When the Dead Speak

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Murphy stopped by Sam's doorway. He didn't wait for her to look up. He just bellowed, "Casey, I want you in my office, NOW."

Sam didn't think it would take long for Preston to call Murphy. He probably called him from the helicopter. She saw the look on Jake's face as she headed down the aisle. It was a look of, What have you done, this time?

Murphy didn't bother to close his door. He liked an audience when he was chewing out one of his subordinates. He planted his knuckles on his desk. "What the hell were you doing at our esteemed state representative's house this morning?"

"Just tying up loose ends."

"Loose ends on a case that's closed?"

"It's routine."

"Routine?" His voice raised a few decibels. "I'll say what's routine and what isn't. You usurped my authority when I specifically..."

"You closed the case too soon," Sam countered. "I didn't know you were the kind of cop to bury a case under a ton of red tape."

"You have a problem, Sergeant?"

"My problem is with you. How dare you interfere with an ongoing investigation? Chief Connelley would never go behind his detectives' backs. He obviously is a man of character and principle." Sam kept in control but made no effort to keep her voice down. If Murphy wanted an audience, she would give them something to hear.

Murphy's face reddened. "Who the hell do you think you are talking to, young lady?"

"At this moment, I'm not really sure." Her feathered earring whipped across her face. At one point it got caught in her hair. She was aware of the spectators in the outer office. Some lived and breathed for confrontations like this and Camille Carter's visits. It fueled the break room gossip mongers. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jake heading her way, but Frank stopped him.

Perspiration started to form on Murphy's forehead. The meeting would be short-lived because Sam knew the last thing Murphy wanted was to sweat in his one-hundred-and-twenty-five-dollar silk shirt.

"Sergeant, I think you need some time off to think about this. You are suspended. Take three days to rethink exactly what kind of future you want in this department. No, make it a week." He raised his arm in a theatrical gesture. "Now get the hell outta here."

Sam glared at him. Her hand instinctively found her medicine bundle. Oblivious to the stares and whispers, she returned to her office. All she did was chant in her native Lakota while she clasped her medicine bundle firmly in her right hand.

"Sam, you have to think first before you open your mouth," Jake said.

She ignored him, walked over to the window in her office and cranked it open, all the while chanting. She packed up her tote bag with her notes. Janet poked her head in to tell her Chief Connelley wanted her to call him. It was important.

"Sam," Jake called out after her as she headed for the elevator. He stopped at Janet's desk and stood next to Frank. As Sam waited by the elevator, the two mourning doves streaked through her doorway and into the office. Maury and Andy made a dive for the floor. One officer pulled out his gun and aimed it at the moving targets.

"Hey, shoo them birds out of here," Sergeant Scofield yelled, rushing out from behind his desk. "And put that gun away."

The two mourning doves flew into Murphy's office where they each made a deposit on Murphy's desk right in the middle of the report he was writing to put into Sam's file.

Murphy jerked back screaming, "Sonafabitch!"

One dove snatched a yellow rose from the vase of flowers on Murphy's credenza. It flew over to the elevator where it deposited the rose in Sam's outstretched hand, and then flew back to its mate on the windowsill.

The laughter that erupted when the birds visited Murphy's office ended abruptly when the rose was dropped into Sam's palm. She scanned the silent office slowly, her turquoise eyes seeming to take on a glow. Inhaling the sweet fragrance of the rose, Sam smiled and stepped into the waiting elevator.

"Mitchell!" Murphy stood at his doorway with his hands on his hips.

"What happened to my day-to-day reports on Casey?" Murphy closed the door eyeing the bandage on Jake's head but not curious enough to ask him what had happened.

"You said to report anything suspicious. I haven't seen anything suspicious. Just routine police work." Jake looked at the residue the mourning doves had left on Murphy's desk and smiled.

"Routine? You call anything Casey does routine?" He used a notepad to scoop the littered papers into the garbage can. "JANET!" Murphy yelled into the intercom.

"Circumventing a homicide investigation isn't exactly routine either."

Jabbing an index finger toward him, Murphy warned, "You watch it or you'll be suspended along with Casey."

Janet appeared in the doorway. He pointed toward some of the bird droppings that had missed the papers and stained his desk. "Get something to clean this up."

A few seconds later, Janet appeared with a can of disinfectant and a wad of paper towels. She set them on his desk and announced, "I'm going to lunch."

"Wait." Murphy watched Janet scurry out. "Shit, you expect me to clean this?" He stared at the mess and winced. Gingerly, he ripped off one of the paper towels and took a half-hearted swipe at the droppings.

Jake moved toward the door. "What's the saying? Ye sow what ye reap?"

"You just remember our agreement and keep up your end of the bargain."

"Now that Sam's suspended, she can't very well get into any more trouble."

Murphy straightened up from his sanitizing chore. "Trust me. The worst thing in the world is to give Sergeant Casey time on her hands."