Murders & Romance: A Psychic Detective Romantic Mystery (Isaac Taylor Mysteries Book 5) by Lashell Collins (ready player one ebook .TXT) 📗

They ushered Danny from Amber’s room and handed him off to the waiting officers. As they followed them out of the building, Isaac huffed out a breath and shook his head.

“It’s too bad we can’t arrest Amber herself, since she was obviously in on the plan.”

“Do you really think she was aware of what was going on?”

“Don’t you? You saw that look she gave him in there. She knew full well what he was up to.”

“That look was creepy, if you ask me.”

“Agreed.”

“And what about Amber’s brothers? Seems you were right about them knowing exactly who the killer was.”

“And they’ll have to be charged with something. Obstruction of justice at the very least.”

“They could’ve saved us a lot of time if they’d just given us his name from the beginning. I don’t get people sometimes.”

“Me either. But at least we got him. We got them all.”

They transported Danny and nurse Turner downtown to the station and sent them off to central booking with the two uniformed officers. Then Isaac went in search of Lieutenant Hayes. He was almost to Gavin’s office when someone grabbed his arm with force and attempted to pull him in the opposite direction.

“You son of a bitch!” someone snarled.

Thanking God for his long sleeved dress shirt and jacket, Isaac yanked his arm free.

He spun around and glared at Natalie Bains.

“What the hell is your problem?”

“My problem is you!”

She waved a severely wrinkled sheet of paper in his face.

“You reported me to Internal Affairs for harassment?”

“You bet your ass I did. I told you this little game of yours was done.”

“They’re bringing me up for an inquest, you asshole! You’re playing with my career now.”

“Oh, like you played with mine when you reported me for improper conduct with a witness? It’s okay for you to mess with my career, but now you’re pissed because I’ve served your shit right back to you?”

“Your career was never going to be in jeopardy over sleeping with a witness! But you’ve leveled a serious charge at me here, and they’re going to be looking at me hard over it.”

“Well, you should’ve thought about that before you started your little games.”

“Are you trying to get me fired?”

“You’re trying to terrorize the woman I love, and I am not letting that happen. Whatever your beef was with me, you should’ve left her out of it!”

“I am so sick of you and your precious little girlfriend!”

“Good. If you’re so sick of us, then leave us the fuck alone!”

“All right, that’s enough!”

Gavin’s deep baritone got their attention, and Isaac glanced around the pit to see that they’d been putting on one helluva floor show with their screaming match.

“Sergeant Bains, I suggest you get back to your section.”

“I’m going, Lieutenant.” Her heated gaze found Isaac again. “This isn’t over, Ike.”

“The hell it’s not. You come near me or my fiancée again and I’ll file a restraining order against your ass. Won’t that look nice to IAB during your inquest?”

“You cock sucker.”

“I’m not the one always chasing dick, Natalie, that’s you.”

“Enough!” Gavin snapped.

“Crazy bitch,” Isaac mumbled before he walked away, effectively ending the show down. He walked into Gavin’s office and plopped down in the chair and waited for his boss to join him.

He knew the instant Natalie was gone and Hayes was headed his way because he could hear the not so low rumble of chatter and whispers out in the pit. They’d be the talk of the entire precinct by day’s end.

Gavin closed the door and walked over to his desk chair.

“What the hell was that?” he asked, sitting down.

“Apparently she just got her inquest notice from IAB. I’m sure she had a fun time explaining it to Lt. Dunbar when it landed on his desk.”

Dunbar was the Lieutenant over the narcotics division, and also Natalie’s boss. Isaac also knew that Lieutenant Hayes didn’t care much for the man.

“Better him than me. I’m starting to think that woman has a screw loose.”

“I just want her to leave Sidney alone. That’s all I care about.”

“Yeah, well, take a little advice from me on this. You might want to keep Sidney close for the next few days, because that woman is dangerous.”

25

“Three tickets to Helena, Montana, please.”

Sidney glanced around the Sandusky bus depot, attempting to keep a careful watch on her surroundings. It was one of the personal safety tips that Pete Vega had drilled into her mind during the self-defense course he taught at the YMCA. A course Sidney had taken to heart and excelled at.

That course had been the first step in her evolution from victim to warrior, and had done wonders for her self-esteem and her sense of bravery. Both attributes that she never would have attained without first meeting Isaac.

“Your tickets, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

She gathered the tickets and walked briskly back to her car, eyes scanning her surroundings the entire way. The sky was just beginning to darken, and she slid behind the wheel with a pounding heart.

“Here. Consider the bus fare my gift.”

She handed the tickets to Ann, who sat in the passenger seat. Her children were bundled in the backseat, watching their mother with great curiosity, and Sidney guessed, a fair amount of fear.

“Oh, Sidney, I should pay you. That couldn’t have been cheap.”

“Nonsense. You need to save your money. You’re going to need it, and I know the documents ate a big chunk of what you had.”

“My mom gave me more. When I told her what was happening, she gave me several thousand and told me to find a place where we could live safe and happy.”

Sidney smiled at her. “That’s amazing. I’m happy you got to spend some time with her.”

“Me too.”

“Now, tell me the plan one more time.”

Ann glanced in the backseat at her babies and inhaled a deep breath.

“We take the bus to Helena, Montana, where I buy a used clunker car with cash so that there’s no paper trail.”

“Then?”

“We drive across the boarder into Calgary, Canada.”

“Right. Then?”

“And we live below the