Cerulean Sins - Laurell K. Hamilton [146]
“Yeah,” he said. And he said it, on tape, evidenced, un-take-backable. It could and probably would be used against him. There was nothing I could do to help Dolph, but I knew in that moment that Jason wouldn’t be going to a secured facility. Half of me was relieved, half of me was so scared for Dolph that I could taste metal on my tongue.
Zerbrowski went for the door, pushing Jason ahead of him. “We’ll give you a few minutes alone, Lieutenant.” He motioned at me with his head.
Dolph didn’t try and stop us. He just knelt there, face shocked, as if he’d finally heard his words, finally realized what he might have done.
We all went out the door, and Zerbrowski closed it firmly behind us. Everyone in the squad room was looking at us. They tried not to be, but everyone had found something to do to keep them close at hand. I’d never seen so many detectives so eager to do paperwork at their desks, or even somebody else’s, as long as the desk was close to the hallway.
Zerbrowski looked at the near wall of people and said, “Break it up people, we don’t need a crowd.”
They all looked at each other, as if asking should we move, should we listen to him? They would have moved without question for Dolph. But finally, they did move, drifting off in ones and twos to other parts of the big room. The ones who were at their own desks close to the action seemed to remember phone calls they needed to make.
Zerbrowski bent close to me, and spoke low, “Take Mr. Schuyler with you and go.”
“What’ll Dolph say?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t know, but I know that Schuyler here doesn’t deserve to go to one of those facilities.”
“Thanks, Sarge,” Jason said, and he smiled.
Zerbrowski didn’t smile back, but he did say, “You’re a pain in the ass sometimes Schuyler, and you’re a furball, but you aren’t a monster.”
They had one of those guy moments. Women would have hugged, but they were men, which meant that they didn’t even share a handshake. “Thanks, Zerbrowski.”
Zerbrowski gave a weak smile. “Good to know I’m making somebody happy today.” He turned back to me. We looked at each other.
“What’s going to happen to Dolph?” I asked.
He looked even more solemn, which considering he’d looked downright depressed before, said a lot. “I don’t know.”
Dolph had said enough on tape to lose him his job, if it got out. Hell, if the head of RPIT was this prejudiced it might bring all their cases under review, going back to the beginning.
“Make sure he takes the two weeks of personal time, Zerbrowski, keep him out of here.”
“I know that,” he said, “now.”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, of course you do.”
“Just go for now, Anita, please, go.”
I touched Zerbrowski’s arm. “Don’t go back in there without some backup, okay.”
“Perry told me what Dolph did to you the other day. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” He glanced back at the closed door. “Please, Anita, go before he comes out.”
I wanted to say something. Something comforting, or helpful, but there wasn’t anything. The only helpful thing I could do was leave. So we did.
Leaving felt cowardly. Staying would have been stupid. When it’s a choice between being cowardly or stupid, I choose stupid every single time. Today I opted for the better part of valor. Besides, I wasn’t sure that Dolph might come out of the room like some rampaging bull and try to attack Jason, or me. We might be able to hush it up in an interrogation room, but if he trashed the entire squad room, it would mean the end of his career. Right now, he maybe had shot his career in the foot. Even probably. But maybe and probably were better than certainly. I left Zerbrowski to pick up the pieces, because I didn’t know how.
I was so much better at destroying things than fixing them.
40
JASON LEANED HIS head back against the passenger seat of the Jeep. His eyes were closed, and he looked weary. There were hollows under his eyes even with them closed. Jason was fair-skinned, not pale. He didn’t tan dark, but nicely golden. Today he looked vampire pale, and his skin gave the illusion that it was too thin, as if some great