The paramedics told Tommy she could skip the ambulance ride as long as she promised to drive herself to the emergency room and have her head looked at further. Tommy nodded solemnly, agreeing to go to the ER, but knew she was lying. She had concussions before, when snow skiing. She wasn’t going to pay a thousand bucks for them to tell her what she should watch for and whether she needed further examination or a CT scan.
Meanwhile, an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department was waiting to talk to her about the attack.
“I’d like to talk to the chief,” she said.
The officer, an older man who looked like he’d had one too many visits to White Castle on his lunch break scratched his head in bewilderment. Then a look of amusement spread across his face.
He turned to his partner. “Lady Di here wants to talk to the chief. I suppose he’s home just waiting for her call.”
“Very funny,” Tommy said, so coldly that the officer immediately clamped his mouth together. “Call him and tell him that Detective Kelly’s girlfriend has some information for him and will only give it to him directly. I’m not leaving until he agrees to see me tonight.”
Tommy plopped herself on the pavement behind the police car, which had to back up to leave the parking area, which faced the Mississippi River.
“Or, I can just arrest you for obstructing justice and give you a night in the tank to cool you off.”
“I’m with the Twin Cities News. You do that, it will be front page, letters five inches high.”
The officer rolled his eyes but held his walkie talkie close to his mouth this time, speaking in a low voice.
Tommy doubted he was telling dispatch what she asked, but then the partner, a younger officer, stepped up. “I’ll make sure the chief gets the message. I can’t guarantee he’ll agree to meet with you, but I’ll at least let him know.”
The officer gave her a tentative smile and Tommy flashed him a brilliant, high-wattage grin back. “Thank you.”
Within twenty minutes, Tommy was in the back of the squad car getting a ride to the station. The older cop was grumbling in the front seat, but the younger cop said over his shoulder, “Oh, just ignore him. He’s a crusty, old curmudgeon, aren’t you Smith?”
“I don’t like pesky journalists telling me what to do. Or rookies for that matter.”
The chief had on a wrinkled polo shirt and khaki’s and looked like he had been watching the game with his feet up on the ottoman.
“This better be good, Miss St. James,” he warned gruffly.
Ever since the chief had helped her out a few years ago with returning a little boy back to his Mexican home—and Tommy had neglected telling the world his cousin was a perverted bastard—the two had shared a grudging respect for one another.
“I asked for you because I don’t trust anyone else in this department.”
The chief looked bored and raised an eyebrow. Tommy took a deep gulp.
“I’ve got proof that Sgt. Laughlin is your killer – the Sunset Hill killer. And that he tried to do me in tonight.”
The chief, who had been leaning back in his chair, suddenly sat up straight and fixed a fierce glare on Tommy.
“You are treading on dangerous territory here, St. James.”
“He knew I was onto him and that’s why he attacked me tonight.”
The chief raised his eyebrows again and Tommy rushed to explain.
“A few weeks ago, Detective Kelly told me that he was late meeting me because Sgt. Laughlin had some computer problems and asked to borrow his for a few minutes. I’m sure he hacked into this email. I sent Kelly an email telling him what I had found.”
“That’s a stretch,” the chief said.
“But this isn’t.” Tommy laid out the evidence against Laughlin, which included the snapshots of him and Chandler and all the letters he’d written her. Then, Tommy told him about running into Laughlin at the crime scene and finding the ring.
When she was done, the chief’s face was grim.
“Can your two knights in shining armor I.D. Laughlin from tonight?”
That was her trump card.
“Yes. I think so. They got a really good look at his face; they just couldn’t catch up to him. And, there’s something else. The guys who helped me said the attacker dropped his keys.”
The chief looked at her expectantly.
“When he ran away, he left this.” Tommy held up the keys to Laughlin’s squad car. They were on a rectangle key ring that said Sgt. Matt Laughlin.
Chief shook his head angrily. “Goddamn it. All this time. Right under my nose.”