NATHAN PARKED HIS car in front of the medical building where Janis had his offices, ignoring notices warning against it. He threw the sign he used for police business on top of the dashboard so it was visible through the windshield. Technically that wasn’t quite the case anymore, he thought, and felt a sudden sharp pang of regret that he shoved aside. He had to survive a few months in the woods. That was all. He could do that.
It was an unusually warm day for the time of year. He watched people walking through the park across the way. Most wore jackets. A couple of people were in T-shirts. The sun was high. Half the trees had leaves and half had none, a sign of the weather anomalies happening everywhere. Global warming, Nathan decided, but right then he wasn’t interested in thinking about it.
Why hadn’t Janis told him what he’d seen before telling the captain? What gave him the right to tell Oberson his most senior detective was unfit for work in their city? He took the folder with him as he got out of the car.
It rankled him even more when he had to spend five minutes listening to a nursing assistant explain how full the doctor’s schedule was. Appointments only. Not until Nathan started shouting did she discover she could make room for him. That, he assumed, was because his behavior was clear evidence to Janis that the original assessment had been correct—she gave him a quick look and hit a button on her phone. She said something into it that he couldn’t hear.
“Dr. Janis will see you now,” she said, her face expressionless and her voice neutral. How did they do that, he wondered as he went toward the door that led into Janis’ domain. How do people play the game of showing no emotion so well? He knew the answer. He’d played the same game himself, often, just as well as anyone, just part of his job.
“Detective Byrne—Nathan—so glad you could come by,” Janis said, as if for all the world the meeting had been his own idea.
Nathan didn’t acknowledge the proffered handshake. He dropped the case folder on the expensive teak wood desk that occupied the center of the room.
“I got this from my captain. Why did I have to learn about your opinions from my boss?” he said, managing to keep his voice level.
Janis seemed uncomfortable but not apologetic. “It was not my first choice. I wasn’t here when the officer showed up with the court order, which in itself was irregular. Our office manager is new. She just believed if the police showed up asking for anything, she was supposed to hand it over. We’ve explained to her that is not the case, even if they have a warrant. I’m sorry it was too late for you.”
“So why have three days passed since then without my hearing from you at all? You didn’t contact me with the results or even suggest I come see you, much less tell me that Colin already had my file.”
“I had planned to, after I did a few more analyses of the scan. I wasn’t finished. It was unfortunate the file got released prematurely. I’m very busy. I just forgot to notify you.”
Nathan suppressed a sigh. He wasn’t going to get satisfaction on that count. Shift focus. That was always the key.
YOU ARE READING
The Magic Hour
Mystery / Thriller"It was not exactly dark, but a kind of twilight or gloaming. There were neither windows nor candles, and he could not make out where the twilight came from, if not through the walls and roof." -Childe Rowland "T...
