Demolition Angel by Robert Crais Read Free Book Online Page A

found something I thought was a bomb, I’d want to get as far away from it as possible. I wouldn’t want to stand next to it. Maybe he was scared it would explode.”
    Starkey considered that, and nodded. It made sense. She tossed
The Blue Line
into her wastebasket.
    “Well, whatever. We’ve got the time of the call. Maybe someone around there saw something, and we can straighten this out.”
    Santos nodded.
    “Okay. You want to do that while we get the apartment houses?”
    “One of you guys swing past, okay, Hook? I’ve gotta meet Chen over in Glendale.”
    Starkey gave them the addresses, then went in to see Kelso. She walked in without knocking.
    “Hooker said you wanted to see me.”
    Kelso jerked away from his computer and swiveled around to peer at her. He had stopped telling her not to barge in over a year ago.
    “Would you close the door, please, Carol, then come sit down.”
    Starkey closed the door, then marched back across his office and stood at his desk. She was right about that cow Marzik. She didn’t sit.
    Kelso squirmed behind his desk because he wasn’t sure how to come at what he wanted to say.
    “I just want to make sure you’re okay with this.”
    “With what, Barry?”
    “You seemed just a little, ah, strained last night. And, ah, I just want to be sure you’re okay with being the lead here.”
    “Are you replacing me?”
    He began to rock, his body language revealing that that was exactly what he was thinking.
    “Not at all, Carol. No. But this case strikes close to home with you, and we’ve had these, ah, episodes recently.”
    He let it hang as if he didn’t know how to carry it further.
    Starkey felt the shakes coming on, but fought them down.She was furious with Marzik and terrified that Kelso might reconsider ordering her to the bank.
    “Did Marzik say that I was drinking?”
    Kelso showed both palms.
    “Let’s leave Marzik out of this.”
    “You saw me at the crime scene, Barry. Did I act drunk or unprofessional to you?”
    “That’s not what I’m asking. You’ve been wound a little on the tight side, Carol. We both know that because we’ve talked about it. Last night you were confronted with a situation very similar to one that you yourself barely survived. Perhaps you were unnerved.”
    “You’re talking about replacing me.”
    “I left our conversation last night thinking that I smelled gin. Did I?”
    Starkey met his eyes.
    “No, sir. You smelled Binaca. I ate Cuban for lunch, and I was blowing garlic all day. That’s what you and Marzik smelled.”
    He showed his palms again.
    “Let’s leave Marzik out of this. Marzik didn’t say anything to me.”
    Starkey knew he was lying. If Kelso had smelled gin on her breath, he would’ve said something at the scene. He was running with Marzik’s complaint.
    Starkey was very careful in how she stood. She knew he would be reading her body language the same way she read his. He would look for any sign of defensiveness.
    Finally, he settled back, relieved that he’d said what he needed to say and had been the responsible commander.
    “All right, Carol, this is your case. I just want you to know I’m here for you.”
    “I need to get over to Glendale, Lieutenant. The quicker I can get hard news on the bomb, the faster we can bag this puke.”
    Kelso leaned back, dismissing her.
    “All right. If you need anything, you know I’m here. This is an important case, Carol. A human being died. More, an officer died, which makes it personal.”
    “It’s personal to me and the guys on the Bomb Squad, Lieutenant. Believe it.”
    “I imagine it would be. Just take it easy, Carol, and we’ll get through this all right.”
    Starkey went back into the squad room, looking for Marzik, but she and Santos had already left. She gathered her things, then wrestled her car out of the parking lot jockeying spots with a fat IAG detective named Marley. It took her almost fifteen minutes to get out of the building, and then she pulled