The Investigators (Badge of Honor 7)

“Cool it, Jesus, okay? Give him a second!”

At the moment the door opened, Detective Payne looked out the crack, saw Detectives McFadden and Martinez, said, “Oh, shit!” and started to close the door.

Detective McFadden, in what was a Pavlovian response—he was accustomed to having people attempt to shut doors in his face—shoved his foot into the doorjamb and pushed against the door with his shoulder.

He didn’t get it open, but neither did Detective Payne manage to close it.

They looked at each other through the crack.

“Can I come in or what?”

“Open the fucking door, Payne!” Jesus said.

Detective Payne shrugged, and opened the door.

“Surprise, surprise!” he said.

McFadden and Martinez walked through the door.

“What was that all about?” Charley asked, making reference to Matt’s attempt to close the door in his face. And then he looked across the sitting room to the bedroom, and saw a damned good-looking female getting dressed. She was fastening her brassiere; apparently she had not yet had time to put on her underpants.

“You son of a bitch!” Charley said, somewhat admiringly.

Matt went to the door to the bedroom and pulled it closed.

“I don’t believe this. I honest to Christ don’t believe this!” Jesus said.

“Sorry, Matt,” Charley said. “What do you want us to do? Wait in the hall?”

“Why?” Matt said. “The cat, so to speak, is out of the bag. Just tell your friend there if he says something out of line, I’ll tear his leg off and shove it up his ass.”

“Try it, hotshot!” Martinez said.

“Shut up, Jesus,” Charley said firmly. “And keep it shut!”

“What’s going on? What are you doing here?”

“Wohl sent us. Or maybe Chief Coughlin did. We got a warrant for Calhoun. . . . How long is—your friend—going to be in there?”

“She’s about to leave,” Matt said.

“Why don’t we wait until she does?” McFadden said.

Matt nodded and went into the bedroom.

Susan was zipping up her skirt. She looked frightened, on the edge of tears.

“They’re two guys I work with . . .” Matt began.

“You could have closed the goddamn door!” Susan said, almost sobbed.

“Honey! I didn’t know. . . .”

“What do they want?”

“They’ve got a warrant for a guy, the dirty cop, I’ve been watching.”

“I thought they’d come for me!”