Read Online The Watcher in the Wall by Owen Laukkanen - Free Book Online
Authors: Owen Laukkanen
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another victim, or maybe she’s gone to ground.”
Harris lifted a finger.
Caution
. “I hear you, Carla, but legally—”
“My ass,
legally
,” she said. “Those laws were written before the Internet was invented. This is the first time anyone’s ever seen a case like this. And if I’m the only one in this room with the balls to pursue it . . .” She pushed her chair out. Stood. “Then screw it. I’ll see y’all at the Supreme Court.”
She kicked her chair back in, turned on her heel, and stalked to thedoor. Shoved it open, caught it with the same motion, slammed it back so hard that heads popped up like prairie gophers all throughout CID.
“Mind your freaking business,”
she told them, still running hot, breathing hard. “God
damn
it.”
< 24 >
Windermere leaned against the wall outside Harris’s office, catching her breath. Calming down, best she could. Trying to pretend like she hadn’t just blown her stack in front of Harris, Stevens, heck, the whole CID.
Trying to pretend like the Supercop wasn’t losing her cool.
Time passed. Five, ten minutes. Harris’s door clicked open; Stevens stepped out. Scanned the hall and saw her, closed the door behind him. Took a couple steps toward her, rocked back on his feet and let out a long breath.
“Harris is okaying the investigation,” he said. “Says he has our backs if we want to pursue this, says he’ll go to bat for us with the ADA if it comes to it. Says you’re right about the Internet thing, the interstate angle. It’s probably up to the courts to decide, but that doesn’t mean we can’t track down this girl. That’s what Harris says, anyway.”
Windermere kept her eyes on the carpet. “Great,” she said. “Guess I’m not going rogue, then, huh?”
Stevens didn’t laugh. She looked up at him, and he was studying her,his eyes concerned. “You want to talk about what just happened in there, Carla?” he said.
“What just happened?” Windermere said. “What do you want to know, Stevens? You think I’m acting out of line or something?”
Cripes,
she was thinking.
First Mathers, now Stevens. Word’s going to get around I’m losing my cool.
Stevens seemed to be choosing his words. “This is a screwed-up case,” he said. “That Adrian Miller kid, the others. This isn’t like anything else we’ve ever worked before. I get it.”
She didn’t say anything. Figured she’d let him talk until he ran out of steam. Then, maybe, they could get back to the freaking job.
“I’m just saying,” Stevens said, “I can see how this stuff could affect you. And I want you to know I’m here for you, as your partner. If you ever want to talk about it, you know?”
Windermere pushed herself off the wall. Straightened up. “Yeah,” she said, “I get it. I appreciate the gesture. But whatever you think you’re seeing, it’s not there. Nothing’s up. I’m just fine, okay?”
Stevens shifted his weight. Windermere held his gaze.
“Can we
please
get back to work?” she said. “Maybe solve this case, instead of standing around wasting time talking about feelings?”
“Fine,” Stevens said. “Sure, of course. But if you do want to talk—”
“I’ll find you, I promise,” she said, turning away from him. “Meet you back in the office, okay? I need a little fresh air.”
She left him before he could answer. Crossed CID to the fire doors and hurried down the stairs to ground level, across the lobby to the front doors, the parking lot. Didn’t slow down until she was outside in the chill air, the sky a flat, joyless gray above her.
She wanted another cigarette. She’d left her Marlboros at home, thepack hidden under the bathroom sink, behind her blow-dryer and curling iron and a couple boxes of tampons, squirreled away like contraband in the last place Mathers would dare poke his nose. Still, she craved a smoke now.
There were a couple of young women, admin people, smoking in a little huddle a few feet away.
Harris lifted a finger.
Caution
. “I hear you, Carla, but legally—”
“My ass,
legally
,” she said. “Those laws were written before the Internet was invented. This is the first time anyone’s ever seen a case like this. And if I’m the only one in this room with the balls to pursue it . . .” She pushed her chair out. Stood. “Then screw it. I’ll see y’all at the Supreme Court.”
She kicked her chair back in, turned on her heel, and stalked to thedoor. Shoved it open, caught it with the same motion, slammed it back so hard that heads popped up like prairie gophers all throughout CID.
“Mind your freaking business,”
she told them, still running hot, breathing hard. “God
damn
it.”
< 24 >
Windermere leaned against the wall outside Harris’s office, catching her breath. Calming down, best she could. Trying to pretend like she hadn’t just blown her stack in front of Harris, Stevens, heck, the whole CID.
Trying to pretend like the Supercop wasn’t losing her cool.
Time passed. Five, ten minutes. Harris’s door clicked open; Stevens stepped out. Scanned the hall and saw her, closed the door behind him. Took a couple steps toward her, rocked back on his feet and let out a long breath.
“Harris is okaying the investigation,” he said. “Says he has our backs if we want to pursue this, says he’ll go to bat for us with the ADA if it comes to it. Says you’re right about the Internet thing, the interstate angle. It’s probably up to the courts to decide, but that doesn’t mean we can’t track down this girl. That’s what Harris says, anyway.”
Windermere kept her eyes on the carpet. “Great,” she said. “Guess I’m not going rogue, then, huh?”
Stevens didn’t laugh. She looked up at him, and he was studying her,his eyes concerned. “You want to talk about what just happened in there, Carla?” he said.
“What just happened?” Windermere said. “What do you want to know, Stevens? You think I’m acting out of line or something?”
Cripes,
she was thinking.
First Mathers, now Stevens. Word’s going to get around I’m losing my cool.
Stevens seemed to be choosing his words. “This is a screwed-up case,” he said. “That Adrian Miller kid, the others. This isn’t like anything else we’ve ever worked before. I get it.”
She didn’t say anything. Figured she’d let him talk until he ran out of steam. Then, maybe, they could get back to the freaking job.
“I’m just saying,” Stevens said, “I can see how this stuff could affect you. And I want you to know I’m here for you, as your partner. If you ever want to talk about it, you know?”
Windermere pushed herself off the wall. Straightened up. “Yeah,” she said, “I get it. I appreciate the gesture. But whatever you think you’re seeing, it’s not there. Nothing’s up. I’m just fine, okay?”
Stevens shifted his weight. Windermere held his gaze.
“Can we
please
get back to work?” she said. “Maybe solve this case, instead of standing around wasting time talking about feelings?”
“Fine,” Stevens said. “Sure, of course. But if you do want to talk—”
“I’ll find you, I promise,” she said, turning away from him. “Meet you back in the office, okay? I need a little fresh air.”
She left him before he could answer. Crossed CID to the fire doors and hurried down the stairs to ground level, across the lobby to the front doors, the parking lot. Didn’t slow down until she was outside in the chill air, the sky a flat, joyless gray above her.
She wanted another cigarette. She’d left her Marlboros at home, thepack hidden under the bathroom sink, behind her blow-dryer and curling iron and a couple boxes of tampons, squirreled away like contraband in the last place Mathers would dare poke his nose. Still, she craved a smoke now.
There were a couple of young women, admin people, smoking in a little huddle a few feet away.
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