Promise Renewed (3 page)

“What do you really think about all of this, Darin?” Douglas asked.

“I think someone either stole millions of dollars in drugs, or picked up their stash and moved it to another spot. If they were stolen, whoever owned them will be after those who took them. Either way we may not find them until they hit the street.”

“I hope to hell they don’t lay this on you,” Douglas said.

“Not as much as I do,” Darin agreed.

Chapter Two

Silence enveloped the trip to the station. Melanie and the captain sat in the front seat, Darin in the back. Every so often Melanie would turn to look at him with a reassuring smile. It didn’t help the way he felt in the least.

He’d been released from the hospital with reservations. A prescription lay in his shirt pocket. He could use one of those pills now as his head pounded with the knowledge he’d be walking into the station without his partner. Damn! Hunter had had no reason to go against the rules. No reason to try and stop drug dealers on his own, and no reason to keep everything to himself.

Hunter was—had been—a seasoned cop. It wasn’t like him to be irresponsible.

Unless the reason was one no one knew about. One Darin would have to find. One he
would
find. No slime-ball drug dealer was going to kill his partner and get away with it. Not in this lifetime.

His head pounded harder.

When he walked into the squad room his fellow detectives looked at him with questions, and sorrow in their eyes. When he headed toward them the captain told him to go to his office. Darin gave the group a quick nod. “Later," he mouthed. To tell the truth, he was glad to leave. Being in there and knowing he’d never see Hunter again made his stomach curl.

Darin wondered if he’d ever get over it.

The captain waved him to a chair and shut the door. A bad sign.

“I’m sorry about your partner. But I have a few questions that have to be answered. Then I’ll send someone in to take your statement.”

Standard procedure. So far.

Darin told his captain all he knew, which wasn’t much. Even to his ears, his story sounded lame. “I wish I could tell you more. When he called, Hunter didn’t tell me I would find a warehouse full of drugs. He didn’t tell me anything except to get my ass over there. Which I did.”

“You’re sure there were drugs on the premises?”

“Millions of dollars worth from the looks of what was in the truck and in the warehouse.”

“How did they get out of there so fast?”

“There were at least three guys loading the truck. A big box truck, like the kind people rent for moving themselves. From what I saw the warehouse was almost empty. After I heard the shots, activity increased. They could have finished in a few minutes. If the cops had gotten there sooner, they would have caught them.” If Darin had gotten there a few minutes earlier himself, he could have protected his partner’s back. A wave of guilt washed over him. He had a feeling he’d live with the guilt a very long time.

The captain ran a hand through his thinning hair. “If drugs were there, like you say they were, where do you think they are now? Did you hear them say anything? Who were these guys?”

“Good questions.” Darin looked down at his hands, then back up to the captain. He didn’t like the man, but respected his authority. “I think we should take a look at everyone we know in Houston who’s in the business. We know two who have the funds to handle a deal of this size.” The captain shot him a look he couldn’t mistake. Every one of the big boys had evaded the takedowns the squad had executed for the past year. During which time there had been a lot of drugs and a lot of money involved, but HPD hadn’t been able to get one scrap of evidence to confirm their suspicions. They knew who the leaders of the two biggest cartels in the area were. Little good it did them without evidence. “I saw what I saw, Captain. But I didn’t hear a conversation, just a buzz of voices, and I can’t identify a single person there.”

“Then we have a dilemma. Your partner is dead and you were there. You claim to have seen a mountain of drugs we didn’t find. Did you happen to get a license number of the truck?”

Darin shook his head. “I was too worried about Hunter to even think of it. But the drugs were there and were carted off in a truck that was
similar
to a U-Haul. There were no signs on it. I heard shots. I couldn’t go in guns blazing. I didn’t know where Hunter was or what he was up to. Hell, I didn’t even know for sure he was in there.” Darin stared at the captain. “Were there traces of the drugs?”

“Yes, but who knows what point in time they came to be there.”

