Page 50 of The Paternity Puzzle
“Just breathe,” she whispered. “Do what Richard said, and this will work out.” She took one calming breath. “You can do this.” Julia’s breathing suddenly became very choppy, and she started to wail, so when the 911 operator answered, it sounded like Julia was in a genuine panic. They listened as a distraught daughter sniffled and cried her way through the phone call, getting into the pool to check her father for a pulse when the operator instructed her to. She kept up the act until the first responders arrived and the dispatcher disconnected. Silence washed over the room as Richard and Alyssa stared daggers at Julia.
“People don’t realize that the 911 recordings begin as soon as your phone connects, and not just when an operator answers,” Diego said. “Imagine our surprise when we pulled the recording this morning.”
“I can explain,” Richard said.
“Don’t you say a damn word,” Julia snarled.
“Richard, please don’t,” Alyssa implored.
A shocked hush blanketed the room as Royce read everyone their rights, but the pandemonium resumed when he asked if they understood them. The fur wasn’t flying, but accusations were.
“I wish I’d worn a tactical vest with a body cam,” Diego called out.
“Ditto.” The audio recording would have to be sufficient. Royce stuck two fingers in his mouth and released a sharp whistle that brought the fighting to an immediate halt. “Thank you,” he said. “Now, I’m going to start all over again because I need you to verbally acknowledge I’ve read your rights and that you understand them.”
“I want a lawyer!” Alyssa yelled.
“I want a lawyer too, but a different one than hers!” Julia stabbed a finger in her mother’s direction.
“It would be a great conflict of interest otherwise.” Royce pulled a second pair of cuffs from his back pocket and approached the attorney.
“This isn’t a great big conspiracy, Sergeant. You have to believe me,” Richard pleaded.
“I’m not the one you need to convince, sir. Let’s make this as easy as possible. We’ll take the three of you down to the station, book you in, and then you’ll be able to phone your attorneys.”
The older man’s shoulders slumped forward as he accepted his fate. He docilely placed his hands behind his back so Royce could secure them. Diego gently guided Alyssa forward by her upper arms and collected Richard on the way.
“It’s going to be okay,” the attorney whispered to her.
“I believed you the first time, but I can’t anymore.” An icy expression formed on Alyssa’s features, and she froze out his further attempts to speak to her.
Royce approached Julia and noticed her light eyes darting around the room as if judging her chances for escape. “Don’t,”he said tersely as his hand hovered near his Taser. “You’ll only make your situation worse.” Julia narrowed her eyes and studied him intently, as if she could divine his thoughts or willingness to zap her. So he rested his hand on the Taser to prove that he wouldn’t hesitate.
“Fine. I’ll be out in a matter of hours. You’re going to lose your job over this.”
Royce let Julia vent her rage and tuned it out, knowing his phone would record every word.
Two hours later, Royce dusted his hands of the entire ordeal. He stopped by the break room to make a bag of popcorn in the microwave and headed downstairs to Sawyer’s office. His husband sat at his desk with a pair of readers perched on his nose, sipping from the Hot for Teacher mug Royce had bought him after he agreed to instruct the Explorer cadets. Sawyer glanced up, and an enormous smile spread across his face.
“Is that reaction for me or the popcorn?” Royce asked.
“Both.”
Royce stepped into the office and closed the door. He set the treat on the desk and leaned across it to kiss Sawyer firmly on the mouth. His husband chuckled when he pulled back. “What?”
Dark eyes danced with mirth. “Pretty sure our chief was doing a little of that in his office with Beecham before our meeting this morning.”
“No way,” Royce said. “Tell me.”
He munched on popcorn while Sawyer told him about the vibe he’d picked up on before the conversation they had about Alec Bishop. Groaning, Royce said, “I kinda hoped therewouldn’t be any cases that matched so the guy would move on to another city and someone else’s husband.”
Sawyer tilted his head to the side. “You’re not remotely concerned about this guy getting between us, are you?”
Royce considered it for a few seconds too long because Sawyer bounced a popcorn kernel off his head. “I trust you with every fiber of my being. But there’s something about this guy that rubs me the wrong way.”
Sawyer widened his eyes. “Maybe I should be the one who’s worried if he’s rubbing on you in any way.”
“Hardy har har. You know what I mean. It’s that instinct that makes us good cops. I’m not saying the guy doesn’t have good intentions, but there are more than a few ways this ordeal could go sideways.”