Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #2: Books 5-8 (A Dead Cold Box Set) Blake Banner (read out loud books txt) 📖

damage the slugs had caused was minimal, but the pain was intense. Fortunately it was my left shoulder. Using my right arm, I eased myself up into a sitting position and thought about getting out of bed. However, the thought of Dehan coming back and seeing my bare ass stopped me. I figured I’d give it a try after breakfast.

She returned fifteen minutes later with a bag of croissants and a large paper cup of black coffee. She also brought Newman with her and a woman in a white coat who smiled at me and said, “I’m Doctor Stadler. I operated on you last night. My advice to you is do the lottery today. If your luck holds, you’ll hit the jackpot.”

“That’s a nice thought. That close, huh?”

She nodded. “We are talking microseconds and millimeters. That was a lethal shot. As it is, the damage it did was minimal.”

“How about the other one, in my shoulder?”

“Ironically, that one did more damage, but neither of them has caused any kind of serious harm. We’ll keep you in overnight to monitor you. Then I recommend a couple of weeks of dolce fa niente, preferably in bed.” She pointed at my shoulder. “It’s going to hurt, so I’ll prescribe some powerful painkillers. It’ll be a few weeks before you are back to normal.”

I nodded. “Okay, thanks, Doc.”

“I’ll drop in and check on you later.”

Newman opened the door for her and when she’d gone, he came and sat next to the bed in Dehan’s chair.

“We’re checking CCTV footage in the area, John. Detective Dehan gave us a fair description of the vehicle. With a bit of luck we may be able to trace the car.”

I shook my head. “It will be stolen.”

He nodded. “In all probability. Now, listen to me, I want you to consider taking a couple of weeks off, John. More if you need it. Dehan can take care of things…”

“Not going to happen, sir.”

“Now, John, be reasonable and think this through.”

“I don’t need to think it through. I rattled her cage and she tried to kill me. Now is not the time to take a couple of weeks off. Now is the time for me to go in for the kill. What does it say about the NYPD, about the 43rd, about you, if we let this woman send killers after our officers, and our only response is to back down? What message do we send to these parasites who believe themselves above the law? No, sir. You can order me off the case if you want, and that is your call. But I am telling you right here and now, sir, with or without the blessing of the department, I am going after that woman and I am going to take her down.”

“John…”

“Her and her goddamn empire!”

“John…”

“What?”

“I want you to take a few days at least, and I want you to do some thinking.”

I scowled at him. “What about?”

“You’re too old to be running around getting shot.”

I felt a hot pellet of anger well up in my gut. “What are you saying?”

“I want you to think about early retirement, John, or at the very least taking a desk job.”

“You have got to be kidding!” I looked at Dehan. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and a sullen look on her face. “Dehan? Are you a part of this?”

She shook her head.

Newman had both hands raised. “Now take it easy, John. I don’t want you to get upset.”

I sat forward and scowled at him, pointing my finger at him like a pistol. “No! You listen to me, Newman, and you listen good! If you want me off this investigation then you are going to have to fire me. And then you will achieve three things.” I held up three fingers. “One, you will send a clear message to Hennessy and all her associates that the 43rd will roll over and spread its legs any time somebody waves a gun at us. Two, I will continue my investigation unofficially and I will tear down the Hennessy empire with my bare hands if I have to—and I will bring her and all her goddamn associates to justice! Three!” I was almost shouting. “You will embarrass the whole damned department because where the 43rd rolled over, the cop who got shot manned up and took on corporate and political crime and corruption, where the 43rd was too damned chicken!”

Dehan spoke quietly. “And you’ll have to fire me too, and I’ll back him every step of the way. What Hennessy has done flies in the face of everything we stand for. We cannot show weakness and we cannot back down. Stone is right, sir. She has as much as admitted her guilt. Now we go in for the kill. When the job is done, then we rest and heal.”

He sighed and flopped back in his chair.

“I am not rolling over, John. But we need to put this in the hands of a younger…”

“Less experienced cop? So he can get shot too? I have her running scared and panicking. I have her making rash mistakes. I have the experience. Goddamit, John! This is our case!”

He nodded and raised his hands again. “All right, all right. Tell me at least you’ll take a couple of days to heal.”

“I will if you stop upsetting me!”

He smiled reluctantly. “Fine. Just, be careful, you’re both fine officers and, well, I have come to consider you both friends. I don’t want to lose you. Now, if you feel strong enough, put me up to speed. Where are you in the investigation, and how the hell did this happen?”

I gave them both a detailed account of my evening at the fundraiser, and then between us Dehan and I filled him in on what