In Death 11 - Judgment in Death

private attorney. You are dismissed."
    "Chief Tibble -- "
    "Dismissed, Captain. Believe me when I tell you, you don't want me to indulge myself in personal comments at this time."
    Bayliss set his teeth, turned on his heel. His eyes burned over Eve before he strode from the room.
    "Captain Roth."
    "Sir. If I might speak." She got quickly to her feet. "I request that the documentation on the investigation into my squad be made available to me. My men are under suspicion, my house under the gun."
    "Captain Roth, your house is a mess. Request denied. You have until noon tomorrow to write a full report and a complete analysis of the status of your squad. I'm making your house my personal business and will expect you in this office with that report and analysis at noon."
    "Yes, sir. Chief Tibble?"
    "Yes, Captain."
    "I accept full responsibility for that status. Mills was under my hand, and I can't claim to have held that hand steady. If, after this situation is resolved, you wish for my resignation -- "
    "Let's not jump our fences, Captain. Noon tomorrow."
    "Yes, sir."
    When she left, Tibble once again leaned on his desk. "Now, Lieutenant. Just how deep into this mess are you, and who is your informant? You are required to give me that name when ordered to do so. Consider this such an order."
    "Sir, I am hip deep and regret I am unable to follow orders and divulge the name of my informant."
    Tibble shot a look at Whitney. "I owe you fifty, it seems. Your commander bet me, and I was foolish enough to accept, that you'd hold the name. It's come to my attention you did a deep search on Captain Roth."
    "Yes, sir. I initiated the search as part of my investigation into the homicides of Kohli and Mills. It's my belief they were killed by one of our own."
    "So I gather. That's a very serious avenue to walk."
    "Yes, sir."
    "You suspect Roth?"
    "She captains the squad. It would have been negligent not to consider her. I've questioned her, analyzed her data, and run a probability."
    "And the result?"
    "In the sixties."
    "Low, but troubling. I won't take up your time or mine by asking you to go through the steps of your investigation. At this time," he qualified. "But I will ask you, Lieutenant, if your husband is connected to Max Ricker, on a personal level or a business one, and if that connection should concern this office."
    "My husband is not connected to Max Ricker on a business level. It is my understanding that at one time, over a decade ago, there may have been some business between them."
    "And on a personal level?"
    This was tougher. "It was my impression, sir, during my interview with Ricker, that he held a personal grudge against Roarke. He did not specify this, but intimated. Roarke is a successful man, and a glamorized one," she said for lack of a better term. "Such status invites resentment and envy in certain types of individuals. However, I see no reason why a potential grudge held by Ricker for Roarke should concern this office."
    "You're honest, Dallas. Carefully so. Almost politically so. And my saying that, I see, insults you."
    "Somewhat," Eve managed.
    "Do you have any conflict of feeling or loyalty in pursuing a killer who may be a fellow officer, even though the victims were dirty or perceived to be so?"
    "None whatsoever. Law and order, Chief Tibble. We uphold the law. We are not allowed to nor are we equipped to judge and sentence."
    "Good answer. She does you credit, Jack. Lieutenant," he continued while she dealt with the sheer surprise of his comment, "you'll report your findings to your commander and keep him closely apprised of your progress. Go to work."
    "Yes, sir. Thank you."
    "One last thing," he said as she reached the door. "Bayliss would like your skin on a rack -- roasted."
    "Yes, sir, I'm aware of that. He wouldn't be the first."
    When the door closed, Tibble went behind his desk. "It's a fucking mess, Jack. Let's pick up some shovels and start cleaning it up."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
    "Nice job, Dallas." Feeney rode down with her to lobby level. "Now I'm going to tell you what they didn't. If Bayliss gets back behind his desk, he's going to be gunning for you."
    "I can't let a rat turd like Bayliss worry me. I got two cops and one witness in the morgue. Until I work through the layers of that, Bayliss can blow all the hot air he wants."
    "Enough hot air blows at you, you get scalded. Just watch your back. I'm going over to your place, switch off with McNab for awhile."
    "I'll meet you back there.