Tremble by Nikki Freeman

Author:Nikki Freeman [Freeman, Nikki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HellBound Books Publishing LLC
Published: 2019-09-10T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

“W here the hell have you been?” Gerald Granger’s face was beet-red as he stood behind his desk with his door standing wide open. His booming voice echoed into the next room, causing the other detectives to look up from their paperwork.

“Listen, Chief,” Dan began, having prepared himself for this moment all the way here, “I know you’re upset, but I can explain.”

Sitting his bulky weight down in the swivel chair, Granger said, “Shut the door and start explaining, then. I’ve spent the last three days calling you and leaving messages. I thought you’d dropped off the face of this earth.”

“I’ve been sick,” Dan started. “Completely bedridden.” He cringed at his own choice of words.

“Have you been to the doctor?”

“Not yet.”

“Why the hell not? And why the hell couldn’t you have called in to explain this to me?”

Dan sat down in a black vinyl chair across from him. Elbows on knees, he planted his head in his palms and exhaled deeply. Jerking his head up, he made sure his sleeves hadn’t slid up his arms to expose his swollen, scabbed wrists.

“I know I should’ve called, but honest to God, Chief, I couldn’t even crawl to the phone. I’m still not feeling like myself. I actually came in to ask for some time off.”

Granger frowned. “You don’t look good, Slaviche, that’s for sure. You’re pale and a little thin.” The chair creaked stridently as he leaned back. “Is something going on in your personal life? Trouble on the home front?”

“No, just a bug, I reckon. I figured it’d be okay to take time off since my caseload isn’t full right now. Nothing Logan can’t handle on his own for a few days.” Benjamin Logan was an old timer in the Homicide Precinct. He was a damn good detective and Dan had always enjoyed working side by side with him, despite his virtuous God-fearing disposition.

Granger opened the bottom desk drawer and drew out a file.

Tossing it on top of the desk, he said, “This is why I needed to get in touch with you so badly.”

“What’s that?”

“Trevor Calloway.”

“Case closed.”

“Case nowhere near closed,” Granger said, tapping his tall forehead with a pen he’d picked up. It was a habit that drove Dan crazy. “The body was just released this morning.”

“What? Why? It should’ve gone out the same time Crystal Moretti did. The case was cut and dry.”

“If you’d bothered to call in Wednesday, you’d have known the medical examiner didn’t find it as cut and dry as you thought.” Tap, tap, tap. Dan wanted to grab the pen and shove it up his oversized nose.

Dan snatched the file off the desk and opened it.

“This is the Moretti girl. Not McGuire.”

“Yeah, I know. Something not quite right about the way she was killed.”

Pain seared Dan’s wrists, and he realized he was gripping the file with all his strength. He breathed deeply and waited for Granger to continue.

Granger goes on with, “McGuire killed the girl from behind while they were facing the bed. That’s where the blood splatter was.

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