Dixon's Duty (7 page)

“Well, Adam, we’re investigating a string of serial rapes and murders around the neighbourhood you work in. Four victims to date, all of them last seen leaving a bar or restaurant that you happen to deliver to.”

“That’s ridiculous! I’d never do anything like that. I have a girlfriend, and we spend most of our time together.”

“Were you with her last night? We’ll need to talk to her. We’d also like to get a DNA swab from you. It’s painless and will only take a minute.”

“I’d rather not involve her. And I don’t think I want to give you my DNA.”

Dix pushed away from the table and stood. “All right, then. I hope you’re prepared to be our guest for a while. Funny, you were worried enough about losing your job that you ran from us. I wonder how long you’ll be employed once your boss finds out you’ve been arrested for rape and murder.”

Reese jumped up and pounded on the table. “I didn’t rape anyone, and I sure as hell didn’t kill them, either!”

Dix gazed at him levelly. “You need to sit back down, son. One more move like that will get the cuffs back on.”

He sank into the chair. “I’m sorry. I just can’t get anyone to listen.
I did not do this
.”

“Then prove it. Let us take the DNA, and tell me your girlfriend’s name. If she’s truly a friend, wouldn’t she want to help clear your name?”

Reese scowled. “Her father doesn’t know about us. I’m a little older. She doesn’t think her dad would approve.”

Dix shrugged. “Your call, kid. Sit in jail, or make an effort to prove yourself innocent.”

“I’ll take the test,” he finally said.

The technician was in the room and the swab taken before Reese could change his mind.

When it was just the two of them again, Dix folded his hands on the table. “Now, what about the girlfriend? If she’s your alibi, we need to talk to her.”

“Is there any way her father can be kept out of it?”

“Of course. We’ll need to talk to her, not her dad.”

Reese glanced down then up again. “The thing is, you know her,
and her dad
. I’m dating Sami Scott.”

Dix’s heart lurched, but he remained calm. “Is that so? Guess that’s why you were scrutinizing the dining room at Last Call the other day. I assumed you were checking out the patrons.”

“I was looking for Sami. She told me she might be working the lunch shift, but I guess when she got there it was pretty quiet so she didn’t stay.”

“I remember.”

Reese tapped his fingers on the table. “She said you went on a date with her old man.”

“We’re friends. It was definitely not a date.”
According to the rules Bryan and I jokingly established.

The suspect stared him down. “I was just thinking, maybe
you
could help me get out of this. Sami told me her old man’s gay. Since you went on a date with him, by process of elimination I’d guess that makes you gay, too. If you’d like me to keep that bit of information to myself, then why don’t you help me shake loose? I promise, I did
not
do what you’re accusing me of. Honestly, if I did, why would I choose women from the territory my route is in? I’m not that stupid.”

Dix smiled. “Glad to hear it. Just so you know, there’s a bunch of detectives, our unit captain, and possibly, by now, a district attorney on the other side of that mirror watching us. If everyone didn’t already know I was gay, you just outed me.”

Reese glanced at the mirror and back quickly. His face fell.

“See, Adam, blackmail works better when nobody else knows the secret. But you knew that, because you’re not stupid, right?” He stood and went to the door. “And if I wasn’t going to tell Sami’s father, you can sure as hell bet I’ll be telling him now. I hope your alibi checks out, kid, or you’re going to be real popular in prison.” He walked out and closed the door with a thud.

Reese ran to the mirror and pounded on it. “I didn’t do anything! Let me out of here!”

Mac shook his head, trying not to smile. “Way to rile him up, Dix. Now I get to go back in there and calm him down.” He picked up a bottle of water and went into the room.

Dix watched him order Reese to be seated. He handed over the bottle and cuffed one of the suspect’s hands to the table before walking out again.

Alvarez frowned. “He looks scared. Makes me think he could be innocent. Frankly, I’m not sure he’s smart enough to have pulled these murders off and not left a shit-load of evidence.”

Dix replied, “Hopefully what he left this last time will be enough to convict him.”

“You know his girlfriend? We need to get her in here.”

Peyton joined them. “Your mouth to God’s ear. Sami Scott and her father are here, asking for Detective Dixon.”

“Good news travels fast,” Dix muttered and stomped into the bullpen.

