The Crush Read Free Page B

aren't you?"
    When Wick had surrendered his badge a little more than a year earlier, he had turned his back not only on his police career, but on the whole criminal justice system. To him it was like a cumbersome vehicle stuck in the mud. It spun its big wheels and made a lot of aggressive noise--freedom, justice, and the American way--but it got nowhere.
    Law enforcement personnel had been robbed of their motivation by bureaucrats and politicians who quaked at the thought of public disapproval.
    Consequently the whole concept of justice was mired in futility.
    And if you were the poor dumb schmuck who believed in it, who got behind it, put your shoulder to it, and pushed with all your might to set the gears in motion, to catch the bad guys and see them punished for their crimes, all you got in return was mud slung in your face.
    But, in spite of himself, Wick's natural curiosity kicked in. Oren hadn't shown him these pictures for prurient purposes.
    Oren wasn't a Neanderthal like Thigpen and had better things to do with his time than to gawk at photographs of half-naked women. Besides, Grace would throttle him if he did.
    No, Oren had a reason for driving all the way from Fort Worth to Galveston and, in spite of himself, Wick wanted to know what it was. He was intrigued, just as Oren--damn him--had guessed he would be.
    He reached for the remainder of the photographs and shuffled through them quickly, then more slowly, studying each one. The woman had been photographed in the driver's seat of a late-model Jeep wagon; walking across what appeared to be a large parking lot; inside her kitchen and her bedroom, blissfully unaware that her privacy was being invaded by binoculars and telephoto lenses in the hands of a slob like Thigpen.
    Most of the bedroom shots were grainy and slightly out of focus. But clear enough.
    "What's her alleged crime? Interstate transportation of stolen Victoria's Secret merchandise?"
    "Uh-huh," Oren said, shaking his head.
    "That's all you get until you agree to go back with me."
    Wick tossed the photographs in Oren's general direction. "Then you made the drive for nothing." He tugged again at the rubber band on his wrist, painfully popping it against his skin.
    "You'll want to be in on this one, Wick."
    "Not a chance in hell."
    "I'm not asking for a long-term commitment, or a return to the department. Just this one case."
    "Still no."
    "I need your help."
    "Sorry."
    "Is that your final answer?"
    Wick picked up his fresh beer, took a large swallow, then belched loudly.
    Despite the smelly shrimp shells, Oren leaned forward across the table. "It's a murder case. Made the news."
    "I don't watch the news or read the papers."
    "Must not. Because if you had, you'd have sped straight to Fort Worth and saved me this trip."
    Wick couldn't stop himself from asking
    "Why's that?"
    "Popular doctor gets popped in the parking lot of Tarrant General."
    "Catchy, Oren. Are you quoting the headline?"
    "Nope. I'm giving you the sum total of what we know about this homicide. The crime is five days old and that's all we've got."
    "Not my problem."
    "The perp did the killing within yards of a potential eyewitness but wasn't seen.
    Wasn't heard. As silent as vapor.
    Invisible. And he didn't leave a trace, Wick." Oren lowered his voice to a whisper.
    "Not a fucking trace."
    Wick searched his former partner's dark eyes.
    The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
    "Lozada?"
    Settling back in his chair, Oren smiled complacently.
    Chapter 2
    Dr. Rennie Newton stepped off the elevator and approached the central nurses' station. The nurse at the desk, who was usually talkative, was noticeably subdued. "Good evening, Dr. Newton."
    "Hello."
    The nurse took in the black dress under Rennie's lab coat. "The funeral today?"
    Rennie nodded. "I didn't take time to change afterward."
    "Was it a nice service?"
    "Well, as funerals go, yes. There was a large turnout."
    "Dr. Howell was so well liked. And he'd just gotten that promotion.