Chapter 6

 

After a long night of doing little, interspersed with the adrenaline creep of possible danger, followed by little sleep, Cassie could have done without a pile of virtual paperwork first thing. With five bodies on their slate, especially ones that might be shifted to another division any time, paperwork needed to be up to date.

It might have been more useful to the case to be out looking into Minetti’s recent activities. But later in the day would offer more information sources that’d help with that.

Harry wandered in not long after she’d started. As senior detective, he expected her to do the shared reports. It was faster not to argue. Also, Cassie’s were more accurate. And literate. He had brought her a coffee from somewhere more respectable than the canteen, so wasn’t completely useless.

‘Anything come through yet?’ he asked as he relaxed into his chair.

‘Preliminary reports from the medical examiner.’

‘Wait, I know this tune. Death by gunshot?’

‘Amazing,’ said Cassie. ‘Why do we need an ME?’

‘I occasionally take time off.’

‘Occasionally? That would imply you take time on?’

‘Less lip, young lady. I did some digging into Mayweather.’

She glanced at him across the desk.

He shrugged. ‘Couldn’t sleep.’

‘Guilty conscience?’

‘Never acted up before. I suspect it’s the headache of having you as a partner. Now, do you want to know what I found?’

‘Yes, please,’ she said with as much excitement she could fake.

‘It ain’t much,’ said Harry. ‘We need a professional to make sense of who really owns the place. They only seem to do business with a few companies.’

‘Any more clue what it is they do?’

‘Nope. Have we heard back from them on what was missing?’

‘Yep,’ said Cassie. ‘They claim nothing was stolen.’

His expression remained suspicious. ‘Something fishy there then.’

‘Yep. Lieutenant’s already been onto them, practically accused them of lying. If nothing’s been stolen, it’ll be harder to pass it on to Robbery.’ Though Homicide should have less grounds to pass on it.

Even though nothing was reported stolen, the place had been broken into. Only circumstantial evidence linked it to their Vice case, and nothing else that’d put it in their wheelhouse. They might drag it out a day or so, but someone else would take it over unless evidence emerged that directly linked it to the first murders. In which case, Cornell would still try to palm both of them off on Homicide. Until then, they had both cases.

Cassie should be more enthusiastic about having something to get her teeth into, yet all she could see were the ways it could go wrong. Still, how much further could she be demoted? Traffic duty? Archives? She should probably be careful even thinking that.

‘Fancy an evening out on the town?’ asked Harry. ‘Questioning low lives who might know Minetti?’

‘I’m not overdressed, am I?’

It made the rest of the shift less than enticing, and she found herself slowing down on the paperwork. The worst she’d face in the office was carpal tunnel syndrome or paper cuts. She should take frequent rests while typing, to be on the safe side.