Page 10 of The Sinner's Son

“I was just heading to your office to see if lover boy was hiding there,” Tara said.

Royce hopped off the elevator with a ta-da flourish and started singing a song from the band Lover Boy. He’d almost made it to the chorus before he took in Tara’s disheveled appearance and frustrated expression. “Uh-oh. What happened?”

“Everything.” Tara snapped off a list of things that had malfunctioned or gone wrong, including the appetizers they’d ordered from a caterer. “What makes them think an event for teenagers would serve artichoke and lobster dip or mini Wellington beef bites?”

Royce looked at Sawyer. “This sounds like some bougie shit you’d serve at poker night.”

Sawyer snorted. “Not to teenagers. I can run to the store and buy a ton of bagel bites and buffalo popcorn chicken. You can send those caterers directly to my office.”

Tara pointed at him. “You know what, I might just take you up on that offer if the caterer can’t come up with a decentsolution.” She turned her attention to Royce. “Say goodbye to your husband. We have fires to extinguish.”

Royce turned somber eyes to him. “Goodbye, husband.”

Sawyer placed a hand over his heart. “Never goodbye. Only so long.”

“Christ,” Tara snarled as she strode away.

Royce walked backward a few steps. “Wish me luck.”

“Break a leg.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” Royce said. “That sounds preferable to the current shit show.”

“Everything is going to be great. You’ll see.”

“Your husband just jinxed us,” Tara called out.

“No such thing,” Royce and Sawyer said together.

“Great,” Tara yelled. “A double jinx. We’re fucked.”

The approval for Holly’s tactical support came through late in the afternoon, and planning for the future takedowns started immediately. This was the biggest operation Sawyer’s department had ever conducted, and it was important that they plan for every contingency to avoid injury or loss of life. Luckily, Sergeant Reynolds was like-minded, and she recommended thorough surveillance on the suspects to make sure their strategy would work. They needed to know how and when these men moved and how many people might be in their residences when they served the warrants. Vehicle registrations, property deed searches, aerial photos, and even Google Earth images only got you so far. None of those things warned of potentially harmful exposures, unidentified threats, or if children lived atthe premises. It was better to take their time and do it right. These four men had eluded charges on their crimes for years, and there was no reason for them to think their luck was about to change.

The extended operation required support to set up surveillance on the four suspects, so they expanded their team to include a few of the vice detectives Holly worked with before moving to cold cases. The reunion was enthusiastic, loud, and a little too long for Sawyer’s liking. He tried not to check his watch every five minutes as the crew regaled the room with the highlights of their careers. Sawyer would’ve enjoyed the stories if they were grabbing a drink at Joe’s, but they were in the middle of planning a mission. And Royce’s open house had started fifteen minutes ago. He checked his watch and grimaced. Make that twenty. His phone pinged with an incoming text from Royce asking if he was okay.Great.His husband probably thought Alec Bishop had abducted him. Sawyer replied that his strategy meeting had run late, and he’d be there as soon as possible. Then he pocketed his phone and caught Holly’s gaze. She must’ve clocked his growing frustration because she gave him a subtle nod.

Detective Shawn Ashcroft kept the reverie going with a robust “Hey, remember that one time—”

“At band camp,” Holly interjected. “Sergeant Reynolds doesn’t care where you’ve put your flute, buddy. We’re interested in your other areas of expertise.”

Instead of getting pissed at her joke, Ashcroft playfully puffed up his chest like Gaston fromBeauty and the Beast.He even deepened his voice and said, “Which one? I have so many.”

“Surveillance,” Holly said.

Ashcroft deflated like a balloon. “That’s my least favorite.”

Holly patted his shoulder. “I know, but it’s important. Let’s finish up, and I’ll buy you a beer at Joe’s. You can tell me all about your flute stories.”

“I don’t know that reference,” Ashcroft said. When Holly started to tell him about the scene fromAmerican Pie, he waved her off. “I don’t need to know.”

Sergeant Reynolds threw her head back and laughed. “Count me in for drinks at Joe’s. Who else is coming?”

“I can’t tonight,” Sawyer said. “I’m going to the open house for Royce’s Explorer cadets.”

Ashcroft stiffened. “Shit. That’s going on right now. Get out of here. We’ve got this.”

Sawyer caught Holly’s gaze, and she nodded. “I’ll bring you up to speed first thing in the morning.”

“Perfect.” Sawyer turned to Sergeant Reynolds. “Thanks for your assist on this one.”