Darin’s headache intensified. “Are you serious? You don’t believe me? Why would I lie? You’re making a monumental problem even worse if you think I had anything to do with this.” He glared at his captain, not caring whether he was written up for subordination or not. “My partner is dead. I wanted to be there for him and wasn’t. Do you know how bad I feel about that? You’re not making this any easier.” He stood, turned on his heel, and headed for the door. “I need to visit Hunter’s family and talk to Haley.”

The captain stopped him with a sharp, “This doesn’t look good for you, Callahan. None of it.”

Darin sighed heavily, but didn’t turn around. “It’s the way it is, Captain,” he said, his voice as tired as he felt.

A knock on the door stopped the conversation.

“Enter,” the captain barked.

Chief of Police Guy Hamilton stepped into the room. Darin’s nerves, already stretched to the limit, twisted into knots. Hamilton was a good cop, but everyone feared him. At six-four and over two hundred pounds, biceps like a body-builder, plus an army haircut, he was formidable.

The captain looked pale in comparison. He hauled his five-foot-nine-inch, thick frame out of his chair and greeted his boss.

“How are you?” the chief asked Darin.

“Other than a bad headache, I’m physically fine. I’m more sorry than I can say that I didn’t get to the storage lot soon enough to help Hunter.” Darin glanced at Captain Wells, then shifted his attention to the floor. “What am I going to tell his family? Or Haley?”

Hamilton put a hand on Darin’s shoulder. “We’ve taken care of it. Right now, I want you to give your report to Stan. Take a couple of days off, at least until after the funeral. By then we may know more. Or you’ll remember more.”

“Can’t remember what I don’t know. But I’ll take the time.” He was going to need it. He’d have to dig deep to find the killer.
I’ll get him for you, Hunter
. Maybe Haley would know something. “Will I be issued another weapon?”

“No,” Captain Wells barked. When he saw the chief’s expression, he added, “Not at this time.”

It was clear the captain didn’t appreciate the chief bursting in on him, much less giving instructions to one of his squad.

It didn’t bother Darin in the least.

He gave his report to Stan, signed mountains of papers and went to talk with his squad members.

“I’m so sorry,” Dwanda said, tears edging down her cheeks. She gave him a hug and wiped her eyes. “We still can’t believe Hunter is dead. He was the best.”

The rest of the squad echoed the same sentiment.

“What can we do? Where do we look?” Hank asked. “We’re here to help, you know.”

Darin needed their help. He wasn’t sure he could do this alone. But he would if need be. “Keep your eyes and ears open. We know the big guys out there. One of them took millions of dollars worth of drugs from that warehouse. If they were stolen, the owner is a very unhappy camper right now. If so, it wouldn’t be implausible to see a drug war. If the owner moved his stash, we need to find it and keep it off the streets. See if you can find who we’re dealing with. Keep a close eye on Tony Ramiro and Zeb Chavizi. Find out if one of them rented space number seven. I doubt they used a real name, but check anyway. Remember, not too many have enough cash to handle a deal of this size. Those two do. If you find or hear anything at all, call me on my cell.” God help them all if one or the other started a turf war over this. This many drugs sitting somewhere for the taking would be a hell of an incentive to do just that. If that was what had happened at the storage lot, his squad might not be big enough to handle it.

Everyone agreed to help.

Two hours later, he’d showered, changed and was at the home of Hunter’s parents. His brother was there as well as Haley. They were shell-shocked. Haley looked pale, her eyes red from crying. Her honey-blond hair was brushed back from her face, making it look more drawn. Darin wanted to be anywhere but here, doing anything but this.

The questions started immediately. His answers were vague. What could he tell them? Their son, brother, fiancé had died for what? Darin couldn’t tell them because he didn’t know. He couldn’t comfort them because
he
couldn’t be comforted. For the next few hours he sat with them. How could he sit here and do this when he felt so guilty? It was next to impossible. Then he asked Haley to step outside.

“I need to talk to you, Haley. And I need to get into Hunter’s apartment. You have a key, don’t you?”

She nodded. Tears welled again. “When?”

“Now. I know it’s a bad time, but there’s so much I don’t know. I have to find out what Hunter was up to last night. If you know anything about what he was onto, anything he might have said, please tell me.”

