Kyle (Hope City Book 4) Read online

  “Can’t I talk you into just fucking and not fuck it up?”

  Laughter erupted from deep within and he shook his head. “Jesus, girl, you’re killing me.”

  “I don’t want to kill you, I just want you to f—”

  “I want to do this right. So, I’m going to call my partner to come to get me. While I’m waiting on him, we’re going to plan a date for tomorrow night. I’d make it tonight, but you’re exhausted and need to rest. I’m also going to get your promise that you won’t do anything else on your own.”

  “We’re going to go on a date?”

  Barking out another laugh, he said, “That’s what you pulled out of everything I said?”

  “Yeah. Everything else we can deal with, but I want to know again that you want to go on a date with me.”

  He stared at her eyes for a moment, the green reminding him of a pair of jade earrings that his mother got for Christmas one year. Kimberly’s eyes were that exact color. Before he gave into temptation, he slid his phone from his pocket. With a few punches of his thumb, he held the phone to his ear. “I need you to come to get me. Colbert Street. 1722. Thanks.”

  “I take it that was your partner.”

  Nodding, he kissed her again. He hefted his body off the sofa and gently pulled her to stand next to him. “Okay. First up, date tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up, and we’ll go to dinner. Is six-thirty okay?”

  Her top teeth landed on her bottom kiss-swollen lip, capturing his attention. He gave her a little squeeze, and she nodded.

  “Yeah, just let me know what I should wear.”

  “And you promise that between now and then you’ll do no more investigating, no more checking into things, no more dangerous trips, nothing.”

  She nodded again and said, “I promise. Tomorrow I’ll be back at Kilton and have some people in the research department that I’m going to talk to. Honestly, that’ll be boring.”

  “Good.”

  He wrapped his arm around her, and they walked to the front door. Kissing her deeply, he looked out the window and saw an SUV stop on the road right in front of her townhouse. “That’s Alex.”

  Kissing her lightly, he said, “We covered a lot of territory today. But, don’t forget, babe, the most important thing is the start of you and me. Together, a real relationship.”

  She gifted him with a smile, one he was not going to take for granted, and it speared him straight through his heart. With a final kiss, he threw open the door and jogged over to the SUV, climbing inside.

  They drove in silence for a moment and then Alex finally bit out, “Are you gonna talk or make me wonder what the fuck got into you?”

  “It was her. Mystery woman.”

  “Figured that out. What I want to know is what the hell she was doing and what the hell you’re gonna do about it.”

  “You’re not gonna believe this… she works for fuckin’ Kilton Pharmaceuticals.”

  Alex’s head whipped around, and Kyle laughed. It wasn’t often that he could catch his partner off-guard. He spent the rest of the ten-minute drive back to the station explaining everything that Kimberly told him. Her job at Kilton. The new assignment. Her decision to take some of the human-interest stories to the magazine. And her reason for going to the Cardboard Cottages.

  Parking, Alex made no move to get out, just shook his head slowly. “Okay, you got me. That’s one crazy-ass story.”

  Once inside, they headed straight to their desks, and he opened his laptop. Alex plopped down at the desk directly across from him and said, “By the way, we need to talk to Todd Bartosi.”

  Glancing at his partner over the top of his screen, he cocked his head to the side. “The Kilton robbery?”

  “Seems like Charlie and Joe’s stories don’t exactly match up.”

  Brows lifted, he nodded and dropped his gaze back to his screen. He pulled up the information on the e-magazine, but everything he could see looked legit.

  “Bartosi sent over what they had, and I’ve got it up on the board.”

  Kyle leaned back, resting his hip against his desk. At the top of the board, he’d written two words. Kilton Pharmaceuticals. Underneath, he had a picture of Beth Washington and Dr. Tiller, with notes out to the side about the drug ring they had been involved in using stolen opioids from KP. To the side, he had placed pictures of Charlie and Joe, observing that Alex’s info from Detective Bartosi about the KP van robbery was now there as well.

  “We went and talked to Beth, but I’d like to see if Dr. Tiller is willing to talk more. I’ll wager a few months in prison might have loosened his lips a little.”

  “I wonder if he’s got someone protecting him as well.”

  “Let’s make the arrangements. If we’re lucky, we can get there tomorrow.”

  He waited while Alex made the call and then the two of them headed the few blocks away to headquarters where Bartosi and his partner were stationed. Once on the third floor, they stopped in the open workroom, poured a cup of powerhouse coffee, and found Todd sitting at his desk, staring at his evidence board as well.

