A War on Our Hands
Detective Melissa Mulligan bounded up the stairs of the precinct. Still in her running shoes, she power walked down the hall as she always did after her morning run. Her long blonde ponytail bounced with her every step as detectives and uniformed officers alike turned to watch her walk past.
When she reached her desk, another detective, James Lawrence, came over handing her a cup of coffee and a manila folder.
“Mornin’ Mulligan,” James greeted.
James was her partner. He was a cop’s cop, tough but fair. He looked like Stephen A. Smith from ESPN, receding hairline and all.
“Mornin’,” she returned, sipping her coffee. “Thanks.”
She sat down at her desk and opened the folder. James looked from over her shoulder. What stared back at her were several mug shots, including those of Murk, B, and Smoke.
“Recognize any of them?” James asked, knowing she did.
“They’re members of Santiago’s inner circle,” she answered.
“Were,” he corrected her. “Remember that warehouse blaze? All the burned bodies?”
Melissa looked at him, mouth agape. “You mean—”
He nodded. “Read the file, it’s all there. I think we’ve got a war on our hands,” he surmised.
“Or a major house cleaning.”
“How so?”
She turned her chair to face him. “These guys were killers. Cold-blooded. There’s no way the Rosarios could’ve gotten them all into one place and just gunned them down.”
James stroked his goatee and contemplated her words. “So you’re saying maybe Santiago believes they had something to do with the hit on Tariq?”
“Exactly.”
“All of them?” he questioned skeptically.
Seeing the flaw in her argument, she hedged, “Kill ‘em all and let God sort out his own, maybe. I don’t know, but I’m willing to bet this wasn’t a Rosario job.”
“I’ll agree with you there.”
“Besides, I may not know, but I know someone who might.”
“Who?”
She smirked as she dialed a number on her desk phone. After three rings she said, “Asia, we need to meet . . . Okay, text me as soon as you can get away.”
Melissa hung up, looked at James and said, “Tariq’s little girlfriend.”