Edge of the Heat 2 (Westwood Harbor Corruption) by Lisa Ladew Read Free Book Online Page A

Occasionally he made a notation on his pad.
    When she got to the part where she put him in the helicopter she stopped talking.
    “So what happened to your arm?” he said, motioning to her bandage.
    “ That happened after I left the scene. My day just got worse and worse.”
    “ Tell me. Even if you don’t think it’s related it could be.”
    The car! Thinking about getting pulled over made her realize the hospital’s car was still sitting on the side of the road. Maybe Jerry would go get it for her.
    When she shared how she had been pulled over Agent Kinkaid ’s jaw clamped down in what looked like anger. He sat up straighter in his chair, leaning forward and peering into her soul again. Emma started to feel nervous. She wasn’t sure where this was going.
    “ What was the officer’s name?”
    “ Jeffries.”
    A look of recognition crossed his face. He muttered something under his breath. Emma thought it was “ Bastard”.
    “ What were you arrested for?”
    “ I still don’t know, he never told me.”
    “ Where are the papers you signed when you left?”
    “ Uh, I think I left the manila envelope in the ambulance with Jerry.”
    “ Call him and ask him to bring them here,” he said, leaning over the desk to hand her a cell phone.
    Emma did. Jerry said he would be by as soon as he could.
    He motioned for her to go on.
    When she finished telling the part about the woman who had sliced her he asked for a complete physical description of her. Emma struggled to remember every detail. When she recounted a mole she had remembered on her face the Agent nodded in recognition again.
    “ You got lucky there. You were probably meant to get a much worse lesson than that cut on your arm.” When he said the word lesson he mimed quotation marks in the air.
    Realization hit Emma like a load of bricks. “Are you saying that someone put her up to it?”
    “ Yes, I am. Look Miss Hill, you need to know what you are dealing with here so you can protect yourself. Can I trust you to keep quiet about something and not even tell your friend Jerry?”
    Emm a nodded, struck silent with fear.
    “ Good, because this is important. If you can’t keep quiet, more lives may be in jeopardy because of it. I am investigating corruption in the Westwood Harbor police department. Your ex-husband, Norman Foster, and his friend, Peter Jeffries, are both very high on my list of dirty cops. Jeffries prefers to use other criminals to do his dirty work. This is not the first time I have come across a story like this. The last person lost part of her ear and has a very big scar on her face. She missed losing an eyeball by about a half an inch.
    Emma ’s hand crept to her right ear, then just under her eye. Horror filled her.
    “ Now finish your story and then I will find you a place to stay tonight.”

Chapter 5
     
    Norman entered the station high on life. He couldn’t wait to hear the day’s events. He’d had a few calls on his cell phone while he was busy but he chose to ignore them. He preferred to get his news the old fashioned way so he could see the emotions on people’s faces firsthand. Fear was his favorite emotion to see. Incredulity, his second. Both made him feel powerful, and very much in control.
    He took the elevator straight up to his office. No o ne that he passed greeted him or looked at him. Most of the lower ranking officers were scared of him but a few were on his payroll. Many of the sergeants and above hated him and how he did business, but some tolerated him because they recognized him as one of their kind. Funny thing about being a cop - not many could retire after 20 years of service the same person they were when they were hired. The least affected had become bitter, hard. 20 years of dealing with people who spit on you and tried to stab you and bite you would do that to anyone. The most affected had become criminals themselves and just didn’t know it. And then there were cops like Norman. Cops who got into