  His partner walked in, a statuesque brunette with a wide smile and no-nonsense manner. Sticking her hand out, she said, “McBride, Freeman. Nice to meet you. I’m Roberta Manson, known as Birdie.”

  Birdie was a looker, no doubt, but Kyle’s mind was filled with a petite honey-blonde. One look to the side toward his partner, it was evident that Alex was more than taken with Todd's partner. Hiding a grin, he walked over to their evidence board. “Talk to me about Charlie and Joe.”

  “You were with us when Charlie came in while Joe was still at the hospital. That was to our advantage because they hadn’t had a chance to talk between themselves. Charlie gave a detailed account of what he remembered. We questioned him, he wrote it all down, went over it numerous times, and he signed it. Birdie wanted to make sure we got Joe early, so she headed to the hospital. He didn’t have a concussion and was patched up quickly. She talked him into coming with her so that we could go ahead and get his statement. They were almost identical up to a certain point and then the differences showed up.”

  He looked at the timeline, noting that what Charlie had told Todd was the same as what he’d told Kyle at the site. It appeared Joe’s rendition followed. “Joe was driving. Accident on Market Street. They called it into Kilton, and we know they talked to Tammy Rutgers, who cleared it with her boss for them to alter their schedule. They also called the pharmacy and talked to the manager. They made their second delivery ahead of schedule and arrived at their third delivery, also ahead of schedule. They both reported that Joe stayed in the van, although Charlie said Joe told him to get out and ring the bell at the back of the pharmacy. They reported two men got out of the van, both with guns. One went to Charlie and the other one came to the driver's side pointing at Joe, telling him to get out. They lined up side-by-side with their backs to their van, one of the men held a gun to them while the other man went around to the side and began hauling boxes from the Kilton van and putting them into their delivery truck. All that’s the same.”

  Birdie stepped around and pointed to the split in the timeline. “This is where the difference occurs. Charlie reported the man holding a weapon on them ordered them to get to their knees and face the van. He said Joe said something, but Charlie couldn’t understand what he said. The man standing behind them said, ‘Not now’. Charlie claims he had no idea what was going on at that time except he expected to die. He said Joe was grabbed by the arm, hefted to his feet, and taken around to the other side of the van. Charlie stayed put… on his knees, hands behind his head.”

  “That’s exactly what he told me at the time,” Kyle said. “Heard voices from the other side of the van, couldn’t understand what they were saying. Then heard a sound and Joe crying out.”

  “Not just any voices. He specifically said he heard Joe’s voice. Then footsteps running. He braced for the worst, but the truck doors slammed, the engine started up, and it pulled away. As soon as it was go
ne, he called out for Joe, got to his feet, and ran around, seeing Joe slumped to the ground, holding his bloody head.”

  Stepping slightly to the side, Kyle’s gaze ran down Joe’s version, which deviated when the two men were on their knees. “Joe reports not saying anything, although he admits he might’ve mumbled, but he doesn’t remember anyone saying, ‘Not now’, and if they did, he couldn’t imagine they were talking to him.”

  Alex stepped closer and pointed to the last part of Joe’s interview. “He claims when he got to the other side of the van the two gunmen were arguing, not him. He remained quiet, said they were arguing over what to do with him and Charlie. One whirled around and hit him with the butt of his weapon. Joe remembers crying out and dropping to the ground.”

  “So, almost identical accounts except for who was talking on the other side of the van,” Kyle said.

  “But is that enough to go on?” Alex asked.

  Birdie swung her head around and pinned her dark brown eyes on him. “I’d say yes. That one discrepancy makes all the difference.”

  “Charlie admits he was pissing his pants with fear. So scared he couldn’t even talk. Wouldn’t Joe have been the same way? Man’s got a gun on you… are you gonna argue? Talk back? Ask questions?” Jerking around, Kyle looked at the others. “I watched the interview with Charlie. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t seem confused. He reported without hesitation that Joe said something when they were kneeling and the man behind them said, ‘Not now’. And again, without hesitation, he said he heard voices, and specifically said one of the voices was Joe’s.”

  “What if he’s lying to implicate Joe?” Birdie asked, lifting her brow.

  “You interviewed him. What does your gut say?”

