A Long Night Cry 19-21

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Chapter 19

“You better have a damned good explanation for this,” Lieutenant Whyte yelled.

He raised his palms in surrender, his mind spinning to come up with an answer. “LT, I came in early to work the case and need to reference the pictures taken in Senator Cronin’s home. Yesterday they were right here.”

Eli motioned to her desk realizing he still held the pink memo. Whyte pulled a file cabinet drawer open in the corner of her office, thumbed to the case file then laid it on her desk.

“Ridge, next time you need something of mine, you pick up the phone and ask permission to take it . . . partially my fault for not locking the door,” she said pointing to the desk calendar, “and that’s off limits.”

Whyte snatched the note from his hand. “Did you read this?”

He thought about lying but wanted to know more about the note.

“Your pause says it all, Ridge,” she said shaking her head.

“LT, would you mind filling me in on why we’re being kept in the dark?”

Whyte swept her arm in a ‘move out of my way’ motion. Eli stepped aside. She balled up the memo and threw it in her waste basket.

“You’re like a curious kid at Christmas, Ridge. Now sit down.”

Eli took one of the two seats in front of her desk.

“We didn’t have all the details about the Perez family until late last night. What we did know was DEA has been working a case on her family for the last six months. They’re part of something much bigger.”