Page 59 of Christmas Homecoming Secrets
Dylan twitched nervously in his seat, popping his knuckles and rubbing his nose. “What’s this about, sir?”
“Captain Colson is tied up for the moment, so I told him I’d take care of this. Officer Fitzgerald, from what I can see, you have an exemplary record.”
“Yes, sir.”
“But, since there’s no report of you doing any undercover work, I need to ask you about these.” The commander flipped one of the pictures over and slid it across the table in front of Dylan. One by one, he did the same with the others. Jade knew each picture showed Dylan in some way interacting with known drug dealers.
“Can you explain them?”
Dylan leaned forward and frowned. Even from his vantage point, Bryce could see all of the color leech out of the man’s face. For a moment, he sat frozen, then sighed and dropped his head into his hands. When he looked up, the commander was waiting. “Looks bad, doesn’t it?” Dylan asked.
“What would you think if you were sitting in my chair?”
“Probably exactly what you’re thinking, sir.”
“We’ve also run your financials.”
“I want a lawyer.”
“And that’s your right. I’ll let you make a phone call.” The commander stood.
“Wait.” The commander paused while Dylan fidgeted a second longer. Finally, he raked a hand through his hair. “If I help you bring down the ring, will you put in a good word for me with the DA?”
Commander Nelson settled back into his seat. “It depends on how helpful your information is and if it really does lead to the dissolution of the ring and the capture of the top people involved. You have no idea how bad I want to bring this ring down.” His hand curled into a fist on the table. “My best friend’s son is in the ICU thanks to an overdose of the stuff that’s being brought into this city.”
“Well, that explains why he and Captain Colson are following this case so closely,” Jade said.
“Will Dylan face charges of murder?”
“I don’t know. I imagine that will be brought up as a possibility. Although if he helps as much as he says he can, then I would think he might get a much lighter sentence.”
At the commander’s insistence, Dylan called his lawyer while the commander spoke to the district attorney. When Nelson returned, he said, “The DA’s willing to work with you and your lawyer if this leads to the arrest of those involved in the drug ring.”
“All right,” Dylan said with a short nod, “let’s do this.” For the next hour, he spilled everything he knew about the people involved. Thankfully, he cleared Captain Colson in the process. “One last thing,” Dylan said. “There’s a big shipment coming in tomorrow night around ten o’clock. An eighteen-wheeler full of drugs at the old warehouse behind the bank.”
“You’re sure?”
“Of course. I’m the one who set up the location since it’s part of my beat tomorrow night. I’m supposed to make sure it’s clear for the deal to go down.”
Commander Nelson closed his notepad. “Why do this, Dylan? You have a spotless record. You have a beautiful family and, on the surface, this just doesn’t make sense.”
Dylan closed his eyes. “My wife, Julie, has a gambling problem,” he said softly. His lids lifted, and the sheen of tears in his eyes flipped Jade’s heart sideways. “She got into debt with one of the guys in the drug ring. Drugs, gambling, and gun running are what these people do best. When this guy learned she was married to a cop, he came to me and told me Julie’s debt would be paid if I’d look the other way—and he’d let her and my kids live.”
“I’m guessing things escalated from there to setting up the meetings?”
“Yeah. Yes, sir.” He swallowed hard and ran a hand over his face. “I know you’re wondering why I didn’t ask for help.”
“It crossed my mind.”
“When I was approached, they already had someone on my kids’ school and someone outside Julie’s work, and they’d put ten grand in my bank account.
“If I’d told a soul…” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter now. I have to say I’m relieved—and terrified. Please, Commander, don’t let them hurt my kids.”
The commander narrowed his eyes. “They won’t get to your family. As long as you and your family do what we ask. You have my word on that.”
“He is something of a victim, isn’t he?” Bryce murmured.
“Yeah. I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing in his shoes.”
