped open to identify his attacker and found Sean’s hazel eyes watching his face closely. When Sean’s concerned expression shifted to confusion and wariness, Corey took a deep breath and shook out his fisted hand.
    “If you know of previous incidents of violence involving Sergeant Nygaard, the homicide detectives are going to want to talk to you,” Lopez said. “Has he beat up his girlfriend before?”
    “I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend,” Corey exclaimed. “Is it possible he’s talking about a combat incident?” He didn’t need an answer to that question, Corey already knew.
    Sean was running his palm up and down Corey’s arm soothingly. He stepped closer, until Corey could feel the heat of his body. It bolstered him, he drew strength from it. It was a new and unfamiliar sensation. Without thinking, he curled his fingers around the back of Sean’s neck, cradled him, and stroked his thumb over Sean’s sharp cheekbone.
    “No one seems sure of anything other than the fact he beat a young woman to death with his bare hands,” the sergeant answered. “You’d be allowed to see him briefly if you thought it would help to sort this out, but I still have to notify his command.”
    “I don’t have access to a car,” Corey bemoaned. Sean waved a hand to get Corey’s attention. “Give me just a second, Sergeant.”
    “I’ll drive you if you need to go,” Sean said. “This sounds serious.”
    “That would be asking too much,” Corey answered sharply.
    “It’ll give us a chance to talk,” Sean whispered, his eyes almost pleading. “This has to do with that phone call earlier, doesn’t it?”
    That made Corey pause. Until this moment, he’d forgotten that Nygaard had tried to call him directly, earlier in the night. “Okay.” Corey relented.
    He told the Corrections Sergeant he’d be there in thirty mikes and disconnected the call.
    “Let’s go,” Sean said, pulling his keys from his jeans pocket.
    As they pulled onto the freeway onramp, Corey turned to Sean. “I’m sorry you have to do this.”
    “It’s obviously not your fault,” Sean replied evenly. “Now tell me who this guy is, what he supposedly did and why you’re getting pulled into it.”
    “I have no fucking idea where to start,” Corey said in frustration. “Nygaard was one of several sergeants in my platoon in Afghanistan.” He rubbed his jaw, feeling the barest hint of stubble. The disgust he