The Shooter

Chapter 2

Roll call the next morning had told Bayley more of what wasn't known about the shooting of officer Ramirez than what was known. The poor man had been hit in the head with a bullet from a rifle, which had killed him instantly. The bullet had entered the squad car through the windshield, giving an indication of the direction it had come from.

And that was about it as far as information went. No one had seen a shooter. No one had heard anything. So far, reviewing CCTV cameras had yielded nothing. Forensics would be working on trying to identify the kind of rifle used based on the remains of the bullet that had been found. The facts pointed to a sniper, but there was little to no information to work with in terms of catching the person responsible.

"I'll keep you all informed with regard to funeral arrangements as and when they're made," Reigns said. And then it was time to proceed with the rest of the roll call. Life went on for the population of Stamford City, and that meant police work went on too.

"Martinez, Rousey, you're together today on patrol duty. You're on the east side," Reigns said as part of his list of assignments for that day's shifts.

Patrol duty was better than foot patrol duty, Bayley thought. And although Ronda Rousey wasn't someone she would call a friend, they got on okay. More importantly, there was respect and a good working relationship between them, which was why sergeant Reigns often chose to put them together quite often.

As a kind of hangover from the training officer – rookie relationship, it always fell to Bayley to go and get their load out for the day. It was also her job to do all of the driving, saving Ronda having to bother with it.

Working the east side of Stamford City was always something of an adventure. The city's most impoverished, crime ridden neighbourhoods were on that side.

It didn't take long for the day's first offense to present itself as they arrived on station and started cruising the streets. Approaching an intersection, Bayley pulled up behind a beaten up old Ford. The driver had their foot on the brakes, with only one of the lights showing.

"Tail light," Rousey said.

"Yep," Bayley acknowledged. "I'll light them up once we get through the intersection."

The light went green, and the driver of the Ford pulled off, heading straight across the intersection. Bayley turned on the squad car's lights and gave a short blast of the siren.

The offending vehicle signalled that they were pulling over, doing so in the first available spot where there was room for their vehicle and the squad car.

"Be on your guard. There's no telling who might be in that car, or if they might be armed," Rousey said as Bayley parked up behind the offending vehicle. It was good advice for any traffic stop, but was especially relevant on this side of town. It also made Bayley think of poor officer Ramirez. One cop being shot was more than enough. She didn't want Ronda's name or her own added to the list.

Both officers got out of the car. Bayley approached the driver's door, while Ronda walked up the sidewalk to stand by the passenger's door.

Nearing the car, Bayley was able to see that there was only a driver inside. From behind, it looked like a woman in her twenties or thirties. The driver lowered her window as Bayley stepped up to it.

Looking into the car, Bayley saw that her estimate of the woman's age had been accurate. She was wearing the uniform of a well known supermarket chain. Her expression was nervous, as with most people who were pulled over. Bayley saw nothing to give her a sense of danger.

"Hello, officer. Something wrong?" the woman asked.

"Morning. Can I see your license and registration, please?" Bayley asked politely. She liked to remain courteous when it was appropriate to do so. "Do you know why I pulled you over?"