Lying Eyes (18 page)

The Captain chuckled. "Sounds like both of you have had a busy morning. I've taken enough of your time. Allison, would you mind stopping by Central later today and giving a statement to Detective Hanson about this latest incident?"

"No. I owe you a statement about everything that happened at the hotel, too."

"Your burger is probably cold, Carlo. Sorry for the interruption, but don't fret. I think I hear the lunch cart in the hall. I'll see you both later."

Carlo ate like a man who hadn't eaten for weeks. With obvious pleasure he rapidly devoured all the food she'd brought from the hotel and everything the hospital dietician had placed on his tray.

Once he finished, Allison wiped his chin with a damp washcloth. She'd lost her appetite. "Carlo, at the rate you're going, you'll be out of here in no time."

"Having a weapon pulled on me always leaves me hungry. The adrenalin rush, I suppose."

"You must have felt hopelessly vulnerable."

"I did, weaponless and unable to run."

"Your mom will be here any minute. I had dinner with Angela in the hospital cafeteria last night. Why don't you rest until she comes? I have some errands to run, but I'll be back tonight. What do you want to eat?"

"Anything Mexican."

*****

S
oon after Allison left Carlo's hospital room, his mother arrived with a long list of questions.

"How do you feel, Carlo? Are they treating you okay? Does anything hurt? Where is Allison? She's such a sweet girl. Don't tell me you've already run her off."

"Slow down, Mom. Allison has more to do than wait on me hand and foot. I'm fine."

"You don't
look
fine. I've never seen tight wrinkles around your eyes before. How did you sleep?"

"Like an anesthesiologist put me under while my surgeon had his way with both legs. How do you think I slept? Pain pills cut out all hospital noise."

"Good, and don't sharpen your tongue on me, young man. I'm the one who changed your diapers."

Abashed, Carlo grinned at her. "Sorry, I've had a rough morning."

"You're forgiven. I'll bet you're ready to go back to sleep. You go right ahead. I'll just sit in the corner and read. You can tell me all about Allison when you wake."

"There's nothing to tell. She's from San Diego and will be going home soon."

"San Diego's not so far away. You can visit her. She's a smart girl, and prettier than most."

Don't remind me.

Carlo scowled. "She'll do. She works for the NBC affiliate there, doing investigative reporting. She's extremely intelligent and I imagine she's good at what she does."

"It didn't take me long to realize she had an inquiring mind. A bright young woman and a delight to be around."

He scowled again. "Forget it, Mom. There are no wedding bells in our future."

"Who said anything about marriage? She obviously likes you. No woman in her right mind would spend the night in an uncomfortable hospital waiting room if she didn't have feelings for her injured friend."

"Feelings,
schmeelings
. Nothing is going to come of our relationship."

His mom beamed. "I knew it. You
are
in a relationship with Allison. I could tell by the way she said your name, the way her eyes softened each time she mentioned you. She's a keeper, son. Don't you dare let her get away."

Allison can't count on me.

The unwelcome thought made Carlo's chest ache.

I couldn't keep her safe.

––––––––

F
or Carlo's dinner Allison took beef and cheese
enchiladas, tacos,
and
chilies rellenos
to the hospital.

"What? No beer?"

"Are you kidding? I had a run-in with the head nurse for bringing you spicy food and barely escaped with my head. These enticing smells must have given me away."

"Thanks, anyway. This smells great. Aren't you eating with me?"

"No, after visiting hours end I'm meeting a friend for dinner."

Carlo scowled. "Not Detective Hanson, I hope?"

"Ahem."

Both their heads turned toward the hall.

"Speak of the Devil," Carlo said, a wide grin replacing his scowl.

"How are you feeling, Buddy?"

"Like I got shot in both legs."

"That Mexican feast should quickly have you back on your feet. Go ahead, eat while it's hot."

Carlo grinned. "Thanks, I will."

"I had to come to this floor to pick up the spent bullet removed from you leg, and add it to the growing pile of evidence we have against Ram, so I stopped in to give you an update."

