Stabscotch by Alexi Venice

Author:Alexi Venice [Venice, Alexi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction & Literature
Publisher: eBookIt.com
Published: 2018-01-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Financial District

Amanda texted Frank, who pulled to the curb in subsecond time to collect them. Tommy opened the door for Amanda and Roxy, then got in the front.

“To headquarters,” he said to Frank.

“Ms. Hawthorne’s house?” Frank asked.

Tommy jerked his head around in surprise only to see Frank’s smirk. Is it that obvious? I need to spend less time at Sea Cliff.

Roxy chirped from the back seat. “You’re not authorized to do anything with that jump drive until I get clearance from New York.”

“I don’t answer to New York.” He rested his hand over the jump drive in his front pocket, afraid she might dive over the seat for it.

“Whether you like it or not, we all answer to New York in one way or another,” Roxy said.

“Amanda, can you please talk some sense into Roxy about what it means to obtain evidence in a homicide case, and how I’m charged with the safekeeping of that evidence before you make a charging decision?”

He heard Amanda sigh. “Of course—”

“Save yourself the trouble,” Roxy said. “I’ve heard it before from people much more eloquent than you.”

“Ahem,” Amanda said. “You haven’t heard me argue in court, so you don’t know how eloquent I am.”

Roxy looked at her cell phone, but Amanda continued. “Detective Vietti has formal jurisdiction over this investigation, thus has a legal duty to account for all evidence obtained in the course thereof. During the trial, we might have to establish a chain of custody as proof of no tampering. Tommy has sole custody of the jump drive now, which we all assume has incriminating evidence on it, so nothing could be more important than him personally bringing it to Computer Forensics—”

“Blah, blah, blah,” Roxy interrupted, typing a message on her phone. “We’ll see about that.”

“I’d continue discussing the matter, but it’s clear you aren’t listening,” Amanda said.

“Save your breath for the Department of Justice,” Roxy said.

Amanda was torn between smacking Roxy upside the head or telling her off but was rescued from the impulse by their arrival at the Hall of Justice.

Tommy quickly walked through security, Roxy and Amanda trailing. He took the stairwell to the second floor, where he burst through the doors to the Computer Forensics Department.

“Hey guys,” Tommy said.

“Hi Tommy. What can we do for you?” Lieutenant Navarro, the lead officer, asked, although he was looking at Roxy and Amanda.

“We need to analyze this jump drive and preserve it as evidence.” Tommy removed it from his pocket and handed it to Navarro.

“If you touch that drive, you’ll be subject to arrest by the Secret Service for tampering with evidence concerning the national security interests of the United States,” Roxy threatened.

Navarro threw his hands in the air. “I don’t want to get in the middle of this.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Tommy said. “She’s bluffing. Amanda, authorize him.”

“Please proceed, Lieutenant Navarro. I’ll take full responsibility for authorizing you to interrogate the device,” Amanda said.

Gotta love her for having my back, Tommy thought. Except now she wants my front, too.

“Okay. It’s on you, then, not me.

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