the condom wasn't his, I was thinking sex offense. But it fits with
what Chuck and Mike got, too. Maybe the vie was using condoms on the
side with Caffrey."
"Doesn't mean Caffrey did it, though," I said. "It would just explain
the spermicide."
We were stuck again.
As we broke up, Chuck tried to get my attention. I raised a finger in
his direction as I ran to catch Johnson alone.
"Griffith got a call today from Susan Kerr," I said. He looked at me
but didn't say anything. "Did one of you ask Townsend Easterbrook to
take a polygraph last night?"
The look on his face said So that's what this is about. "Yes. As a
matter of fact, I did."
"I thought we were going to talk before you did anything on that."
"You weren't there, Sam. Am I supposed to stop everything and call you
before I make any kind of decision on one of my investigations?"
I ignored the rhetorical question because, like most rhetorical
questions, it was stupid. "If this was just another procedure, why
didn't you mention it to me this morning?"
"If you want me to say I'm sorry so you can tell your boss you did what
you needed to, then I'll do it, Sam. I know how your thing works over
there at the courthouse. But the guy had just gotten the news and was
being cooperative; the moment was right to ask him to help us eliminate
him. If I turn that into a DA decision and I mean any DA it gets
political and never would've happened. No offense against you
personally, but I just needed to do it."
"So you admit you intentionally went behind my back." I'd nearly
gotten killed going out on a limb on one of Johnson's cases. I
couldn't help but sound indignant.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, it wasn't like that."
My stare must have told him I wasn't buying it.
"OK," he said. "Maybe I could have brought it up with you at the crime
scene yesterday. But I could tell when we were riding up to Kerr's
house that the subject made you nervous, so I decided to play it by
ear. Honestly, last night at the house, it seemed like the right move
to make."
"Well, it wasn't," I said. "From everything I've heard, this guy's on
the verge of losing it. I don't need you pushing him over the edge by
asking for a poly the minute after he learns his wife was murdered. And
don't tell me you would've done it with another DA, because that's
bullshit and we both know it."
He bit his lower lip and avoided my gaze. Maybe we didn't know each
other as well as we'd assumed.
I finally broke the silence. "What's your problem with the guy anyway?
If he didn't do it and I don't think any of us really thinks he did how
could you put him through that?"
"It's not about suspecting him, Kincaid, it's about doing the
investigation right. He was being so cooperative, I thought, if I
asked, he'd say Sure, let's do it right now, whatever I can do to help.
As it turned out, that's not how it went, so it probably wasn't worth
getting you so fired up."
"He won't take it?" I asked. I had assumed from the conversation with
Duncan that Townsend was put off by the request but would nevertheless
humor the police.
"I overstated that."
"What exactly did he say?"
"The question seemed to catch him off guard not like he was threatened
by it, but more like his feelings were hurt. You saw how out of it he
was that first night at the house. It was the same thing. Then he
finally said he didn't see a problem but would let me know today."
"And what did he say today?" I asked.
"Nothing. I had to call him about the nonoxynol. He didn't mention
the poly, and I held off on pressing him. See, now that really
would've pissed you off."
"Don't push it, Ray."
"Look, I'm sorry I went around you, but I know what it's all about with
you guys and Duncan Griffith. I didn't want to put you in a bad
spot."
I wanted to be able to say that I was different from all the other MCU
deputies he'd seen over the years, impervious to hierarchical
pressures, but I couldn't begin to articulate the subtle distinctions
that I found so important.
"No, you didn't want me to tell you to back off. And, in the process,
you made me look like an idiot in front of my boss when I defended you.
Do anything like that again, and I'll forget you're my friend and start
acting like all the other MCU deputies you never would have pulled this
on."
"Yep, friends. Got it."
"Ray, I meant that, but I also need to do my job."
He was biting his lip again, but at least now he was looking me in the
eyes. He finally smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, we'll be all
right. Go wait for your bus or whatever it is you do after work."
"I drove today, as a matter of fact, but, sorry, we're not quite done
yet. When do you plan to talk to the councilman?" If Griffith gave me
a sit-down based on Susan Kerr s concerns about etiquette, I'd really
be in the doghouse if Johnson accused an elected official like T. J.
Caffrey of murder under my watch.
"I figured I'd go by his house tonight and ask him whether he's been
keeping a little piece on the side. I'll make sure the wife's nearby
when I get to the Trojans. Kids, too, if he has any." He placed his
hand on my shoulder to make sure I knew he was kidding. "Don't worry,
Kincaid, this is me we're talking about. Tough stuff won't work on a
guy like that anyway."
True, and tact was right up Johnson's alley. As long as he agreed that
some diplomacy was called for, I couldn't be in better hands.
With work wrapped up, I was more interested in getting into the hands
of another detective. I stopped by Chuck's desk just long enough to
tell him to meet me at my house. I was going to my father's for
dinner, but I could spare an hour or so if he wanted to catch up.
"Catch up" is precisely what I meant when I said it, but his expression
when he said, "Leaving right now. An hour might be enough," had me
scrambling out the door, sucking down Altoids as fast as I could take
them. Damn that Greek Cusina. By the time I got to the Jetta, I had
broken into a full sprint and was sweating garlic. Very attractive.
I used the wonder of cell technology to multitask in the car, calling
Griffith with the update while I maneuvered various body parts in front
of the air vents in an attempt to cool off. The commute was remarkably
quick. Drivers in front of me would look in their rearview mirrors and
immediately yield the lane. Apparently jerking around like a
strung-out freak pays off when others practice defensive driving,