When Mike said that, in that particular grumble, Drex knew he had him. “Thanks. Later.”
He clicked off, snapped up the lock, and opened the door.
Locke was on the threshold. “Who were you talking to?”
He replied with a wide grin. “The hospital. Gif’s being moved out of ICU into a private room.”
Locke took the phone from him. He went to recent calls and pulled up the last number. “That’s Mallory’s number.”
“Okay, so I skipped a step. I called Mike, who told me the news that he got from the hospital.”
“You’re giving me the runaround.”
Drex sighed, looked away, came back to him. “I called Mike to ask if he would bail me out.”
“What did he say?”
“You want it straight
and unfiltered?”
“That would be a welcome change.”
“He asked if I’d lost my fucking mind.”
Drex asked if they could take Gif’s car so Talia wouldn’t be stranded. Locke agreed on the condition that Drex would go with him. Talia would ride with Menundez.
When they arrived at the police department, Locke parked in a designated slot. They reunited with Talia and Menundez at an entrance for personnel. Before they went in, Locke turned to Drex. “You carrying?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not planning to shoot him, are you?”
“Rudkowski? Hadn’t planned to.”
“That’s too bad. But I can’t let you go inside with a weapon. Give it to Menundez.”
Knowing it would be pointless to argue, Drex passed the detective his pistol, saying, “Escort Talia to Rudkowski. Keep him occupied long enough for me to view that video.”
Locke intervened. “You know, typically, the apprehended don’t give the orders.”
”You agreed to give me fifteen minutes,” Drex said.
“I didn’t agree to anything.”
“I need to see that video before I see Rudkowski.”
“You’re not going to talk him out of the arrest.”
“Don’t underestimate my powers of persuasion.”
Locke remained dubious, but he said to Menundez, “Text me which room you’re in. Fifteen minutes or less, we’ll be up.”
Before they separated, Drex reached for Talia’s hand and squeezed it. “Give him hell.” She smiled and squeezed back.
Locke led Drex into a room that had a modicum of privacy. He accessed an available computer and downloaded the security camera video. Drex had noted earlier the time burn-in on the freeze-frame. He fast-forwarded to it, then backed up three minutes from there and started playing. To Drex’s disappointment, the images were no more distinct on this larger monitor than they had been on Locke’s laptop.
“Warned you it was lousy,” Locke remarked as he watched over Drex’s shoulder.