Page 44 of Under Fire

He clicked off the phone and leaned back in his chair, recalling what Macayle had said… “Let me know in another week or so how keeping things professional works out for you…”

Locke fully intended to let his friend know that keeping things professional with Hollis was working just fine. He would make sure of it even if it killed him.

CHAPTER 17

Hollis walked into the squad room, which suddenly went quiet when several detectives looked her way. That’s when Detective Connors glanced up and met her gaze. Like before, he seemed annoyed to see her. Detective Tomlin, whose desk was opposite Detective Connors’, seemed annoyed as well.

“Hello, Detectives. I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said in a cheerful voice.

“If we said you were, would you leave?” Tomlin asked.

That surprised her. Up until now she’d assumed he was a man of few words. Connors usually did most of the talking, and Tomlin was the one with an observant eye.

“Not until I get a few questions answered.”

The look that passed between the two detectives said it all. They knew she meant what she said. She was pushy when she had to be. “Fine, Ms. Calloway,” Detective Connors said. “Let’s go into that conference room.”

When both men stood, she smiled and said, “Please lead the way.”

Once they were in the conference room and seated around an oval table, Detective Connors asked, “What do you want to know this time?”

“First, what happened to the watch?”

A confused glance passed between Connors and Tomlin before Tomlin asked. “What watch?”

“Nick Underwood’s watch. He was wearing it the day you took him in for following me, but it’s not the same watch listed among his possessions in the autopsy report.”

Neither man said anything, but from the look on their faces she knew that neither of them had noticed.

“Are you sure of that?” Detective Connors asked.

“I’m positive. Different bands and faces, but similar enough for no one to notice. Since photos are taken of jewelry during the booking process, I suggest you look and compare what was held in storage with what he was wearing at the time of his death. Someone switched his watch, and I would think that, like me, you’d wonder why. Oh, and by the way, he was wearing that same watch during the video on Elm Street.”

Tomlin raised a brow. “Elm Street? He wasn’t in any of those videos.”

“Yes, he was. He wore a baseball cap to shield his face, but his shoes gave him away.”

Detective Connors’ features showed his confusion. “His shoes?”

“Yes. Just look for the guy wearing sandals and socks. Same shoes, different socks, but the same tattoo on the back of his left leg.”

She paused, letting what she’d said sink in before adding, “And just so you know, I plan to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Roker today.”

Tomlin frowned. “Why?”

“I want to know who they made aware of the tracked location of their daughter.”

“We’re already investigating that,” Tomlin said.

“And you should be, but I want to investigate it for myself.”

“You’re not law enforcement, Ms. Calloway. They’re under no obligation to talk to you,” Detective Connors pointed out.

Hollis smiled. “I know, but I plan to try.” Standing, she said, “Well, I’ll be going. When you guys figure out what happened to Underwood’s original watch, let me know.”

She was about to open the conference room door when Detective Conners said. “When you tell the Rokers who you are, namely someone assisting in Karl Halifax’s defense, they will slam the door in your pretty little face. They blame him for everything that has gone wrong with their daughter and already believe he’s guilty. They won’t give you the time of day.”

Hollis smiled. “I believe they will when I let them know I’ve seen and talked to Nyla since she escaped from that house. No matter how much they dislike Karl Halifax, as parents who love their daughter, they would want to know that she’s okay.”