The Spread by Dana King

Author:Dana King
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Down & Out Books

23.

Sean Sisler saw Maureen Tilghman step out of the detectives’ office as he opened the door to the interview room. They nodded to each other, went in together, and took seats. Spent a few minutes not talking while Tilghman went over her notes.

She put the papers in a portfolio, then at her feet. Checked her watch. “Is your rep running late?”

Sisler used a close approximation of his traffic stop voice. “No rep. No lawyer. Ask your questions.”

That brought Tilghman up short. “Are you sure? It’s your right, and it never hurts to have someone to help you with how your answers will read in a transcript.”

“I know. Sullivan told me. Snyder told me. The union told me. I decline. Do you need me to sign something, or can we move this along?”

Tilghman thought for a second. “What you said will be part of the transcript you’ll sign. Are you aware this is being recorded?”

Sisler couldn’t resist. “Yes, Mo. Just because I’m not a detective doesn’t mean I don’t know how interviews work. Can we move this along?”

“All right. It’s your choice. Let me know if you change your mind.” Sisler made a get on with it gesture. “Tell me what happened that day in your unit. Let’s start in the alley while you were waiting to make the arrest.”

“Nothing.”

Tilghman waited thirty seconds. “Did you talk?”

“She had questions. Check that. More than questions. Complaints.”

“What did she complain about?”

“In the alley? About how much time I spent sitting on my ass waiting for something to happen while I was on the clock. I was explaining how that works when the rest of the apprehension team arrived.”

“How was that conversation?”

“What do you mean, ‘how was it?’”

“Was it cordial? Formal? Friendly? Strained? Antagonistic?”

“I’m not sure how to describe it. She didn’t like me, and I didn’t like her. I think both of us were counting the minutes until the shift ended.”

“You’re saying you didn’t get along.”

“Not from jump.”

“Did anything happen to sour the relationship?”

“There never was a relationship. She’s part of that operation that exists to find fault with the police. That’s why she was there. It was clear from her attitude she was looking to gig me.”

“Was she openly antagonistic?”

“If you’re asking was she in my face, no. She just found fault with everything I did. Wait. She found fault with everything we do. As a department, I mean. I don’t remember a single time she didn’t question either my decision or the procedure.”

“Might she have been playing devil’s advocate? After all, she was there to ask questions.”

“Asking questions is one thing. Questioning is something else.”

“Describe the difference in your mind.”

“Asking questions is what you do when you want to learn something. Questioning is when you’re trying to catch someone out. She was looking to find fault.”

Tilghman took no notes. Nothing on the table in front of her. “Describe any physical contact between you.”

“We shook hands at the start and end of the shift.” Sisler tried to think of any other time. No telling what this bitch said in her interview.

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