“Let me tell the Hunters I’ll be right back.”

She hurried inside and was back in seconds. “I’ll help all I can, but I don’t know a thing that will help you. Tom didn’t talk about his work.”

“You may know something and not know you know it.” If that made any sense.

When they pulled into Hunter’s driveway, Darin thought he was going to be sick. He’d been here dozens of times over the past three years. He and Hunter had watched sports on TV, barbecued in the backyard, played basketball in the driveway where Hunter had put a hoop above the garage door. He’d never expected to walk in the front door knowing Hunter would never be there again.

Taking a deep breath, he followed Haley inside.

A little later, a search of Hunter’s house didn’t turn up a thing to answer Darin’s many questions. Haley, though more than willing to help, only knew the man she loved had not been himself for the past couple of months.

Darin already knew that. Instead of outgoing and cheerful, he’d become restrained, almost secretive. Not at all like himself. It had bothered Darin then. Now he knew Hunter had come across information that led him to the warehouse and to his death.

Darin had to find the information. And the guy who killed Hunter.

****

The funeral was three days after Hunter’s death. Over two hundred cops were there, as was the entire squad. The Hunters took their son’s death hard. Darin understood. He had lost a man who had been as close as one of his brothers.

During that time Darin had made no headway in solving the mystery of his friend’s death. Phone conversations with his squad members confirmed they hadn’t come up with anything either. The two drug lords hadn’t made a single overt move. Darin was at a dead end.

But he would never give up.

The first morning he was due back on the job Darin found himself nervous and uneasy. Not just because he’d go in without his partner, but because Houston’s Internal Affairs Division had talked to him. Though he had nothing to add to his original statement, he didn’t know if they were going to drop the investigation or continue. When he’d asked what caliber of gun was used to kill Hunter, they hadn’t been forthcoming. Since Darin didn’t know when he’d be issued another gun, he’d taken his personal weapon and put it in his ankle holster.

Damned if he’d go about town unarmed knowing there was a killer out there who had to know the guy they hit over the head was a cop. Not for the first time he wondered why they didn’t kill him. He’d been completely helpless, yet all he got was a bump on the head. Something wasn’t right. With or without permission, he’d carry a gun. HPD could take it or lump it.

Nothing about this case felt right. He eased into traffic, headed downtown. It didn’t take long until he thought he was being followed. Checking his mirror, he watched the cars behind him carefully. Traffic was too heavy to determine if he was right or not, but the feeling persisted. Could the dope dealers be tagging him to see what he knew? Maybe they’d intended to kill him but hadn’t been able to before the cops arrived. If so, would they try again? Or were the cops, or IA tagging him because they didn’t believe his story?

It was a relief when he arrived at the parking garage, a bigger relief to see his squad members offering him smiles of encouragement when he walked in.

But it was harder than he thought to be here without Hunter. Maybe he needed more time off.

Less than five minutes later, Captain Wells strolled in. Every head turned.

He wasn’t alone.

“We’re all sorry about Hunter,” the captain said. “He’ll be missed. But drug cartels continue their business, and dealers still deal. We have to stay vigilant and do our jobs so what happened to Hunter doesn’t happen again. We were lucky enough to have this young lady walk in just when we needed her. I want you all to meet Genevieve Carlson. Ms. Carlson will fill the vacancy. She came to us from Dallas with an exemplary track record. So welcome her to the group.” He turned to Darin with a tight smile. “Meet your new partner, Callahan. I’m sure the two of you will hit it off just fine.”

Had the captain lost his mind? Darin took a step in his direction, only to have the new detective step in front of him.

With an outstretched hand, she said, “Hi. Call me Gina.”

He ignored the outstretched hand to walk around her. The captain was already at the door. “Captain. This isn’t a good idea. It’s too soon.”

“Make the best of it, Callahan. You’re lucky the chief is in your corner.”

He turned on his heel and walked out the door, leaving Darin to face his new partner and the sympathetic looks of his squad.

Not on your life. He followed the captain out. “Sir,” he called.

The captain stopped, turned. “Go back to your squad, Callahan. I’m not discussing this with you.”