Conflict of Interest

Chapter Twenty One

Jenn

"So, now can you tell me about the arrest?"

I looked over at Carrie, who had literally just caught her breath, and marvelled at her her one-track mind. Or, maybe she had a three-track mind, I decided. Work, sex, and acrimony.

"Wow, I almost forgot," I realized truthfully. "I'm surprised you didn't bring that up earlier. Seems like your type of foreplay."

"You said you'd tell me after I'd engaged in one mandatory hour of not-work-related tête-à-tête, which I so patiently did..."

"You don't have to remind me of the terms of the contract," I cut her off. "I remember. So brace yourself. It's a long story."

And so I told her everything from the beginning. How I'd come to the police with the photo and gotten the tip to try the liquor store. How at the liquor store I'd met someone with information. How I met with that someone and took him on as a CI. How the CI gave a description, and the description led to an ID, and how the ID could lead to an arrest.

"And the plate?" she questioned when I was done. "Did you give it to Griffin to run?"

"No," I said, not knowing why she'd picked Griffin out of all of them, except maybe that he was more trustworthy than the others. "I gave it to Kim. Why?"

"Ugh."

"Ugh?"

"Never mind."

"Why ugh?"

"Usually when one says never mind, it's because that person wishes to explore a new conversational topic."

"Okay, but I don't. What happened?"

"Nothing happened. What did she get off the plate?"

I sighed and considered the truth that if Carrie didn't want to tell you something, you were pretty much destined to never find out. I let it go because that's the kind of behavior you have to learn when you're in a relationship with a closed book.

"It was registered to a Victor Saenz, some Oakland resident on the run from an outstanding warrant for prohibited use of a weapon."

"A dangerous fugitive criminal named Victor?"

"I think it's pronounced like Veek-tor."

"Well," she said in sarcasm, reclining against her headboard, completely unfazed. "Now he's scary."

"Actually, I think he is."

"Prohibited use is a Class D," she analyzed. "He's running from a Class D. My childhood poodle is scarier than that."

"Well, I imagine his 'weapon' is on the run too. If the police found it, seized it, and linked it to outstanding murder cases..."

"The operative word being if..."

"You choose now of all times to be a skeptic?"

"I choose all times of all times to be a skeptic. You know me."

"Still, Carrie, my CI fingered this guy for two murders, plus being seen with Grace."

"And for all we know he's Grace's new boyfriend. By the way, I doubt I can admit your CI's testimony. A drug dealing street kid you've never used before is far from credible."

"You won't need it to make your case. It was just a lead."

"And where does that leave us?"

"I have to go get him into custody, and let the questioning begin, I guess."