A Dozen Deadly Roses by Kathy Bennett Read Free Book Online Page A

partition.
    The frazzled clerk’s gaze was frosty.  “Can I help you?”
    “I need to go in back and talk to Officer Stryker, the officer who saved the boy.  I’m conducting an investigation, so I can’t wait.”
    Wordlessly, but with a look that would intimidate an ex-con, the clerk jabbed a button.  A buzzer sounded and the lock released in the heavy wooden doors leading to the examination rooms.
    “Come on, Donovan.  I swear, you’d have stood there all day waiting for an invitation to see your partner.”
    Jade bit back the sarcastic reply that came to mind, and whispered, “I’m sorry,” to the woman with the makeshift sling.
    Lieutenant Lasko and Jade walked down the hall, glancing into open doorways looking for Mac.  They finally found him in the last examination room.  A blue patterned hospital gown replaced his soaked uniform.
    Numerous medical personnel, working as a team, surrounded him.  A wire attached to his finger connected to a monitor that hung from the ceiling.  A lime green line blipped across the black screen, alerting the doctor to Mac’s pulse rate.  The physician quietly directed the staff as they worked.
    The lieutenant tapped on the doorframe.  “Uh, excuse me, doc.  I need to get a statement from Officer Stryker.  Okay if I come in and talk to him while you’re working?”
    The doctor lifted his head, irritation in his eyes.  “No, it’s not all right.  You can speak with him when we’re done.”  The physician glanced at Mac. “That’s if he wants to talk to you.”
    The lieutenant seemed oblivious to the practitioner’s disdain.  “Oh, he’ll want to talk to me.  Mac and I go way back.  Besides, as his supervisor, he really doesn’t have any choice,” she said with a chuckle.
    The physician spoke softly to the nurse, who immediately came and shut the door leaving Jade and the lieutenant standing in the hall.
    Jade’s face burned with embarrassment.
    “Okay,” said Lieutenant Lasko, leaning against the doorjamb. “It looks like it’s going to be a while before I can get a statement from Mac.  Might as well get down to business.”  She crossed her arms and glared at Jade.  “So, Donovan why don’t you tell me what the hell happened at the flood control channel.”
    “I’m not sure I know what you mean,” Jade replied.
    Her supervisor raised her voice.  “I want you to explain to me why your probationer violated department policy by going in the water after that kid.”
    “What would you want him to do?  Let the child drown?”  Jade knew her sarcasm was disrespectful, but she didn’t care.
    A technician wearing green doctor’s scrubs pushed a cart past the women into Mac’s room.  The man propped the door open with a rubber stop.
    “Policy is very clear that police officers don’t go into a flood control channel after someone who’s fallen in.  The fire department has the swift water rescue team.  They’re properly trained to handle that kind of situation.  We’re not.”
    “Lieutenant, the little boy fell into the water right in front of our eyes.  If we’d gotten there a couple seconds sooner he never would have been in the water.”
    The lieutenant's eyes narrowed.  “I notice you managed to stay out of the channel and keep dry.  But then you've never struck me as the type to jump right in if it looked like you might break a fingernail.”
    “You can’t have it both ways, lieutenant.  Write me up if you have to for Mac going in the water, but don’t think I’m going to let you berate me for not breaking the rules too.”  I’m berating myself, thank you very much .
    Lasko waved her hand dismissively.  “Either way it seems to me that you didn’t display proper leadership or exercise proper control of your probationary officer.  You allowed his life to be put at risk.  Those actions are unacceptable and will be noted on a comment card and placed in your personnel file.”
    Lasko removed a tube of lipstick from