Fallen by Leslie Tentler Read Free Book Online

grandfather clock in the foyer. Then taking the cardboard box from the counter, he moved it into the sunroom, which contained cushioned rattan furniture and a desk he used for the glut of paperwork that came with his job. He would grab a quick shower and get started.
    A wall made almost entirely of windows provided a view of the bungalow’s rear flagstone patio that was surrounded by a fence of low shrubs. Dogwoods and a massive, red-leafed Japanese maple shaded the area. Ryan crossed his arms over his chest, looking just beyond the backyard. A neighbor’s swimming pool caught the sunlight, its water dappled with gold.
    He felt a familiar, dull ache fill him.
    Following Tyler’s death, the pool had remained covered by a black tarp. But a few months ago, the former residents had sold the house. A new family had moved in and reopened the pool. Ryan hadn’t met them, and he had no idea whether they were unaware or insensitive to what had occurred on their property. He wondered if Lydia had seen it uncovered.
    The lump in his throat grew larger.
    He would gladly give his own life to bring Tyler back.
    He’d been so focused on completing an investigational report that chilly January morning. He hadn’t heard the mudroom door opening, hadn’t noticed their sweet little boy had slipped out.
    Belly knotted with guilt, he stared out at the tranquil-looking water until his cell phone rang. Clearing his throat, he dug into his pants pocket for the device, answering it.
    “Ryan, it’s Darnell Richardson. I hear you and Mateo are taking the lead on Nate’s case.”
    “Yeah.” Ryan squeezed the bridge of his nose.
    “I’m not sure whether to offer my gratitude or condolences.” He added, “Look, I’ve got some information for you. I checked out John Watterson’s vehicle today, like you asked. Brand new Honda Accord that’s collecting dust now in his mother’s garage. The poor woman got it all cleaned up but says she can’t bear to sell it.”
    He paused expectantly. “Thought you might want to know there’s a big key scratch on the driver’s side.”
    Ryan felt a small jolt.
    “Do you know if Watterson’s shield was missing after the shooting?”
    “No.” Darnell sounded puzzled. “I didn’t ask.”
    “That’s all right. I’ll find out.”
    “What’re you thinking?” Darnell asked. “Gangbangers?”
    Ryan glanced at the cardboard box. “I think it’s a good place to start.”

Chapter Five
     
     
    Someone had placed a single rose on Nate’s desk, a gesture marking the sense of loss that hung over the zone five precinct. It lay on the paper blotter amid the brown stains of coffee rings and nearly illegible notes Nate had made to himself while on the phone. Nearby, paperwork threatened to overflow his plastic in-box. Ryan leafed through the forms and memos even though he’d already gone through them after the briefing on Saturday, searching for something that might stand out.
    There was also a framed photo of Kristen on the desk. He felt a tug of emotion.
    Around him, the bullpen bustled with activity, some of it related to the investigation into Nate’s shooting, the rest focused on the dozens of other cases that screamed for attention. Ryan himself had three open homicides, now four including Nate’s.
    “Hell of a start to a Monday,” Mateo commented over the shrill of a ringing phone. Looking at Nate’s desk, he shook his head and sipped from a mug of coffee, his third that morning. “I keep thinking he’s going to show up here, bitching about the traffic on Peachtree.”
    Ryan had checked with the zone two detectives who’d caught Watterson’s murder—unlike with Nate, his shield had been accounted for. He’d been buried with it, in fact. Regardless, Ryan still believed the key scratches on both cars suggested some correlation. But in case his theory was wrong, he wanted to cover all potential avenues.
    “Did you get hold of Hoyt and Chin?” he asked, referring to another pair of