Fallen by T. Jefferson Parker

Author:T. Jefferson Parker
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction, Crime, Police Procedural, General, Mystery & Detective
ISBN: 9780007202553
Publisher: Harper
Published: 2006-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chet Fellowes was a large, poorly shaped man who gave off an air of self-serving intelligence. He had sloping shoulders, long arms, and small, quick eyes. He played for Bogle on the department golf team and was rumored to be a scratch golfer and a cheat.

I'd never been in his office. He sat behind his desk and watched McKenzie examining the Fellowes family photographs by the window. Behind him were college and academy diplomas, commendations, and awards. Fellowes slumped down and crossed his hands over an ample gut.

"Bad," he said. "Garrett Asplundh was, what, thirty-nine years old?"

"Yes," I said.

"And he wasn't robbed?"

"No. He was shot from about two inches away. They left his cash, cards, vehicle, everything."

"Prints on the gun?"

"Wiped clean with Tri-Flow."

"You bring your own Tri-Flow to clean up the gun, that's an execution."

"That's what we're thinking," I said. "Did Garrett make enemies here?"

Fellowes eyed me flatly. "You bet he did. Professional Standards, with an attitude like his? A lot of people, they really disliked him and I can't blame them. Like having a... what's the word? Being around Garrett was like having a hawk following you all around. When he went to the Ethics Authority everybody was relieved."

"Who in particular was relieved?" I asked.

He shook his head. "You two are way off if you're looking for a suspect in this department. Come on."

"Captain Fellowes, enemies are enemies," I said. "As an Ethics Authority investigator, he had come up with videodiscs of men buying sex from prostitutes. Some of those men are powerful in this city. Some are cops."

Fellowes's mouth hung slightly open. It looked like he had to halt facial movement in order to complete his thought.

I watched him closely.

"Who?" he asked.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that," I said. "Captains Villas and Sutherland are fully informed."

His eyes shifted from me to McKenzie then to me again. Fury makes a small room smaller. I could sense the captain's anger spike, then settle down to a manageable temperature.

"I thought you probably knew about all of it, sir," I said. "Since you're a captain in Vice."

"Of course I knew about it."

The red squares of deceit spilled out of his mouth and floated out over his desk. His face was almost gray. "I'll take care of any problems within Vice. We take care of our own in Vice."

"And we'll find out who murdered Garrett Asplundh," I said.

My words seemed to hang in the air of Chet Fellowes's office. He shifted his big body in the chair. I was surprised by the level of menace that emanated from a man who looked hapless and uncoordinated. But Fellowes called on some inner strength while he considered me, and I could see in his eyes that he would be merciless if given the opportunity.

"We also wanted to talk to you because you were at the Asplundhs' Fourth of July party," said McKenzie.

Fellowes fixed her with a flat, small-eyed stare. "That's ancient history. You put things like that out of your mind if you can."

"Tell us about it," I said.

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