Page 89 of Rules of Engagement

"Thanks," said Damien. He already had his phone to his ear before he left the room.

"Nice guy," said Garrett. "He's been a lot of help in this case. I felt kind of strange about it at first since he's Solomon's brother but he's got a smart brain and he came up with a lot of suggestions that we're following up on. Neither of us ever imagined there could be any gang connection though."

"I'm glad he's able to help. I think he'd feel useless if he weren't here. You've helped him focus his efforts in a good way," I said.

"You spend much time with him?"

"No, the first time I met him was after Solomon got shot. We never managed to get together before. Actually, I was pretty surprised to hear he was working with Boston PD."

"Damien said he transferred there a few months back. You'd think he'd want to reconnect with his family."

"I figured he was a lone wolf like Solomon," I said.

"Solomon might have been that way a long time ago, but he hasn't been alone for quite a while now," said Garrett. "You probably destroyed his peace."

"If you're going to do something, you should always try to do it well," teased Maddox. "Why did Damien transfer to Boston if it wasn't to be closer to his brother and sister?"

"Anastasia lives in New York," I explained. "So, he probably saw her more when he was there. As for why he moved, I don't know. I don't recall Solomon saying anything. Maybe he planned to reconnect with Solomon but never found the time. You heard what he said about the promotion. He's probably been really busy with whatever that might entail."

Garrett murmured agreeable noises, then said, "Maybe you'll all see each other more often now. Solomon might need some help through his recovery."

"Speaking of which, can I use your phone to call Delgado for an update?"

"Here." Garrett handed me the phone and I stepped outside the room.

"Any news, Garrett?" asked Delgado. "How's Lexi?"

"I'm fine, it's me," I said. "Are you with Solomon?"

"Never left his side," he said. "I'm rotating with Fletcher and Flaherty. We're patting down every doctor and nurse we don't recognize before they can enter."

"I'm sure that's going well," I said, trying to imagine the medical personnel getting the treatment from my touchy colleagues.

"Everyone is cooperating. They're all pretty shook up about the shooting so they fully understand. The good news is Solomon won't know a thing and the doctors say he's even showing some improvement."

"Really?" My hopes soared.

"Yeah, no word of a lie. When are you getting here?"

"As soon as I can. Garrett wants me to keep out of sight until they pick up the hit man but I'm not sure it's totally necessary. Mooch was dumped on PD's doorstep this morning. Garrett just interviewed him and he says there wasn't any hit on me."

"Doesn't matter if someone shot at you anyway. I agree with Garrett. Lie low and get in touch whenever you can. I won't leave Solomon. I promise."

"There's one more thing. I think we should let Garrett take a look at our files. There's a possibility that this hit could have something to do with the Niners but we don't know why or how yet. Could there be anything in our files that might explain everything?"

"So far as I know, we've never worked a case involving them."

"That's what I thought too, but maybe it's not as obvious as directly involving them."

"Turning our cases over exposes both us and our clients."

"What if the eyes on them are limited to a precious few?"

"That could work. There're too many cases to send over and many of them are archived already in a secure facility. It would probably be easier to search the digital files. If the pairs of eyes were strictly limited to Garrett and someone he trusts, we could work something out."

I hung up and returned the phone to Garrett, feeling a brief moment of elation, before I hit a horrible low. If I couldn't get out anywhere, how was I supposed to help? I couldn't interview anyone. I couldn't go home. I couldn't stake out Frederickstown or even bug the Niners' suspected boss at his fancy Bedford Hills house. I was useless. One thing I hated was feeling useless, unless it was helping me to recuperate in some way.

The answer came to me as I stared at the stack of business cards on Garrett's desk. While he and Maddox spoke, I slipped my hand into my pocket, feeling the small card that I deposited there. Duncan O'Malley's hotline. He already delivered once. Would it hurt to ask him again? Despite that he scared the crap out of everyone else I knew, he appeared to exhibit genuine friendship and a deep loyalty for Solomon. I wasn't sure what he might ask for in return, if anything at all. The longer I thought about it, the more the lifeline he offered me seemed to be my only option.

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