Page 73 of Things We Hide from the Light
“I’m glad you brought that up. Let’s talk about that shit you’ve been doin’. Like tripping Jeremy Trent outside a football game, kneeing him in the back, and cuffing him in front of his kid and half the stadium when all he did was remind you that you owed him twenty bucks on the Ravens game. Or shit like letting your buddy Titus drive twenty miles an hour over the speed limit while you pull over a Black aerospace engineer and his civil rights attorney wife in a Mercedes for going five over.You then proceeded to remove the driver from his car under the probable cause of…let me check your report to make sure I get this right…” I glanced down at the paperwork in front of me and read. “The wanted poster of a prison escapee that’s been hangin’ on our bulletin board for three years.”
Dilton’s face twisted into an ugly mask. “I had the situation handled until your lap dogs showed up.”
“You had the driver handcuffed, bruised, and lying facedown on the road in a tuxedo while his wife recorded your actions on her cell phone when Sergeant Hopper and Officer Bannerjee arrived on scene. According to their report, they could smell alcohol on your breath.”
“That’s bullshit. Hop and that bitch are out to get me. I observed the suspect driving erratically above the posted speed limit and I—”
It felt as though someone had switched a light on inside me. Gone was the icy numbness, the dark void. In its place, a simmering anger bubbled to life, warming me from within.
“You fucked up. You put ego and prejudice ahead of your job, and in doing so you put your job at risk. You put this department at risk. Worse, you putlivesat risk.”
“This is bullshit,” Dilton muttered. “Is that bitch wife waving her law degree around, makin’ threats?”
“Officer Dilton, you are hereby suspended with pay, but only because that’s procedure. Pending a full investigation of your conduct as an officer. I wouldn’t get used to that paycheck.”
“You can’t fuckin’ do that.”
“We’re opening an official investigation. We’ll be talking to witnesses, victims, suspects. And if I findanythingthat looks like a pattern of abuse, I’ll have your badge permanently.”
“This wouldn’t be happening if Wylie was still here. You stole this office from a good man and—”
“Iearnedthis office and I’ve worked damn hard to make sure men like you don’t fucking abuse it.”
“You can’t do this. Ain’t no union rep here. You can’t throw some bullshit suspension at me without my rep.”
“Ms. Farver is your union rep. Though I’m guessing she’s not as enthusiastic about repping you after hearing your bullshit. Mr. Peters? Mayor Swanson, are you still with us?” I asked.
“Still here, Chief Morgan.”
“Yep. Heard it all,” came the replies from my speakerphone.
“Officer Dilton, Mr. Peters is Knockemout’s solicitor. That means lawyer who represents the town in case you need the definition. Mr. Peters, does Knockemout need me to cover anything else with suspended Officer Tate Dilton?” I asked.
“No, Chief. I believe you covered everything. We’ll be in touch, Officer Dilton,” the lawyer said ominously.
“Thank you, Eddie. How about you, Mayor Swanson? You want to say your piece?”
“I’ve got a lot of pieces I’d like to say of the four-letter variety,” she said. “Y’all are lucky I’ve got my grandkids in the car with me. Suffice it to say I am looking forward to a thorough investigation and if, like Chief Morgan says, we find a pattern of a-b-u-s-e, I will not hesitate to kick your a-s-s.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Message received.” I looked at Dilton, who was turning a shade of lobster. “I’ll take that badge and service weapon now.”
He came out of his chair like he was on a spring. His hands curled into tight fists at his sides, fury flashing in his eyes.
“You wanna take a swing at me, do it. But understand that that’s got its own consequences and you’re about up to your ears in them already,” I warned. “Think on it.”
“This won’t stand,” he snarled, throwing his badge and gun on my desk, knocking over my nameplate in the process. “This is supposed to be a brotherhood. You’re supposed to have myback, not take the word of a couple of asshole outsiders or some pathetic drunk who peaked in high school.”
“You can run your mouth about brotherhood all you want, but the bottom line is you’re in this work for yourself. For the power trips you think you can get out of it. That’s not a brotherhood. That’s one pathetic kid trying to make himself feel like a big man. And you’re right, I’m not gonna stand for it. Neither are any of them.”
I pointed to the window where the rest of Knockemout’s officers stood—even the ones who had the day off. Arms crossed, legs braced. Behind Dilton, Grave grunted in satisfaction.
“Now get out of my station.”
Dilton yanked the door open so hard it bounced off the wall. He stormed out into the bullpen and laid a glare on the rest of the department.
Zeroing in on Tashi, he got in her face, looming over her. “You got a problem, little girl?”
I was halfway out of my seat and Grave was already in the doorway when Tashi smiled up at him. “Not anymore, asshole.”
