“Hey, girl. What’s up?”
“Rain and Carter wanna know where you are?”
“In the office, of course.”
“She’s in the office,” Yarissa informed.
“Tell her we’re on our way there now,” Rain said and headed toward the steps.
When Rain and Carter arrived at her office, Carla was running yet another algorithm to track Rona’s finances, especially her sources of income. Knowing that Rona was definitely the mastermind behind Barnes, Hawkins and Mobley, Carla was sure that she had to have missed something that connected AD and the program that he was running to Rona. The way to do that was to follow the money. But to this point, the result was the same. There was no trail to follow.
There was something else that had been bothering Carla, and that was why?
Why risk it?
She understood what motivated her; the death of her father and brother. But to Carla, it did, but at the same time, didn’t make any sense. Rona King was brilliant, so she had to know that sooner or later, The Family would find out that she was behind it and would come after her with everything that they could bring to bear against her.
So why?
The answer came when she decided to have a look at Rona’s medical records. Six months ago, she had been diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumor that most patients die of within twelve to eighteen months from diagnosis.
Yeah, that explains the death wish. She has nothing to lose, Carla thought as there was a knock at the door. She got up from her console and went to let them in.
Chapter Twenty-six
After a long day of investigating crimes, Kirk and Dawkins stopped in a bar to have a drink and unwind. The two detectives had a great working relationship, as well as an understanding in their personal lives. Since neither of them wanted to be tied down in a committed relationship; Kirk because of Bautista and the three wives that came before her, and Dawkins because it would interfere with her career, each treated the other as an occasional convenience.
It was a good arrangement.
Since both were actually good with it, neither pressured the other about when they would get together again. But after a long day of investigating crimes, and even though neither had so much as hinted about wanting to have sex, it was looking like that kind of night and their conversation over cocktails was moving things in that direction.
Discussion of the day’s activities carried them through the first two rounds, but by the time the bartender placed their third drink in front of the detectives, the conversation had turned toward the future.
Namely Dawkins future.
“So,” Kirk said and took a sip of his drink. “Any idea how long I’m going to have you as a partner?”
“I just gave Eddie Lewis my answer today and he said that he would get back to me with a start date.”
Kirk said nothing. He just picked up his glass, drained it and then he signaled for the bartender to bring him another.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Gonna have to call bullshit on that one.” She took a swallow of her drink. “Give it up,” she said and then it hit her. “You’re gonna miss me.” Dawkins smiled her big beautiful smile. “That’s it, isn’t it?”
But before Kirk could answer the question that he didn’t want to answer, a woman came up and stood behind Dawkins.
“Chanté?”
It was the name that she had used in several undercover operations. Dawkins put her hand on her weapon and turned around slowly.
“Vangee?”
She nodded and opened her arms wide as Dawkins got up from her stool to give Vangee a hug.
“How have you been?” Dawkins asked.