Avenged by Janice Cantore Read Free Book Online

Flanagan.
    Flanagan nodded and tossed him his wallet. Barton shoved the wallet into his front pants pocket and walked away. Carly’s gaze followed him as he crossed the street to where another man stood, leaning against a white van. She realized then that the second man had probably been watching the activity in front of the coffee shop. He was taller than Barton but not as thickly built. His face was covered in a dark beard. When Barton reached the van, they exchanged a few words; then Barton walked to the driver’s side and climbed in while the bearded man took the passenger’s seat.
    The van was new, and as it pulled away, Carly saw the pale green of an out-of-state plate. She was able to read three letters, but the van disappeared around a corner before she saw the rest. In any event, she was too preoccupied with the men inside to dwell on the van. There was something familiar about the bearded man; but still disturbed by Dean Barton, she couldn’t remember if or where she’d seen him before.
    She looked at the FI card in her hand and caught Flanagan as he was getting into the squad car. “He didn’t say where he was staying, did he?”
    Flanagan shook his head. “Said he’d find a hotel since his family didn’t seem happy to see him.”
    “Thanks.” Carly checked her watch. She needed to get going.
    She tried to stop herself from obsessing about Barton. But he was evil—of that she was certain—and a wave of gooseflesh rippled down her arm as she hurried for her car.
    •••
    Joe was already there when Carly slid into the squad meeting a few minutes early. Taking a seat next to him, she exchanged hellos with him.
    “I hear Crusher is hanging on,” he said.
    “Yeah, Nick told me the good news when he got home,” she said, quickly filling Joe in on the fact that Crusher had been awake and talking in the ER. But her mind replayed only one thing: the confrontation with Dean Barton. The parolee had really gotten under her skin. He was trouble with a capital T . Would it be trouble for her or more trouble for Erika and Ned?
    The meeting came to order, and Barrett read off the watch report.
    “For starters, gangs will be in at midnight,” he said.
    Carly partially tuned him out. She knew this from Nick. He was splitting the team: half would cruise the Ninja neighborhood and the other half the Playboyz. They wanted patrol officers to stop and interview any gang members they came across and to pay attention to any new graffiti.
    Carly refocused when Peter Harris took Barrett’s spot and briefed everyone about the shooting.
    “All three gang members were shot with a 9mm,” he said. This was new information for Carly. “As for Macias’s condition, he’s holding his own.” There were murmurs in the room with this information. Pete looked Carly’s way. “Good job with the quick first aid.”
    Joe hooted in agreement and Carly felt her face get hot. Applause broke out, and she punched Joe in the shoulder.
    When things calmed down, Pete continued. “Macias was talking initially, but not now. He’s still alive and in a drug-induced coma. We’re not posting an officer on his room because he’s in intensive care and monitored closely by hospital staff. Right now this looks like a gang hit, so that’s how we’re treating it. Everyone be safe out there.”
    As the meeting broke up, Carly filled Joe’s ear with the tale of her confrontation with Dean Barton. “He really gave me the creeps. It was as if he had a neon sign over his head with Danger flashing in bright-red letters.”
    “Maybe you should call Arizona and ask about him. If he made as big a splash with the PD as Erika said, a cop back there will remember and maybe give you some insight.”
    “I plan on doing that at EOW.”
    Carly was first up to drive. While Joe completed the vehicle inspection, Carly logged on to the computer to check out everything going on in the field. Barrett had bumped them up from beat duty to wild car status, which