"This could take a while. Pull up my guest chair."

Once seated, Hanson said, "Here's what we've learned so far from Link and Ramirez. Ram has a history of minor arrests, but until now has escaped serving time. His association with Link goes back almost as far as your association with him. Ram was twelve when he tried to join Link's gang."

Looking as if he dreaded to hear what was coming next, Carlo lowered his fork.

"To become a full-fledged member, Link required prospective members to commit a serious crime. He ordered Ram to take you out. Apparently Ram has never been much of a shooter. He missed you and shot your brother instead."

Dear God.

Allison almost fainted.

Carlo's face became ghostly pale.

"After that incident Ram became a follower. He never instigated a crime, but he often hid the evidence for members of the gang. Guns, mostly. He got creative with where he hid them. Surprisingly, most of the weapons were still where he said. For a few years Ram sold pot on a street corner and moved on to hard drugs."

Without his previous gusto, Carlo began eating again.

"About a year ago, after narrowly escaping a Drug Task Force raid on a crack house in East LA where Ram worked as a drug runner Link took him under his wing."

Caro's hand stilled. "Let me guess. Link threatened to turn him in for my brother's murder unless he joined Link's group of nefarious drug dealers."

"Right. Link blackmailed Ram into helping him."

"What else do you have on Link?"

Hanson cleared his throat. "He owns at least one crack house. We raided it. We're still following the money trail of his bank accounts. It looks like Link hasn't been dealing drugs long. His record was spotless until he married his second wife. When she had a baby and then divorced him, he had to start paying child support to another ex-wife."

Carlo sadly shook his head. "He could have moonlighted like other cops do in a financial bind instead of crossing the line."

"I still can't believe he tried to take you out. If I have my way he'll be behind bars for a long, long time."

Carlo winced. "Ex-cops never last long in prison."

"That's Link's problem, not yours. I'll keep you posted on our investigation." Hanson shook Carlo's hand, nodded to Allison, and headed for the nurses' station, his shoulders slumped.

"It's hard when one of your own goes bad, isn't it?" she asked.

Carlo frowned. "Especially when I've known him so long."

"Do all bullies eventually cross the line?"

"You're not doing research for another story you hope to sell, are you?"

"No, I'm just trying to understand what led Link to a life of crime."

Carlo thought a moment. "He's like one of your alpha heroes. Things happened in his childhood, events he couldn't control. Those things hardened him. Things I believe he's still trying to reconcile in his mind. For one thing, his father was a drunk who lacked the backbone to walk away from the family he wished he'd never had."

"I can imagine how detrimental that would be to a child."

"Yes, and the reason I empathized with him even when he was beating up on me. He had to take his anger out on someone. After I bested him, I tried to befriend him, but he would never allow anyone close. Then he moved away and I didn't see him again for years."

"I wonder why he joined the force."

"He claimed he was serving a sentence in Juvenile Hall for petty theft when an elderly staff counselor turned his life around. If it's true, about now the poor guy is spinning in his grave."

"Let's talk about something else. Has your doctor said how soon you'll be released?"

His face lit. "No, but someone is going to remove the traction tomorrow and allow me to dangle my feet over the side of the bed."

"For an active man like you, being immobilized must be pure torture."

"It is."

"How soon do you expect to go back to work?"

Carlo clenched his fists. "Not soon enough. When I leave the hospital, I'll be confined to a wheelchair in a nursing home for about two weeks while I get my strength back. I'll have to spend another two weeks on crutches at Mom's house before I begin therapy to regain the use of my legs. No one is willing to make a guess at how soon I can drive."

"It could have been worse. Ram could have shot you in both knees."

He shoved his food away. "Or Link could have put me out of my misery the way he planned. I don't think I've properly thanked you for foiling his plan, but I'll always be grateful you did."

She blushed. "I couldn't let him kill you, not when I had a chance to prevent it."

"Have you ever thought about becoming a cop?"

Allison laughed. "No, my interest in law enforcement is purely literary."

