Special Operations (Badge of Honor 2)

“Highway Patrol Headquarters, please,” Matt said.

“Is this an emergency, sir?”

“No, it’s not.”

“One moment, please.”

Now the phone returned a busy signal.

“That number is busy,” the operator said. “Would you care to hold?”

“Please.”

“What?”

“I’ll hold.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said, and the line went dead.

He dropped his last quarter in the slot, dialed 686–1776 again, and asked a third woman with a bored voice for Highway Patrol.

“Special Operations, Sergeant Frizell.”

“This is Officer Payne, Sergeant,” Matt said. That was, he thought, the first time he had ever referred to himself as “Officer Payne.” It had, he thought, a rather nice ring to it.

“You a volunteer, Payne?”

“Excuse me?”

“I said, are you a volunteer?”

“No, I’m not,” Matt said.

“Well, what can I do for you?”

“Inspector Wohl told me to check in,” Matt said. “We’re at the Melrose Diner.”

“Oh, you’re his driver. Sorry, I didn’t catch the name.”

“The number here is 670–5656,” Matt said.

“Got it. He say when he’s coming in?”

“No. But he said to ask if anything has happened with the abducted woman.”

“Not a peep.”

“Thank you,” Matt said. “Good-bye.”

“What?”

“I said good-bye.”

“Yeah,” Sergeant Frizell said, and the line went dead.

When he went into the dining room of the Melrose Diner, he looked around until he spotted them. They were in a corner banquette, and a waitress was delivering drinks.

“Anything?” Inspector Wohl asked him.