“Where is he?” Sami rushed to his side. “Can I see him?”

He gazed at her incredulously. “Are you kidding me? He’s our number one suspect. He won’t get visitors till he hits Sing Sing.”

“You can’t do this! Adam is innocent. I was with him all last night.”

“All night?”
Her father didn’t look pleased.

Sami frowned. “Look, I don’t question who you spend the night with, and I’d appreciate the same courtesy.” She turned back to Dix and pounded his chest. “And you, how can you do this? It’s not fair!”

He grabbed her hands and held them firmly, speaking in a low voice for her and Bryan to hear, “Sami, I’m sorry. I had no idea you were dating the guy. I have a duty to uphold the law, and Adam popped up as a prime suspect. The latest victim gouged her attacker. Adam has fresh scratch marks on his arm.”

“I gave him those! We had a fight, and we shoved each other around a little. But we made up. He never left my place last night. He sent me flowers to apologise today.”

Bryan looked at Dix. “Book him.”

“I’m working on it.” Dix squeezed Sami’s hands one last time. “No guy should put his hands on a woman. If the douche bag doesn’t know that, you’re better off without him.”

“I hit him first,” she spouted defiantly.

Bryan tried not to smile.

Dix scowled. “Works both ways, kid. Women can be douche bags, too. Ask me about my ex sometime.”

She relaxed her hands and leaned against him. “I know I was wrong, I was just pissed off. It wasn’t a big thing, or I didn’t think it was, anyway. Who knew the cops would get involved?”

Her father brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. “I think you better get used to that.”

Dix smiled. “Rule number three about being friends with a cop. Prepare yourself for the fact that we’re always going to be involved.”

He released Sami and she stood on her own. “I need to interview you in one of the rooms.” To Bryan he said, “You’ll need to wait out here.”

“He can’t come with me?” She sounded younger than her twenty-one years.

“No, but if you want him to observe, he can stand outside with the homicide captain and watch.”

She nodded. “That’s fine.”

Bryan kissed her cheek. “Just tell the truth, honey.”

“I will.”

Dix led them to the second interrogation room and showed her inside. He told his captain, “This is Sami Scott’s father, Bryan. Bryan, this is Capt Alvarez.”

The men shook hands.

“He’s going to wait out here while I question his daughter.”

“Cup of coffee?” Mac asked Bryan.

“I could use one.”

Mac went to get the drink.

Dix glanced at Bryan, a hundred different thoughts going through his head. The only thing he could say in front of the captain was, “You sure you want to hear this?”

Bryan nodded.

Dix entered the room. He sat opposite Sami. “Did you want a bottle of water or anything?”

“Bottled water is bad for the environment.”

“It sure is. All righty, then, I guess we’ll get started. How long have you been dating Adam Reese?”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Are you asking this as a cop or as a friend of my father’s?”

He rolled his eyes. “If you feel I have a conflict of interest, I can recuse myself and send someone else in to question you.”

Sami studied him for a moment then sighed. “No, I like you. It’s okay. We’ve been dating about five months.”

“You see each other pretty regularly?”

“Every day. We have our own places, but he stays over at mine most nights.” She glanced at the mirror and looked away quickly.

Dix realised this was a safe way for Sami to tell her father about the relationship without fear of his getting angry. He wondered how upset Bryan would actually be, and whether she had a legitimate reason for keeping the secret from him.

He continued the line of questioning. “Adam says he was with you last night between the hours of ten and six a.m. I’d assume you were sleeping some of that time. Is there any way he could have left and come back without your hearing him?”

“No. My apartment door squeaks. Daddy was going to put some grease on it, but I realised I like hearing when it opens and closes. Same with the door locks. I have three, and they’re noisy. I wouldn’t sleep through them being opened.”

He nodded thoughtfully, wondering about his next line of questioning.
Tread lightly.
“You told us you put the scratch marks on Adam’s arm. What was the argument about?”

Sami hesitated. “I’d rather not say.”

He started to reply when the door opened and Abby stuck her head in. “Preliminary DNA is back, Dix. Adam Reese does
not
match the samples found on Samantha Marcus.”

Chapter Four

Sami grinned and jumped up. “It’s not him! I
told you
it wasn’t him!”

