Storm's Cage by Mary Stone (uplifting novels .TXT) 📕

With a half-laugh, half-snort, Natasha punched a code into a keypad next to one of the precinct’s side doors. “Okay, you might be right there.” Propping the heavy door open with a shoulder, she slid to the side to make room for Amelia to enter. “Well, come on in, then. We’ve actually got Badoni and his lawyer heading over here in a bit to go over everything one more time before the case goes to the grand jury.”

“Wow, finally a little good luck.” The words slipped from Amelia’s mouth before she could stop herself.

Natasha’s chuckle turned into a laugh. “Send a little of that luck my way when you’re done with it.” She beckoned Amelia to follow her down a dim corridor. “My partner doesn’t usually get here for another hour. Only reason I’m here this early is because Badoni and his lawyer are due in at about eight, and I wanted a chance to go through all my notes beforehand.”

As they came to a stop in front of an elevator, Amelia held up the manila folder. “I’ve looked through everything that’s been logged digitally, but I’d love to hear your take on it. Especially since it sounds like you were having the same doubts I had when I looked it over.”

Natasha elbowed a button, and a green up-arrow glowed to life. “It’s just…my partner and I have interviewed Badoni a few times now, and the guy seems, well…smart. He’s articulate, and other than a few DUIs, his record is spotless. I’m having a hell of a time understanding why he’d fly off the handle and kill a homicide detective with his own registered handgun, you know?”

“What’s your theory?” The stainless-steel doors slid open, and Amelia followed the detective into the empty car.

Natasha winced as she shook her head. “We don’t have much of one right now, unfortunately. Like I said, Badoni’s record is clean, so there’s nothing in his background that makes me think he’d be targeted. Nothing other than the Portelli case, but that’s been a done deal for three years.” Her brows creased as she turned to Amelia. “You don’t think the Leónes would kill a cop just to frame a guy who shot one of their people in self-defense three years ago, do you?”

“I’m not ruling it out.” Hoping her poker face would be convincing, Amelia added a noncommittal shrug for good measure. “It does sound ridiculous, but maybe there’s something we’re missing. Some other beef the Leónes had with Gabriel Badoni. Or maybe it’s not an issue with Badoni, but with Badoni’s commander.”

Natasha readjusted her handbag as they closed in on the third floor. “That’s true. Detective Yoell and I thought that might be the case, but we don’t know much about the guy Badoni reported to.” She glanced at Amelia. “I don’t suppose you know a little about him?”

Making a derisive sound, Amelia shook her head in feigned defeat. “No. Probably not any more than you do. The D’Amatos don’t get a lot of attention at the Bureau. You know, because they don’t leave bodies across the city.” She finished with a friendly chuckle to play off her attempt at deflection.

At least half of her statement was true. The D’Amatos hadn’t been high on the Bureau’s to-do list for years.

With a cheery ding, the silver doors slid open, revealing a short hall. Amelia and Natasha made their way to an open area filled with desks in various states of organization—the heart of the homicide department. Another couple halls branched off the other side of the room, and she assumed the corridors led to interview rooms and holding cells.

Amelia wasn’t surprised to learn that Natasha’s desk was one of the neat ones. The detective pulled over a mesh-backed office chair and motioned for Amelia to sit.

Once Natasha had retrieved a steaming mug of coffee from the breakroom, she returned to walk Amelia through the Strausbaugh case.

Most of the information wasn’t new. Strausbaugh’s body had been found by his stepdaughter, and the medical examiner put Ian’s time of death at approximately one in the morning. All of Ian’s immediate family were ruled out right away due to their alibis.

In fact, as Detective Reyman went on, Amelia realized that Gabriel Badoni was the only suspect they’d truly investigated. Aside from the ballistics evidence, no clues were left at the scene.

It all sounded cut-and-dried until Natasha explained where she and Detective Yoell had found the murder weapon.

“Hold on a second.” Amelia didn’t try to hide her look of pure incredulousness. “The gun was in a neighbor’s trash bin?”

Natasha brought up the photo of the nine-mil on her computer screen. “Yeah. Two houses down. Glad we got there before trash pickup. We’d already ruled out the owners of that house, so we’ve got no reason to think they were involved.”

What the hell?

Amelia scrutinized the picture of the weapon. Maybe if she glared hard enough, the Glock would say something.

As Natasha opened her mouth to elaborate, she jerked her head to the side, toward the shadow of an approaching man. “Oh. Good morning, Detective. I didn’t expect you’d be here so early.”

Leaning back in her chair, Amelia swiveled to face the newcomer.

Right away, she connected the familiar blue eyes and wavy, sandy brown hair to an image she’d seen more than a hundred times in her research the night before. Hell, she’d even seen a shirtless photo of the tall man. He’d been jumped by a pair of meth heads out in East Garfield Park, and the crime scene techs had taken pictures of his injuries when he’d been treated at a nearby hospital. Later on, the prosecutor had used pictures of the nasty welts and bruises to seek a harsher penalty since the assailants had used brass knuckles.

Cliff Allworth’s eyes flicked from Natasha to Amelia and back. “Good morning.” He tilted his chin at Amelia. “Who’s here to visit us so early in the day?”

Amelia pushed to her feet and extended a hand. “I’m Special Agent Storm