AfterNet 01 - Good Cop Dead Cop

charged anyone with anything, never anything real serious. They had a son … how old is this kid?”
    “Can’t tell. TV camera only got a glimpse of him. Maybe 15, 16.”
    “Yeah, that’d be about right. He was mental.”
    “Damn, lost it again.”
    “We’re coming up on 470. Should be better in a bit.”
    As she said this, the static on the police radio began to fade and she could make out the occasional word on the tactical channels. Munroe also got a signal and was able to see the TV feed again.
    “They’re getting closer to the house. Why are they still showing this? All he’d have to do is see this on TV and he’d know where SWAT is. No, they stopped showing it. Somebody had some sense. They switched back to the reporter. Uh oh, she ducked.”
    At the same time, she heard the words “shots fired” on the radio.
    “I think they’re going in,” he said. “They’re showing the house again, from a different camera on the street. God, how many cops can fit in that house? Somebody just pushed the cameraman back.
    “Now we’re back in the newsroom. Everyone’s looking concerned. Now we’re back to the camera on the rooftop. SWAT’s leading people, must be the family, out of the house. Aw, Jesus, they got blood all over them. Paramedics are going in.”
    Yamaguchi gripped the wheel tighter. It was obviously over. They were still miles from downtown. She kept the lights and siren going and was still driving fast, but she knew they weren’t going to be needed.
    They arrived at the scene at the same time that some of the emergency vehicles were leaving. The onlookers outside the police barricades were also starting to disperse although the police presence was still strong. An almost full moon, emergency vehicles and crime scene lights illuminated the area.
    After leaving their car, they located the SWAT leader, the same lieutenant with whom they’d worked at Union Station. He saw Yamaguchi approaching.
    “Kind of late, aren’t you Gooch?” he asked.
    “Sorry, we were in Colorado Springs,” she explained. “We didn’t get the message until 4.”
    “Well, we sure could have used you. There’s going to be hell to pay on this one.” He walked away before she could offer another apology.
    “So what do we do, Linda?” Munroe asked.
    “Hell if I know. I doubt there’s anything we can do.”
    “I wouldn’t bother sticking around,” a voice said behind them. She turned and saw Sgt. Tompkins. “Hey, Linda.” She nodded.
    “What happened?” she asked.
    “We can’t find a weapon and the family’s already on TV blaming us.”
    “Aw, hell. The kid’s dead?”
    “Yeah. We thought we had a chance of making him give up, then somebody yelled shots fired and they put him down. We can’t find a weapon. Why the hell were you in the Springs?”
    “We were following up a missing persons report.” He looked at her skeptically. “I know … I know,” she said. “Any of the brass around here?”
    “Chief’s already left with Clemens. You probably should just go back to the department and stay in a crouched position.”
    She agreed with him and said goodbye. Munroe, however, said he’d like to look around the crime scene.
    “What for?” she asked.
    “I’ve got X-ray eyes, remember? Maybe I can find a weapon.”
    “Whatever. I’ll hide out in the car.”
    Fifteen minutes later he returned. “Couldn’t find anything they haven’t already found. Damn it, we might have made a difference. I’m sorry I talked you into going.”
    “It’s not your fault. It was bound to happen anyway. There’s only the two of us. Sooner or later we wouldn’t have been available for something like this. If the department would just hire more disembodied …”
    “I know. I just … I’m just really sorry,” he said. “Let’s go back to the department and hope no one sees us. If we’re lucky, it’ll blow over.”

Chapter 13
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – Another “Open Your Door for the Dead Day” still remains an unofficial holiday, despite thousands of emails deluging lawmakers.
“The U.K. has it on Boxing Day, Canada has it on Canada Day. Why can’t the U.S. have something? We know there are millions of the dead trapped under sinks, in attics and God knows where else,” said Elise Compton, whose organization, Bring Out Your Dead, has been lobbying for an official Day status.
The first Monday of the new year has been an unofficial day to open wide the doors of little used closets, basements