Fay's Six

“No. He’s pissed as hell and told me to let you go,” she said.

Lee narrowed his stare. “So, I’m to believe that you’re here because you want to work with me? Why do I think you’re full of shit?”

“I don’t know. And I don’t care. But can you at least see this case to the end?”

“Why should I?” Lee turned and strolled into the kitchen. He pulled down a bottle of whiskey and poured two glasses, handing her one.

The last thing she needed was to have her judgment clouded, but she took a sip.

“You and Sparrow decided to shut me out. Hell, you shut out your own boyfriend.”

“I did nothing of the sort,” she said. “Why don’t you come back to the station with me. Randall and his lawyer are still there trying to cut a deal for whatever information he believes he has. I think you’re the perfect person to help with those negotiations.”

“Now I know you’re full of crap.” He tossed back his shot. “I’m done humoring you. I’m leaving.” He slammed his glass down on the counter and smiled.

This was not going as planned. Not only was Lee not rattled, but he appeared to be madly amused.

Not the emotion she’d been hoping for.

“You’re a coward.” She set her drink next to his empty and held his gaze. If one tactic doesn’t work, try another. “You’re afraid a couple women are going to show you up.”

“Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know.”

He twisted the cap off the whiskey bottle and poured a double. He downed it in two gulps. “You couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“Why don’t you enlighten me then?” She folded her arms and leaned against the counter, doing her best to act nonchalant even though her heart beat out of control.

“You and Sparrow have fucked this up so badly that I wouldn’t be surprised if Randall ends up walking. If that happens, he’ll just go to another town and do this all over again.”

“You’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?”

“It doesn’t matter. You chose, once again, to do things your way and when that happens, people die.”

Rage bubbled in her gut. She did her best to keep it from rising to the surface. Keeping her cool became the focus of her energy. The last thing Walker needed was to have to come racing into this kitchen and pry her hands from Lee’s neck.

“What exactly are you suggesting? Because it sounds like we’re talking about two different things.”

“I’m not doing this.” Lee took a step forward.

“Oh yes, you are.” She moved in front of him. “Because I need to know the truth. And for the record, I didn’t come back here to encourage you to stick it out. I only want to see you go down and I want to be the one to make that happen.”

“That’s never going to happen because you’re a stupid bitch.” He leaned closer. “Thanks to your ridiculous and reckless evac plan, my buddies are dead. And Walker had to retire. You’re pathetic and should be in the kitchen baking cookies.” He shook his head. “I take that back. You’d make for a shit wife.”

“My plan only failed because you gave up your team’s location to the enemy. You’re a traitor and you should have been court-martialed and now you’re going to be arrested for double homicide.” This went off script, but she didn’t feel as though she had a choice. “What I don’t understand is why are you trying to make Sparrow look bad by killing two innocent young men?”

“First, you can’t prove I did anything.”

“So, you’re admitting it.” She tilted her head and grinned.

“Far from it.” He chuckled. “You really believe you’re smarter than everyone else.” Lee’s tone was one of disgust. His face scrunched as if he’d eaten a lemon.

“What I think is that I’m just as good at my job as my male counterpart and that I deserve the same respect.”

“Of course you do, but that’s where you and that idiot sheriff are wrong, and that’s why people are dying.” He laughed. “I figured out who’d been doing the kidnapping within five minutes of being in town.” He poured himself another shot and kicked it back. “Fucking Walker is drinking the damn Kool-Aid so he couldn’t see it, and the rest of this town is watered down by the concept that women can do anything men can do. Well, you can’t, and you should know your place.”

Was she really standing in this kitchen listening to this bullshit? Were there really still people on this planet that believed this crap so intensely and to their core? She got sexism on the surface and how over the years that had to be peeled back one layer at a time. The world had come a long way, but there were still a lot of issues.

She didn’t come across too many people who were as far gone as Lee. Most of the men she knew who didn’t want her to succeed or had a problem with her position simply didn’t respect her and treated her differently. However, they didn’t go to great lengths to prove that point.

“I know where I belong,” she said. “So does Sparrow. The problem is you and the fact you murdered two young men and tried to pin it on Randall.” Again, she went off script, but she felt like she was running out of time.

Of course, she might be talking to a brick wall.

Lee could be so delusional he could believe his own lies.

“Wow. Now that’s one hell of a tall tale. That’s about as good as me turning on my own men.”

Her cell phone buzzed in her back pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

Sparrow: Got a break in kidnapping cases. Chris has been hiring locals to do his bidding for years. Have someone in custody who is giving us details on how the victims are targeted. Where they’re sold and to who. Looking into things and hopeful we might be able to find Levi and Andy and what happened to the other missing young men. There is DNA on the sweatshirt. Blood. We’re running it now.

That could be a big break if it turned out to be Lee’s.