Page 20 of Resolution

“Raven,” Miguel cooed quietly, patting my back. “It’s okay.”

But it wasn’t. He’d nearly taken a bullet for me. When his hold finally loosened, I sighed, stepping back, but kept hold of his shoulders with both hands as I stared at his beautiful face. The skin under the eyepatch was red. Scabs had begun to form on the myriad of small cuts which the shards of brick had left in their wake. They covered his stubbled right cheek, nose, and half of his forehead. Blood stained his T-shirt.

“Come on and sit in the squad room, guys,” Mike said. “We have some questions.”

I turned to Mike and nodded, allowing Cassidy to rest his hand on the small of my back as he guided me to the bullpen.

“Can we get some water, Cass?” I asked.

“Sure. I’ll be right back,” he said.

I watched his retreating form until I felt Miguel’s hand on my knee. He’d rolled toward me in a desk chair. I reached for his hand, curling my fingers around it. The small squeeze to my fingers made me feel just a little more grounded and thankful to be alive. I held on to him, clutching the hand I loved so much as I watched Cassidy come back with two sweating bottles of water. I thanked him and took mine, cracking the top, and drinking it down, relishing the cold even though it burned all the way down. I glanced at the clock and gasped. It was after eight.

“We need to call Dolly!” I said, looking at Miguel.

“I called her about an hour ago, Raven,” Mike said, easing himself down into a chair. “I didn’t tell her what happened, only that you two were at the police station and would be here a little while longer. She said she had no problem staying.”

“An hour ago? But, I thought you just got here.”

“We did,” Mike replied. “I called Dolly as soon as I learned you were in lock up.”

“We came as soon as we were called, Raven, I promise,” Cassidy added, dropping down into a chair across from us. Cass looked around, frowning before glancing back at us. “For what it’s worth, I gave the two patrolmen hell about how you two were treated, but the captain at this station is new to the division so Mike and I have no goodwill with him yet. For all he knows, we’re just a couple of Brentwood detectives with no standing. I think he’ll find out differently, when my captain makes a call.”

“Don’t get anyone in trouble, Cass,” Miguel said, sighing and running a hand through his hair, like he did when he was nervous, or his walls were down. I frowned and squeezed his hand tighter when he glanced over at me.

“Anyway, what’s happening?” Mike said, sounding tired.

I’d almost forgotten that our friends were working nights. I felt guilty that we’d brought more bullshit to them, cutting into what had to be their family time. One of these days, they were going to get sick of us and the trouble a call from one of us always brought with it.

Miguel and I launched into our explanation of everything that had happened that day, starting with leaving our breakfast with them that morning. We told them about going back to the office and getting the two messages, one from Tomlinson and one from Brian Leopard and how Tomlinson promised to share information with us then reneged on his promise. When we described Leopard and his boyfriend, Trevor, both detectives laughed. The information about Mr. Leopard’s missing diamond pin which he’d bought at an auction set up by Rosina Cassanova, sobered both men instantly.

“So, you think the missing diamond pin was part of this cache of jewels those rogue CIA fuckers are looking for?” Cassidy asked.

“It has to be. She invited him to the auction, and from the looks of the gold it’s set in, I’m guessing it was fashioned in the Middle East,” Miguel said. “I’ve seen jewelry from that region and the gold is very similar.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen it too,” Cassidy said, “so I know what you mean.”

I always forgot Cassidy was a former Navy SEAL and had probably been on a ton of Special Forces missions in the area.

“So, this Leopard guy,” Mike asked, “do you think he’s legit? I ask because I find it curious that he would just seek your company out…just out of the blue like that.”

I covered my face with both hands, rubbing over it before looking up. I was exhausted.

“I completely forgot to mention that Tawny Flores told Leopard about us,” Miguel said. “I guess he told her that we’d been hired to find her missing ruby, so she thought we could help him too. She knows him through her dead husband, Benedict who was his partner in the casino business.” He sounded as exhausted as I did.

“Actually, he was the one who financed it,” I added. “Leopard made his millions on Wall Street when he became a hedge fund manager decades ago. Apparently, he and Flores grew up together, members of the same Native American tribe. Sorry, I didn’t ask which one.”

“That’s okay,” Cassidy said, taking notes. He looked up after he’d finished writing. “I’m going to tape the incident that happened this evening. It’ll serve as a statement for the captain here in Hollywood.” He pulled a small tape recorder out of his inside jacket pocket. We nodded as he turned it on and said, “This statement is being taken by Detectives Cassidy Ryan and Mike Williams out of Brentwood,” he reeled off the date and time. He nodded to us. “Start with your names and address.”

So, we began. Miguel explained how he’d been sitting in the truck waiting for me to come out and the ensuing events.

He voiced the fear he’d felt as soon as he saw my smiling face, and the gunman behind me. I sat there listening to the incident from his point of view and felt my heart clench in pain as he described the terror that had rushed through him at the thought of me taking a bullet to the back of my head. I dropped my chin, looking at our clasped hands as I felt the tears welling up, not wanting our friends to see them. Cassidy shut off the recorder.

“Raven?”

When I looked up, Miguel was staring at me. He squeezed my hand again. “It’s okay, Sunshine. We’re both fine. Don’t fret so.”

I nodded, sniffling as I dragged my gaze away from him and back to Cassidy and Mike. “Are we through? I gotta get him home. He was shot.”

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