Dispatched With Cause by Barrett

Author:Barrett [Barrett]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company
Published: 2014-06-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

ZEKE CHECKED IN with the office Monday morning and found that the final report from the Albuquerque Police Department on the shooting was still not completed. She should check back on Wednesday.

Bureaucracy.

Since her recent conversion to the out of doors, she chose to take a walk in the woods.

Reinvigorated from her long walk, she returned to her loft office, and found a text from Mike. She punched in his number.

“Hi, Mike. Got your message. What’s happening?”

“Things are starting to fall into place, any chance you could come in later?” Mike asked.

“Sure, I planned to see Santiago—any word on him?” Zeke kicked off her boots and sat down at the kitchen table. The sun poured in through the large window onto the file folders she had spread out.

“Not sure. I think he’s still in ICU, but may be off the ventilator. The APD hasn’t finished their report yet. How are you feeling?” Mike asked.

“I’m better, still pretty sore, but infinitely better than Santiago. What time should I be there?”

“How about 1400 hours?”

“See you then.” She looked at her watch.

She moved her stuff to the family room with a fresh cup of coffee and her laptop. She managed to get herself wedged into the corner of the sofa so that her left arm was supported and the laptop balanced on a pillow. It still hurt. The gunshot wound to her shoulder was swollen and painful. The bruises on her chest were just achy, and she couldn’t imagine what Santiago must be feeling—if he was awake.

She had survived fifteen years as a Special Agent with no injury more serious than an occasional strain or sprain and then in the past six months she found herself in a state of constant recovery from some injury. After reading some mail, she wrote a long note to Sandra Spinelli in Arizona to let her know how the meeting with Santiago had gone and to thank her for insisting on the Kevlar vest. She smiled as she thought about Sandra’s scolding.

Zeke finished up and ran upstairs to take a shower. Since her trip into the hospital and Mike’s office would be business, it was a good idea to look as professional as possible. A pair of dark blue slacks, a crisp white shirt, and blazer would be fine.

Dressed and pressed, she ran over her list. Alarm set, cat fed, briefcase with computer and files—check. Badge and weapon. Lock door.

The drive into town was easy. She parked in the rear of the hospital lot and looked around. She went to the ICU and the atmosphere was quieter and more somber. She was surprised Señora Santiago was not sitting with her husband.

Zeke stood quietly at his door, watching him breathe and checking the monitors on either side of the bed. His color remained pale and his face was gaunt.

Unsure what to do, she went to the side of the bed and whispered, “Roberto,” then waited. He still had tubes in his chest draining into a plastic container with columns and markings.

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