Simon Says_. Walk (Kate Morgan #6)(32)
Author: Dale Mayer

 

“Oh, good question,” she noted, looking up at him. She snatched her cell phone and quickly texted Simon. Approximately how large is your payroll? In terms of number of staff.

 

He shot back a number that had her eyebrows raised. “He says just under two hundred. Jesus.” Kate stared down at the number on her cell phone screen. “I had no idea.”

 

Her sergeant nodded, and then shook his head. “How could you not know?”

 

That comment was off-hand, but, given she was a detective and involved with Simon, that was unnerving too.

 

“So there is an awful large pool of people to draw on,” he noted.

 

“But that’s …” Then she stopped, shook her head. “I understand why you’re saying that, but I guess I’m not sure that this couldn’t have applied to almost anybody else as well.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I’m saying that, in theory, if our killer is out to hurt Simon indirectly, then anybody in Simon’s world could be a victim. Could be any neighbor, could be anybody who makes regular deliveries for him, could be any of his staff. It could be anybody in his past, like a friend or acquaintance. Killing Luca was fairly impersonal.” Yet she frowned.

 

“Luca’s not somebody Simon worked with closely. So emotionally it’s … not as if Simon will take that personal hit. But, yes, the anger and frustration and inconvenience of targeting and killing somebody who worked for him is there.” She took a moment and then shook her head.

 

“Still, it’s not the same as if the victim were Simon’s sibling or somebody he’s much closer to. Also the first victim, Patricia, … we still don’t even have a connection to Simon, other than the note she delivered.”

 

“And yet we need to find it, in order to keep this theory mobile,” Sergeant Colby pointed out.

 

“I’m working on it. I’ve shown Simon her picture, and he doesn’t recognize her.” She winced. “I haven’t come out and asked him if he might have used prostitutes on the street.” The statement left her flushed. “I’m sure that’ll be a great conversation.”

 

Her boss was amused nonetheless, as his lips twitched. “On the other hand, he’s been fairly open in most of your dealings, so I doubt this would be any different.” He made a casual gesture. “Not that that’ll help you. … Look. You may not like this, but I’m thinking that you should get off the case.”

 

She bolted to her feet in outrage.

 

Her boss immediately held up his hand. “Just listen to me.”

 

She glared at him.

 

“Have a seat.” He took a moment, as she sat down, stiff as a board. “You’re personally involved, and we don’t want anything to jeopardize the case, whether closing it or moving it forward to court. We don’t want any emotional blinders on, which may bite us in the ass.”

 

She shook her head. “That won’t happen,” she snapped. “If I haven’t been taken off any of the other Simon-related cases up until now, it makes absolutely no sense to take me off this one. And Rodney is on this case with me. So, even if I weren’t already working completely by the book and aboveboard, without reproach, he’s also keeping me honest and real.”

 

The sergeant frowned, as if struggling with her answer.

 

“It really won’t do any good to pull me off.” She repeated this to emphasize her point. “Believe me. It won’t do any good. Obviously I’ll continue to look into this, so you’re much better off utilizing whatever form of help I can give.”

 

He nodded slowly. “But then I want Rodney with you … all the time,” he stated firmly. “No running off on your own, no checking out leads solo and filling him in later, nothing to be done without him present. He goes with you, everywhere, all the time.”

 

Then Rodney walked into the room and saw the conversation in progress. He may not have heard the words, but he got the mood all right. “Do I need to leave?”

 

“No, not only do you not need to leave,” Sergeant Colby replied, “I want you to stick close to her.”

 

He came forward immediately. “What happened?”

 

“Nothing’s happened.” she snapped, but her tone was biting enough to show where her head was. “He’s doubting that keeping me on the case is a good idea.”

 

At that, Rodney winced and nodded. “I have to admit that we thought that would come up anyway.” She glared at him, but he didn’t shy away from her intense gaze. “Sorry, but, when you’re personally involved with somebody of interest in these cases, … that’ll always get questioned.”

 

“And, for the moment,” the sergeant told Rodney, before she interjected herself into the conversation again, “I’m determined to keep you glued to her to make sure that she doesn’t go off and do anything emotionally unwise. And I want to keep her legally on target, so that we have no problems closing any of this in court.”

 

“Not a problem,” Rodney said. She stared at her partner intently, and Rodney turned to Colby. “I can’t imagine that she would be anything other than professional in this instance, sir, but I certainly note your concerns.”

 

At that, her sergeant nodded at Kate. “I am aware that you can keep it under wraps. But, if that changes”—he glanced from Rodney to her and then back to Rodney—“believe me. I will pull you off the case.”

 

“Got it,” she noted.

 

And, with that, Colby turned and walked out.

 

She slumped into her chair and scrubbed her face. She looked over at Rodney, flustered but still grateful. “Thanks for that.”

 

He nodded. “I’m not surprised, and you shouldn’t be either.”

 

“It’s not that I’m surprised, but, after so many cases involving Simon, I guess it came out of the blue.”

 

“Doing what you’re doing,” Rodney stated calmly, “we all see that you have a gift, and we’re all quite willing to try and figure out a way to work with you.” He snorted. “Even if that means I get to shadow you on the job,” he teased.

 

She rolled her eyes at him. “You’re as qualified as I am to do this job,” she replied, “so, hardly job-shadowing.”

 

He chuckled. “But I knew it would get your goat if I said that.”

 

“You’re not kidding,” she muttered. “I get it. I do. Hey, it is what it is.”