26. Henry

26

HENRY

W hen I woke up this morning with Lana next to me, life felt perfect. At my age, I'd let go of the idea of finding a woman to spend my life with. Not that I didn't think I'd never get married, but it wasn't a goal at the forefront in my life. And wouldn't you know it, the moment I give up on the idea of having a family, Lana, with her flirty smile and quick wit, saunters into my life.

I don't know what it is about her, but she brings out a side of me I didn't know I had. I feel lighter, more playful. As I watched her sleep this morning, a sense of contentment washed over me. Not that I'm not aware of how fraught our situation is. I know I should be more cautious. This attachment could be dangerous for both of us. There are a thousand reasons this shouldn't work, why I should walk away now before I'm in too deep.

Who am I fooling? I'm already in too deep. I wish I could figure out a way to keep her in my life. But since I can't, I'm going to savor every moment I have with her, which is what I did this morning. I watched her sleeping. She was so beautiful, so peaceful.

My savoring of Lana was interrupted by my phone. Annoyed, I'd grabbed it and exited my room without bothering to cover up. On the other end, Peter informed me that he wasn't feeling well and would be taking the day off. Telling him to take care, I returned to my room to find Lana awake. I took advantage of the extra time this morning to savor her luscious body again.

But duty calls, and so reluctantly, I leave the warmth of my bed knowing that it's possible I won't have her like this again. At some point, this thing between us will have to end. But God, I hope it's not today.

Dressed in my suit, gun and badge at my side, I head to work, and my mind turns to Lazaro's disappearance. With Peter out, I can focus on the case without worry that he'll see what I'm doing. I'm glad for the time because I can't shake the feeling that I'm missing something. The possibility of police involvement in Lazaro's disappearance gnaws at me.

I settle into my desk, coffee in hand, ready to dive into the new information I've gathered on the officers involved in Lana's office raid. I have no reason to believe they were involved in Lazaro's disappearance except that they just targeted Lana. What I'd rather do is find those fuckers and kick their asses, but my going to jail won't solve this case.

As I sift through the personnel files, a pattern starts to emerge. Two of the officers, Johnson and Rogers, were rookies under Peter's father. My stomach tightens as I connect the dots. This can't be a coincidence.

I lean back in my chair, running a hand through my hair. This complicates things. If these officers were close to Peter's father and believed, like Peter does, that Lazaro was responsible for Hartley senior's death, it could explain Lazaro's disappearance and their aggressive behavior toward Lana. But it also raises uncomfortable questions about their motives—and Peter's.

I've always trusted my partner, believed in his integrity. But now, doubt creeps in. Could Peter have orchestrated this search? Is he working with Rinella? Is his vendetta against the D'Amatos clouding his judgment?

I start to dismiss this idea as I recall Peter's reaction to the officers' misconduct. He seemed genuinely shocked and believed as I did that they needed to be reported. But was that just an act? The thought of his being involved in something like this isn't just unsettling. It's disappointing. He's a good cop. No. He wouldn't do this. He believes in law and justice as I do.

Then again, I can't let personal feelings interfere with the investigation. If there's even a chance that Peter's involved, I need to be prepared. Fuck.

I close the files, my mind racing. This discovery has opened up a whole new avenue of investigation. One I don't really want to explore. But for Lana's sake, and for the sake of justice, I have to follow where the evidence leads. If Peter or those two cops are involved in Lazaro's disappearance, finding that van will likely be impossible, but right now, that's my best lead.

I grab my coat, intending to visit the chop shops, when a new case comes in. Reluctantly, I put Lazaro on the back burner to investigate a suspicious death along the river. I spend the day figuring out who this dead guy is, talking with the cops who canvassed the area for witnesses, and interviewing people in his life once he was identified.

I don't get back to the office until early evening. I need to make a report of today's case, but first I want to check emails and phone messages. Opening my email, I see the report on the phone trace of the tip calls against the D'Amatos.

I scan the contents and find myself more baffled than before. According to the report, the calls trace back to Peter's father's phone. I blink hard, sure I must be misreading. This can't be right. Peter's father is dead. I attended his funeral.

My mind reels, grasping for explanations. Could someone have stolen the phone? Cloned the number? The one thing I don't want to consider, but know I must, is that Peter has the phone. Peter's been making these calls, using his dead father's phone to harass the D'Amatos.

I slump back in my chair, feeling sick. Why would he do this? I know he misses his father, and he believes the D'Amatos are behind his death, but would Peter really compromise his integrity, risk his career? Or is there something more going on here that I'm not seeing?

I stare at the report, my mind a whirlwind of questions and doubts. How am I supposed to confront him about this? Do I confront him? Maybe I need to go straight to internal affairs? Whether Peter is behind this or not, this information automatically derails our investigation into the D'Amatos because of the appearance of police corruption.

How did I miss this? Yes, I've always known Peter harbored a deep hatred for the D'Amatos. I've seen firsthand the barely contained rage when we discuss the D'Amatos. But I never considered he'd go over the line to carry out a personal vendetta. We're supposed to uphold the law, not twist it to suit our own purposes.

I rub my temples, trying to ward off the headache building behind my eyes. I should have seen this, should have recognized the signs of Peter's obsession spiraling out of control. But even as I berate myself, a part of me still wants to believe there's an explanation, that Peter couldn't possibly have stooped this low. Because if he has, it means I've been blind. It means I've been complicit in his manipulation, however unwittingly. Including the harassment of Lana.

Lana. Fucking hell. Is she in his sights or just a means to get to Elio?

I refocus on the case, needing to make the pieces fit together to figure out what action to take. Peter's father was killed nearly four years ago. A year later, Lazaro went missing. And now, three years after that, the anonymous calls start coming in about the D'Amatos. Why so much time between events? Is that on purpose to hide the connection? Or did something happen at each point that led to taking action at that time?

I think back to the shop owner's statement about the surveillance tapes. Police officers came and took them three years ago, but there's no record of it in the official files. Johnson and Rogers aren't in the record. Neither is Peter. Back then, the case was investigated by a Detective Fornier, who died in a freak accident not long after Lazaro's disappearance. That certainly seems convenient. It's easier for a case to go forgotten if the investigator dies. Holy hell, maybe I need to pull the information on Fornier's death. How deep does this conspiracy go?

The thought that this might extend beyond Peter, that there could be a network of corrupt officers working against the D'Amatos, makes my head spin. How many of my colleagues might be involved? How many cases have been compromised?

And Peter… God, Peter. Has he been orchestrating this whole thing from the beginning? Has he recruited Johnson and Rogers to help? I close my eyes as I realize that I allowed Peter to deal with the two after the search of Lana's office. Did Peter follow through with the report or is he playing me for a fool?

I pick up the phone to call Sergeant Jones, Johnson and Roger's supervisor.

When he answers, I'm at a loss as to how to ask the question. I don't want to tip my hand just yet. Lana isn't wrong in that the blue brotherhood is strong. I don't want to look like I'm narking on fellow officers.

"I just wanted to follow up on the report of Johnson and Rogers filed by Detective Hartley."

"What report?"

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"Regarding the D'Amato investigation."

There's a long pause. "I haven't seen anything."

On the phone, it's hard to read people. He sounds baffled. But for all I know, he's in on it too.

"Perhaps he hasn't filed it yet. Have a good evening, Sir."

"You too, Lutz."

I hang up the phone feeling sick and angry. What the fuck have you done, Peter?