Special Assignment

Cassie pushed out a frustrated breath. After a few cursory questions, the deputy who had transported her to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in Golden had told her she was free to go. In the two hours since, she’d been trying to get someone to listen to her pleas of Mike’s innocence. Meanwhile they were raking Mike over the coals for the murder of a man he’d tried to save.

She forced her voice to work, feeling the uncertain vibration in her vocal chords. “Mike Lawson didn’t kill that man.”

He gave her a gentle smile. No, not gentle. Patronizing. Pitying. The reason she hated to speak out loud.

“You already spoke to a detective, didn’t you?”

“Yes. But he didn’t listen.”

“I assure you, he listened. And he’ll get in touch with you if he has any more questions or concerns. You gave him your contact information? Your home address?” He rounded his mouth with each word, speaking deliberately as if to a frightened child. One who couldn’t speak English. And she’d just bet that his voice was raised to the level of a shout, as well.

Cassie felt like growling. She’d bet that would inspire an interesting response in this guy. “He has my home address, my work address and every other type of contact information known to man. What he doesn’t have is the truth.”

“That is what the investigation is for, ma’am.”

“No kidding.”

“Listen, I don’t know what you expect me to do. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a job.” Another pitying smile and the deputy walked away.

Cassie ground her teeth. She didn’t know what she expected, either. But whatever it was, it didn’t have anything to do with a good man being blamed for a murder he didn’t commit.

The shock that had rocketed through her when she’d read the officer’s lips at the scene was still sending aftershocks through her arms and legs. Mike’s gun found at the scene…Mike’s gun recently fired… Mike’s gun…

It was ridiculous. Mike was an honest cop. Hell, he was the poster boy for honest cops. How could they think he’d killed Milo Kardascian?

A light touch on her shoulder jolted through her. She whirled around and looked into the face of one of the cops who’d been at Kardascian’s cabin. The cop she’d first seen in Mike’s hospital room. Mike’s partner, Tim Grady.

“I’m sorry to startle you.” His lips formed the words, revealing a gap-toothed smile.

Normally Cassie would have smiled back. Today she wasn’t in the mood. “Mike Lawson didn’t kill that man.”

“I know.”

“You know?” Even though she couldn’t hear her own voice, she could feel its tremble. “If you know, why is he still in there? Why are they still asking him questions?”

“This isn’t my case. It happened outside the Denver city limits. The county has jurisdiction. And they don’t know Mike like you and I do. They have to go strictly by evidence.”

“What evidence? His gun?”

Surprise widened Detective Grady’s eyes.

Cassie almost clapped a hand over her mouth. She’d forgotten she wasn’t supposed to know about the gun.

Tim Grady narrowed his eyes, studying her. “His service weapon was found at the scene. Yes.”

“But Mike didn’t even have the gun. It was stolen when he was beaten up. Wasn’t that why he was suspended?”

“The sheriff’s department can’t just take Mike’s word for that. Theoretically he could have reported it missing when he had it all along. In fact, I’m afraid that could make his situation worse.”

“How?” She couldn’t imagine things being worse than this. Or maybe she just didn’t want to.

“It shows premeditation.”

She shook her head. How could this be happening? This was getting out of hand. Way out of hand. “But I was with him at Kardascian’s house. He was trying to save the man’s life, not kill him. And I have no reason to lie. Why can’t they take my word?”

“You were with him the entire time?”

She scanned through her memory. It had all happened so fast. It was all so unexpected. She’d been arguing with Mike about who was going to ask Kardascian about Nick Warner, about the “list,” about the disk she was trying to decode. She’d thought Mike was exaggerating about the possible danger. She’d thought he and Evangeline were merely coddling the deaf girl.

But that was before Mike saw something in the garage. Before he’d ordered her to lock herself in the car and call 9-1-1. Before she’d gone looking for him and found him beside Kardascian…up to his elbows in blood.

“You weren’t with him the entire time, were you?”

She stared at Grady’s lips. She didn’t want to say anything. She didn’t want to admit it was true. “I was with him almost the entire time.”

“But not the entire time.”

Her shoulders slumped. “When I caught up with him, he was trying to save Mr. Kardascian’s life. Doesn’t that count?”

“Not good enough. Like I said, the county sheriff can’t just take our word for it. They have to go by the evidence.”

Evidence. Since Mike didn’t kill Kardascian, there wasn’t any evidence to find, right? And weren’t people supposed to be innocent until proven guilty? “What kind of evidence do they need?”

“Enough to prove he had the means and opportunity to kill Milo Kardascian.”

Cassie nodded. “The means, meaning the gun, right?”

“Right.”

“And the opportunity?”

“The space of time that you weren’t with him. The time he and Kardascian were alone.”

“He didn’t do it.” If she still had her hearing, she could swear she hadn’t heard gun fire, but as things were she wasn’t a lot of help. Still, there had to be something. “He had no reason to do it. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

“Motive. It counts for a lot in court, even though it’s not required to charge him.”

“So go tell the county detective that Mike had no motive.”

Detective Grady shook his head. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not? I thought you were his partner. His friend.”

“I am. But it wouldn’t be the truth.”

Cassie stared at him. What was he trying to say? She tried to ask, tried to make her voice function, but it caught in her throat as if she’d forgotten how to speak.

“How well do you know Mike, Ms. Allen?”