Page 93 of Missing Justice

Chapter Seventeen

Taylor’s stomach rumbled. Dinnertime had long since passed and she was starving. She folded down the shiny silver wrapper of a burger and handed it to Matt. “How are we playing this?” she asked. “Good cop-bad cop?”

“Did you really just ask that?” He took the burger, giving her a chastising glance.

“Hey, I’ve always wanted to say that.” She unwrapped the second burger from the bag and her eyes nearly rolled up in her head when she sank her teeth into it. “Man, oh man. How do you find all of these delicious places to grab food?”

He snickered, already halfway through his. “Beat cops know all the good places. And no, we’re not playing good cop-bad cop.”

“Oh, come on.” She batted her eyes at him. “I’ve always wanted to be the bad cop.”

“You watch too much Law & Order. First, is a drive-by.” He turned a corner. “If the guy is home, I’ll handle approaching him. You’ll sit in the car.”

“Oh, hell no. I’m coming in with you. If he’s not home, are you doing another B&E? I don’t think that’s wise.”

“I’m not breaking in, just surveilling his place. I want to know what we’re up against. And although it totally turns me on that you’re willing to accompany me in my life of crime, you are not going anywhere near him. He could be a killer.”

“He could be the guy who jumped me in the parking garage, too,” she said around a mouthful of fries. “And broke into my condo. I owe him a swift kick to the nuts.”

“You shot him, Taylor.” Matt balled up his wrapper and tossed it in the back. His grin was pure evil. “Isn’t that enough?”

“Hell no.” She matched his evil grin and pointed a couple of fries in his direction. “I’ve got plans for him.”

Matt snatched the fries from her and shoved them in his mouth. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

The truck wasn’t at the curb when they arrived at the townhouse. Matt parked down the block under a large oak tree while Taylor polished off her burger and fries.

Pulling out his phone, Matt reviewed the info Teeg had sent on their suspect. “Dwayne Glaw, age 41. A captain in the US Army. Served overseas on multiple tours from 2008-2012.” His voice trailed off as he scrolled and read. “Wait a minute. Now this is interesting.”

Taylor leaned over to squint at the screen. “What is it?”

“The last year of his tour in Afghanistan, he was a task force flight surgeon.”

“He’s a doctor?”

“Board certified in osteopathic medicine. Looks like he worked for Walter Reed before joining the army.”

“Why would he leave a lucrative job as a doctor to join the army?”

Matt was silent as he continued reading and, eventually, Taylor nudged him. “Matt? What is it?”

“Teeg says the file from his time at the hospital is incomplete, but it looks like he had some complaints issued against him for medical negligence.”

“Malpractice?”

“Maybe that’s why he joined the army.”

“So he knows his way around the body with a scalpel. Maybe enough to perform a C-section.”

“Or kill someone.”

“And,”—Taylor held up a finger—“to take care of a bullet wound to his shoulder.”

They exchanged a look. Headlights cut across the windshield, nearly blinding Taylor. “That’s him,” she said, sitting up straight and pointing at the silver truck pulling up in front of Glaw’s townhouse.

“There’s no direct link from him to Rosalind or anyone at the birthing center.” Matt tucked his phone away and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Sit tight. I’ll go feel him out.”

Up ahead, under the soft, yellow glow of a streetlight, Glaw hopped out of his truck, reached back in to grab a bag of groceries, and then locked up the truck.