Fire and Rain by Andrew Grey Read Free Book Online Page B

warmth spreading through him. His heart pounded and he was hyperaware of the way Jos’s leg bounced nervously as they rode. “It’s okay. No one is going to hurt you or try to take anything from you.”
    “Sure,” Jos said. “When Powers kicked me out of the apartment, I knew it was illegal and thought about trying to fight it. But then a policeman showed up and did nothing to stop Powers. They seemed like they were buddy-buddy, and all the policeman said was that it was his property, and without a lease or any paperwork, there was nothing he could do. Then the bastard smiled at me with mock sympathy, got back in his car, and drove off as Isaac and I stood on the sidewalk with nowhere to go. So I’m not feeling really good about going into the police station. What if he’s there and makes trouble for me?”
    Kip narrowed his gaze. “If he is, you point him out to me.” He gripped the steering wheel tightly. He and Aaron Cloud, one of the detectives, had been after Powers for a long time, and if one of the men on the department was helping him, no wonder he always stayed one step ahead. This bastard was feeding him information. Kip made a note to talk to Aaron as soon as he could get the other officer alone. “But wait until we leave. Pretend you don’t recognize him if you do see him.”
    “Okay,” Jos agreed, but he still didn’t settle down.
    “All we need to do is get your statement so we can make our charges stick on Tyler. Then I have some items I need you to look over, and finally I’m going to check if Aaron is on duty so you can talk to him too.” Kip pulled into the lot and parked. “Don’t worry—he’s a good guy, and he’ll help you.”
    “What if he’s the one?” Jos asked, and Kip had to stop to think a few seconds. He didn’t think Aaron Cloud, one of the senior men on the force, would be involved with Gordon Powers, but Jos was right; he had to be cautious.
    “I’ll be careful and make sure you see him before he sees you.” How he was going to do that, though, he wasn’t sure. “Come on inside with me, and we’ll go right to one of the interview rooms. They’re pretty private.” Kip opened his car door and got out, waiting for Jos to follow him with Isaac.
    He led them into the station, past the officer on duty, and into one of the interview rooms, where Jos settled into a chair with Isaac on his lap. “I’ll be right back.” Kip left and went to his work area. He grabbed his laptop and brought it back to the interview room with him. It would be easier to type up the statement as he went than it would be to transcribe it later.
    “What’s going on, Rogers?” Carter asked, poking his head in the interview room. “Hi, guys.”
    Isaac smiled and Jos nodded.
    “I need to take their statements. Could you get the effects we took off the guy we brought in last night? I think some of it is stolen from Josten here.”
    “Sure thing,” Carter said and left the room.
    Kip powered up his computer, pulled up the form, and began gathering the information he needed. Jos was a great witness, remembering details and relaying what happened with as little emotion as possible. That concerned him, though, because he figured Jos was most likely repressing what happened so he could deal with it, but the clear facts were helpful.
    Carter returned with an envelope and left the room, then returned again with a bottle of water, which he handed to Jos.
    “It’s all right. Take your time,” Kip said.
    Jos opened the bottle, then gulped water quickly. “I don’t want to think about what could have happened.”
    “I know.” Kip wanted to take Jos’s hand to try to comfort him. He knew relating the events was hard, but this was only the first time, and most likely Jos would have to do it again and again if he had to go to court. It wasn’t a pleasant notion. “Just take your time. There’s no hurry.”
    “Is there a place Isaac can sit where he isn’t going to hear?”
    Kip wasn’t