The cadence of their speech gave them away even before I managed to decipher what it was they were saying. There was a rhythm to the way they spoke that I was all too familiar with. There was also a familiarity in Cassie’s tone that indicated she knew the visitors.
And she wasn’t pleased to see them.
I waited at the table for a few minutes, catching bits and pieces of the conversation. After Cassie’s third request for the men to leave, and their subsequent refusal, I walked down the hallway with hard and deliberate steps and made my presence known.
The sunlight hit the men from the right, casting shadows across half their faces. They were roughly late thirties to early forties, about the same height as one another, but one was darker and stockier. His face was unshaven with about a week’s growth. He had a brooding look. The other was his complete opposite. Fair, clean-cut, light hair with a perfect part on the left side.
The two men made no effort to conceal their movements as they reached for their pistols after spotting me. Neither drew their piece. They surveyed the potential enemy inside Cassie’s house with a look of bewilderment. I guessed in all of their visits to her home, there had never been another man present.
Cassie was well aware they had spotted me. She swept her hand in front of the men. “You can put those away. He’s a friend of mine.”
“You don’t have any friends,” the dark, stocky guy said.
“You don’t know everything about me.” Cassie glanced over her shoulder. There was something reassuring about the way she looked at me. “Detective Tanner, come meet Detectives Pennington and Cervantes of the Savannah-Chatham Police Department.”
“Pennington,” the fair one said, reaching his hand past Cassie. “Don’t mind Cervantes. He’s got case-brain, and we’re working a rough one. Anyway, you’re a detective? Where from?”
I grabbed his hand, matching the strong grip. “Philly. Uh, Philadelphia.”
Cervantes said, “Bit out of your jurisdiction down here, ain’t you, Tanner?”
“Why’s that? This is a personal visit. Cassie is my friend.” I pulled free from Pennington’s grasp and placed my hand on Cassie’s shoulder. “She’s not just someone I use when I can’t figure out what the hell I’m doing.”
Cervantes puffed up like he was preparing to strike. Pennington, perhaps knowing his partner well enough to see what was about to go down, stuck his arm out and pushed the stocky man back.
“Listen, Tanner,” Pennington said. “We’re not trying to be rude or condescending. We’re a brotherhood, right?” He flashed a quick smile that was both rude and condescending. “We need to speak to Cassie about a case we’re working on. So, we’re gonna need you to leave for a while. Maybe head down to the river for a bit. Whatever. Just head out for a while, and call before coming back.”
“I’ve done nothing wrong here,” I said. “I’m not going no damn where.”
The men glanced at each other. Cervantes said, “Then we’ll take Cassie down to the station. You try to follow along, we’ll have you arrested. Then you can spend the rest of your vacation in our nicest cell.”
I had no misgivings about the condition of that cell. They likely planned to stick me in the drunk tank and forget to let me leave. Ever wonder how long it takes to adjust to the smell of puke, piss and shit? I didn’t have any desire to find out while in Savannah.
Cassie turned and spread her arms, creating additional distance between the detectives and me. She stared at me for a moment, then at them. “I’m not going anywhere. Neither is Detective Tanner. He and I have worked together numerous times. He’s a pro, and I trust him. And if things are bad enough that you need to drag me into the investigation, then I don’t think another experienced investigator is going to hurt.”
Cervantes cursed and reached his arm through the doorway as though he were going to drag her out of the house. I started to place myself between them. Pennington did the same.
“Cerv, that’s enough.”
His partner backed down.
“Cassie, it doesn’t work that way,” Pennington said. “We can’t just—”
“Then you won’t have my support this time.” She grabbed the edge of the door and swung it shut on the detectives.
We stood there for fifteen seconds. Silent. Beads of sweat dripped from my hairline, down my forehead. There was no airflow in the entry hallway. It seemed to amplify the late summer heat. The muffled voices of the two men rose and fell. One argued louder than the other. Cervantes, of course. He was pissed, and it was bringing his accent out, the one he obviously strived to keep under wraps while working.
The doorbell chime cut through the still air. Cassie looked at me, a wry smile on her face. She pulled the door open. Only Pennington stood there. Cervantes was at the end of the driveway, hustling toward their sedan.
“Ready to play by my rules?”