Dix groaned and stood. Before he realised what was happening, Sami grabbed him around the neck and hugged. “I knew it!” she repeated. “Can I take him home now?”

He walked her out to Bryan and the captain. “Cut him loose?” he asked Alvarez.

“Cut him loose,” the captain agreed. “Thanks for coming in,” he told Sami and Bryan.

She clung to her father, smiling ear to ear. “It’s all going to be okay.”

He looked at her sceptically. “We’ll see about that.”

Dix cleared his throat. “You two riding in one car?”

She nodded. “Mine’s at the bar.”

He turned to Bryan. “Why don’t you ride with me? Let Sami take Adam, they can swap vehicles and leave yours at the bar. We’ll pick it up later.”

“Okay, but why?” Bryan asked.

“Because I don’t think you need to see the young man right now. Let them go tonight. You can talk to them later, maybe this weekend or next week. Give it some time.”

He sighed. “You’re sure he isn’t the guy you were after?”

Dix nodded. “Sometimes the clues point in the wrong direction. It’s all a part of police work. Not the best part, but something we deal with.”

Bryan handed his keys to Sami. “I’d rather you leave my car at home. Park it in the driveway. We’ll talk about things some other time.”

She hugged her father and turned back to Dix expectantly.

“Give me a minute.” He went back into the first interrogation room.

Adam had beads of sweat running down his temples. “What’s happening?”

Dix leaned over and unlocked the handcuff. “You’re free to go. DNA evidence does not match. But hang on. Sami and her father are here. I’m gonna do you a favour and take him home first. Sami can drive you over to the impound lot and they’ll release your truck to you.”

Adam rubbed his wrist. “Bryan can’t be mad at me if the evidence says I didn’t do this.”

“You think? Bryan’s upset because you and his daughter got into some kind of tussle and she put those marks on your arm. That’s the main thing right now. Let’s not even go into the fact that you’ve been sleeping over at the girl’s house most nights for the past five months.”

“He knows that?”

“We all know, kid. So cool your jets for a couple more minutes. I’ll get him out of here. My partner will come back in and sign you out, and explain where impound is located. Got it?”

He nodded. “Thanks, Detective. And hey, I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I wasn’t really trying to blackmail you. I was scared and desperate.”

Dix sighed. “I know. Look, this won’t go on the record as an official arrest, so your job should be okay. But you’ve got to get this domestic violence crap under control. Bryan and I are going to be watching you like hawks. The next time Sami turns up with the smallest bruise, we’re gonna find out about it. You got that?”

His words came out in a relieved rush. “I do. I promise, nothing’s going to happen. I love Sami, and she loves me.”

Dix nodded, and headed out of the door. For some reason he believed him. Stopping at Mac’s desk, he said, “I’m going to take Bryan home. Will you sign out the kid and tell him where to get his truck out of impound, please? Sami will drive him over.”

“Can do. Have a good weekend. Hope I don’t see you.”

“You too. Hugs to Cecile. Hope I don’t see you either.” He returned to Bryan and Sami.

“Hope I don’t see you?” She raised her eyebrows at Dix.

He flicked a strand of hair off her shoulder. “If there’s another murder, we’ll both be called in to work this weekend.”

She nodded. “So you hope there’s not another murder.”

He smiled. “Yeah, even if it would put us out of our jobs. We can only hope there won’t be another murder.
Ever
.”

“Got it.” She gave him a quick hug. “Thanks. I don’t like ‘Dix’. What’s your real name?”

He gazed at her patiently. “James.”

“Ooh, can I call you Jimbo?”

“Not more than once.”

She made a face. “Jim? Jimmy?”

He shook his head. “That’s ex-wife territory.”

“James?”

“I could live with James. But the first time it gets shortened, I search your record for unpaid parking tickets.”

Sami smiled. “Thank you, James. Have a nice weekend.” She turned to her father. “Bye, Daddy.”

“See you, princess.”

Dix grinned and grabbed a couple of things off his desk before heading out. “Nothing spoilt about that kid.”

Bryan fell into step on their way to the parking lot. “Eh, it’s our little joke. I only call her ‘princess’ when she’s gotten away with something and she knows it.”

“Got it.” He unlocked the Navigator and they both climbed in. Dix paused and looked at him. “So how pissed are you about this thing between her and Adam?”