“Dodds and the DA pushed the evidence. You know that.”
“You can’t argue with DNA.”
A sudden rattle came from the hallway, as if a stretcher were being moved. Will strained to see, but nothing emerged into his line of sight and soon it was quiet again. He said, “Sure you can.”
Mueller came around to face him, bent to his knees so their faces were on the same level. His cheeks were filling with blood.
“The Mount Adams Slasher terrorized this city for three months. Three women living alone were killed, including a cop’s wife…”
“Ex-wife.”
“There hasn’t been a single case since you and Dodds arrested Factor.”
Will pointed to the door, wincing as the pain coursed from his back to his upper arm. “Until last week.”
Mueller laughed uncomfortably. “Come on, Borders. You want to go back and reopen the Cincinnati Strangler case, too?”
The Cincinnati Strangler had been in the mid-1960s. Homicide detectives still studied the case. Will wondered if Mueller was making fun of him. Mueller, who stood there, effortlessly shifting from one leg to the other in his impatience. Will was trapped in the wheelchair. He stared at his legs, useless in the sweatpants, feeling both heavy and light. He couldn’t even stand. Not even for a moment.
“I’m not talking about ancient history, Steve. This is an open homicide. It happened right here. We owe it to that doctor and her family to pursue the truth.”
“What are you saying?” Mueller’s voice kicked up a notch. “Do you know what the chief would say if I even raised this? It had to be Factor. What other theory works?”
“Bud Chambers.”
“No, don’t. Don’t you dare.” Mueller backed away a step as if Will had pulled a knife on him.
“Damn it, Steve. Don’t let Dodds piss this away. This homicide is the same MO as Mount Adams. It’s him. Do they have a time of death?”
“No…I don’t know. Look, Will, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re not going to be a cop now. Take the disability. You can get a good partial pension. My gosh, your wife must make a ton with the bank now. You don’t need the money. Quit driving yourself nuts over this. Think of all the Reds games you can go to.”
“You can break that seal and get in that office,” Will said. “I want to look around. And I want to see the murder book. Nothing is right about this case.”
“Stop.”
“Just call security and let’s look inside.”
Mueller smiled and shook his head. “You were a good detective, Will, but never very smart about your career. I was worried about that when you transferred over. Big-time homicide copper having to lower himself to investigate chickenshit complaints against officers. I was afraid you’d always want to go for the big cases, even when you didn’t belong there. You didn’t disappoint me. The Reading incident, remember?”
“The city was in the wrong. I just went where the facts pointed.”
“And you didn’t mind pissing on a city council member to get there.”
“Important people can still be asked questions. A good internal affairs investigator has to be able to do that. And he has to be able to disagree with his superiors.”
“In your world, but it’s not too smart. You can make enemies in high places. Most cases in our division involve pleasing our stakeholders.”
“Our ‘stakeholders,’ as you call them, are the citizens of Cincinnati, not the brass.”
“Sure,” Mueller said. “That’s what I meant. What I mean is you need to be smart this time, stop driving yourself nuts over some case that’s just a lot of smoke.”
“In the middle of the smoke lies the crime.” Will wanted to slap himself. Now he was making up his own Muellerisms.
Mueller took on an uncharacteristically thoughtful expression. “You’re not tracking, Will. I never wanted you on this detail. Homicide guys always think they’re better. Never knew why you left a prestige detail like homicide to come here. But we had a new chief and I did what he told me.”
“Does the chief know you’re trying to retire me?”
Mueller gave an exasperated sigh. “Has the chief been to visit? It’s time to take you back to your room.”