Justice in the Shadows by Radclyffe Read Free Book Online Page B

something from me.”
    “Are you still seeing him?” Jason asked directly, no apology in his voice. This wasn’t personal, this was business. Deadly business.
    “Yes.” Rebecca gave no explanation, because the reasons didn’t matter. “Why?”
    “He could have unrestricted access to any file he asked for,” Jason mused.
    “It’s possible, I guess.” Rebecca’s expression was unmistakably skeptical.
    “Excuse me, ma’am?” another voice interjected.
    Rebecca looked at Mitchell and raised an eyebrow. “Officer?”
    If possible, Mitchell sat even straighter. “I may have inadvertently revealed some information about the operation as well. In…uh…counseling.”
    “Jesus, kid, you too?” Watts’s tone was disgusted. “Is everybody in the goddamned department getting shrunk?”
    “You’re seeing Whitaker, also?” For the first time, Rebecca’s voice held an edge of excitement. Connections were what made a case—small things that seemed inconsequential at first often turned out to be the key that fit the lock that broke it wide open.
    “No, ma’am, not Whitaker. Dr. Rawlings.”
    Watts sucked in a breath and Rebecca went completely still. The conversation of last night came back to her. She’d been talking to Catherine about Mitchell and Sandy. How much does Catherine know?
    “Well, I can guarantee that Catherine is not the source of the leak.” Rebecca’s voice was cool, even, her hands steady as they rested on the tabletop.
    “What about her reports, her files?” Sloan stood and walked to the coffeemaker. “She must keep some kind of records. Maybe there’s something in there.”
    “That will be difficult to ascertain.” Rebecca drew a long breath and settled herself. “Dr. Rawlings will not discuss her patients in any way.”
    Mitchell interjected, “If it would help, I’ll give my permission for her to turn over my records.”
    “If that becomes necessary, we may go that route. But let’s hold on that for now.” Rebecca had been down that road with Catherine before. It was not a trip she wanted to take again.
    “What about getting me direct access to the police department’s computer system?” Sloan asked.
    Rebecca nodded. “I think I can get you in. Dee Flanagan, the CSU chief, is mightily pissed off that someone raided her computer and stole the files of an ongoing investigation. I think she’ll let you tear her system apart.”
    “I can work on it there?”
    “Sure. If anyone asks, you’re just one of the IT people who came around to upgrade her system. No one will think twice about it.”
    “Good enough.”
    “We have to assume that whoever went after you, Sloan, knows about all of us.” Rebecca’s expression was serious, but her voice completely calm. “That means heads up for everybody. Make sure you’re not being followed anywhere and if something doesn’t look right, assume that it’s wrong.”
    Sloan thought about the fact that Michael would be upstairs, possibly in a few hours. She nodded, her eyes as flat and dark as onyx. “Understood.”
    “Mitchell,” Rebecca said as she stood. “I want you here with Jason and Sloan, working up background and tracing down those email addresses. Sloan, I’ll call you as soon as I clear things with the CSU chief, and if you’ve got time, I’ll take you over there to meet her.” She glanced at her watch. “Let’s say we meet back here around five this afternoon. Jason, does that give you enough time to contact your source?”
    He nodded. “Plenty of time.”
    “Good.” Rebecca squared her shoulders. “Then I think I’d better pay a visit to Dr. Rawlings.”
    Ordinarily, any reason to see Catherine was welcome. However, Rebecca had a feeling that this particular visit was going to be much more business than pleasure.

CHAPTER NINE
    Mitchell stood in front of a dingy, gray-shingled rowhouse that looked no different than any of the other rundown buildings on the street. It was ten-thirty in the morning, and she