White Space Season 2

else. But sometimes, hunches could surprise you.

    **

    Brady drove in silence, startled as a pair of black vans sped by about a quarter mile from the station.
    What the hell are they doing out so late?
    Paladin usually ran cars at night, saving the vans for day duty, or if they were bringing in SWAT units for something big. It was rare to see one van out at such an hour, let alone two in tandem. Brady wondered if they were responding to a call he’d not heard on his radio. Maybe something he missed while in bed.
    Brady called into dispatch using a private channel.
    “Dispatch,” a woman’s voice said over the radio.
    “Hey, Lori, it’s the chief. Heard any big calls tonight?”
    “No, Chief, it’s been quiet. Not a peep from Officer Willis in over an hour. What are you doing up so early, or late?”
    Brady said, “Unlike Officer Willis, who’s probably snoring in some parking lot, I couldn’t sleep. I figured I’d go for a ride. I was just wondering, you heard anything on Paladin’s radio?”
    “Not a peep there, either. Though they use their back channels more often than their normal ones, I’m guessing.”
    “Yeah,” Brady said, “that’s what I figured. Thanks.”
    He killed the exchange. A moment later, Lori returned to the radio. “Hey, Chief, in case you’re wondering, Willis’ car is at the station. I’m looking at it outside the window now.”
    “OK,” Brady said. “If you see him, don’t tell him I’m up. I’m making a surprise swing by the station.”
    “OK, Chief,” Lori said laughing. “Mum’s the word if he happens to come over to my side.”
    “Thanks, Lori,” Brady said.
    Lori had been working dispatch for 14 years and knew which of the officers were lazy and which pulled their weight. Willis belonged firmly in the former category, with a laziness which climbed for near legendary status. Unfortunately, he was also one of the only officers who loved working the night shift. He was an excellent cop when not slacking, with more than 20 years’ experience in South Florida before moving cross-country to the Pacific Northwest. He was an older officer, but still in great shape and probably second toughest on the force. He wasn’t great, but was as good as Brady could get.
    They followed the same routine every few months: Brady, fed up with looking the other way, would bust the officer’s balls. Willis would apologize, promise not to sleep on the job, then stick to his oath for a few months before slipping.
    It was their dance, but Brady wasn’t much in the mood to tango. Not tonight. He wanted the comfort of his bed and the sleep that teased him. If the chief couldn’t close his eyes then he’d be damned if Willis would be catching z’s on duty.
    Brady pulled into the station, then swung to a stop beside Willis’ cruiser. Brady got out of his car, casting his eyes at Willis’. The window and hood were both frosted, with no one inside. The bastard hadn’t left the station in hours.
    Night-shift officers were responsible for certain patrols each night. On slow nights, like tonight, with just one officer on duty, it was important to be out of the station, not sitting on your ass. A single night clerk at reception handled the rare citizen who entered the station in need.
    Brady approached the front doors, touched his palm to the pad, and listened for the lock’s release. He opened the door then entered the lobby. No one at the reception desk, either.
    Elmer was the scheduled clerk, a 60-year old retiree out of New York, chummy with Willis. Brady half expected to find the pair playing poker, and would be livid if he did.
    He didn’t much care if Elmer and Willis were shooting shit in the lobby, as they’d been known to do, but Brady had also heard a few stray whispers of impromptu card games. If he caught them tonight, he would fire one or both officers on the spot. That was more than crossing the line, it was taking advantage of Brady’s good nature, and fuck if he was in the mood for molestation.
    Brady waved his hand over the panel, then quietly stepped through the doorway leading into the office area, not wanting to give Elmer or Willis a heads-up.
    He passed every office door, noticing each was open, save for his, all with the lights out.
    Are they in the lounge?
    Brady stepped inside the lounge, and saw the TV broadcasting one of the 24-hour news channels, but no one inside.
    They can’t both be in the bathroom.
    Brady opened the bathroom door — no one in