"What are you going to do about your dead-end job? Surely you don't intend to continue working for an unappreciative boss."

"For the immediate future I will, but I've started revising my résumé and am preparing a video of my best stories to post on YouTube."

Carlo's throat worked but for a moment he didn't say a word.

"I'm sure you'll have no problem finding someone who appreciates your talent and relentless pursuit of a story," he said, his words choked.

"Thanks."

"Knock, knock."

Captain Samson strolled in.

"Evening, Allison. Carlo. How are you?"

"Busting a gut to get out of here."

"Patience, Detective. Even the best officers get injured from time to time."

Carlo scowled. "How's the investigation going? Hanson just left after sharing what he knew."

"Looks like we've had a bad cop in our midst for several years and no one suspected a thing. I've been reviewing his arrest records. He came to us highly recommended from Hollywood Division, but on closer examination, I've discovered he has been responsible for a lot of questionable releases on his watch."

"Damn."

"I need you to hurry and get back on your feet, Detective. Central Division is short a sergeant and all you have to do is take the test."

"Not me. I'm happy right where I am."

"In bed?"

"Hell, no. Working with the DEA on the Drug Enforcement Task Force."

"At least promise me you'll give it some thought."

When Carlo shrugged, the Captain turned to Allison. "Thanks for coming in this afternoon and filling us in on everything Link said before you cold-cocked him with the bathroom door. Good job, by the way."

Carlo scowled again.

"Do you think Link will get out on bail?"

"When we finish this investigation and give the DA the case, I'm going to suggest no bail. He has bank accounts in several countries. We're still tracking those, but his crimes are too heinous to ever let him back on the street."

"Can this get any more complicated?" Allison asked.

"Yes," Carlo said grimly, "but let's hope it doesn't."

The Captain chuckled. "On that, I'll say good night, Carlo. Allison, will I be seeing you again before the trial?"

"I hope—"

"I doubt it. She has to go back to work," Carlo said.

Stunned, Allison glared at him.

He only shrugged.

The Captain left after another farewell, leaving Allison waiting for the detective to explain.

When he abstained from further comment, she said, "I may soon have news. I—"

"—Look, Allison," he tentatively said.

Carlo never does anything tentatively.
Allison's heart sank.

"Yes?"

"We've shared a lot of laughs, but good things always end."

She balled her hands into fists. "Laughs? I shared your
bed
, Carlo. Not once, but twice."

"I thought I'd made it clear to you—I'm committed to my work, which doesn't leave me much time for affairs."

"
Affairs?
The two of us were—"

"As Susan likes to say, doing the dirty."

His words stung her like an undeserved slap.

The skin on her cheeks prickled and her eyes grew moist. "You don't want to—"

"No." His words strained, he said quietly, "I don't," but his hands were fisted, and he refused to look her in the eye.

"I don't believe you. We were good together. Unbelievably good. Those pain killers must be affecting your thinking. Maybe tomorrow you'll see things differently."

"No matter how many tomorrows roll around, Allison, I won't change my mind. It's time you get on with your life."

"A life that doesn't include you?" she whispered, her voice quavering.

"That's right. Go home to San Diego. Go back to work. If the notion strikes you, tell your boss to go to hell. He deserves it. Start building a new life for yourself, just don't do it on my account. Understand?"

She fisted her hands. "Oh, I understand all right. You have some macho notion you failed me, and now you can't stand for us to share the same room. Forget about us
ever
sharing a bed again. Am I right?"

He noisily swallowed. "Right on all accounts."

"You know what, Carlo? I feel sorry for you. Not because you're in traction and can't move. My heart aches for you because you're so mule-headed you're destined to live a lonely, unfulfilled life. A life without meaning. No matter how many arrests you make with your beloved task force, someday you're going to tire of your hollow existence and wish you'd taken a risk with me."

"What are you going to do?" he whispered as if in pain.

"Get on with my life the way you want. Maybe I'll decide to sleep with my boss after all. Or invite Hanson to come down for the weekend. I doubt
he
balks at taking risks."