  She pinched her lips together and shifted her gaze back to Todd. Staring at her partner for a few seconds, she then replied, “We thought about that. But our gut feeling? Joe’s interview was a little more unsure, whereas Charlie’s account was certain.”

  “What about Kilton Pharmaceuticals?” Todd asked.

  “Tammy Rutgers organizes the routes and has been there since the beginning. She’s not the only one who knows about the routes, and we didn’t get a chance to talk to her direct supervisor, who would also have known about the change.” Kyle turned and looked back at the board, shaking his head slowly. “I know it’s coming from the inside. Can’t prove shit yet, but I just know someone’s directing the thefts of fentanyl and selling it.” Now, how the hell do I keep Kimberly out of the middle of this?

  14

  “Our research involves the experimentation of the interaction of a loose, reversible binding of molecules, the chemical bond with their target sites. Receptors, macromolecules, and lipids… ”

  Oh, my God. Kimberly shifted in her seat, the smile she had plastered onto her face twenty minutes ago still in place, although now drooping along with her shoulders—and her mood.

  The day was passing in a haze of meetings with the other vice presidents. Dr. Li Chen of Research and Development was now talking incessantly in scientific terms that she could not decipher. Dr. Abeer Patel, the VP of Quality Management, barely had time to speak to her, managing to finally give her three minutes for an interview. Much like Dr. Chen, his praise of Kilton Pharmaceuticals was effusive, but most of his comments were scientific. She wondered if perhaps they either did not know plain-speak or spoke in scientific jargon all the time. Bet that’s exciting for their wives…

  She only had one more VP to interview, Niles Cook, VP of Operations, and the idea of sitting through another mind-numbing session almost had her skip out early. One of his departments was over Warehousing, and since this was where Beth had obtained her extra drugs by sleeping with one of the men working in the warehouse, she held onto a glimmer of hope that Niles would offer a tidbit of interesting perspective.

  He greeted her with a wide smile and, even though he was a VP, there was an air of ease about him that she had not found with the others. She grinned, settled into the proffered chair, less stiff than in her other interviews. “When I looked at the company’s organization chart, I was surprised at how many departments come under Operations. You’re in charge of everything from the manufacturing plants and production to the warehouses and support services as well as the IT for the company.”

  He laughed, his smile easy. “Essentially, I believe that Operations is the term for ‘all departments that we don’t know where else to stick them’.”

  “Kind of like a Jack of all trades?” As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes bugged. “Sorry, I just thought of the rest of that saying. I don’t mean to imply that you’re not a master of anything. I just meant that, well… uh…”

  He waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. In many ways you’re right. I am like a Jack of all trades and master of none. I only say that because, obviously, I can’t be the master of how to run a manufacturing plant and know everything about IT. But that’s where having good department supervisors is essential. They report to me so that I can report to the president. But, as far as the day-to-day business in each of those departments, it’s the supervisor that handles everything. I’m glad you’re talking to the line workers.”

  “Finally! I have to confess that the other VPs were less… um… informative.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like the stuffiness I have to put up with as well. Geez, you should hear our VP meetings. When Li Chen presents, I know it’s naptime.”

  Unable to hold back her snort, she nodded.

  Niles’ smile widened. “Now, it’s late in the afternoon so I can assure you that most of the dayshift people working in the warehouse will have already shut down and are planning what they want to do for the weekend. They’re great people and work hard. But I also happen to know they play hard.” Shrugging, he grinned. “Sounds kind of like me, so I can hardly judge them.”

  “I hate to bring up anything negative, but what can you tell me about the thefts from a few months ago ?”

  “Ah, the Beth Washington and Terry Birk news.”

  She nodded, glad that he did not appear to immediately close off.

  “Well, the loophole that allowed that to happen has been closed off. He was responsible for sending specially packaged pharmaceuticals over to the sales department. Unchecked on my end, I might add—which got my hand slapped—and then unchecked on Sally’s end, gaining her a hand slap as well. Terry would simply divide the packages so that Beth received more than her allotment and a new hire received less, not realizing the discrepancy.”

  As she stood to leave, she shook his hand with enthusiasm. “Mr. Cook, thank you so much for meeting with me. This was… well, what I was hoping for.” Walking out, she was amazed at how easy it had been for Beth to have extra drugs to sell illegally and hoped Niles was right about the loophole being closed.

  Kimberly sat at her desk in the marketing department, typing up her notes. Not wanting to miss anything, she included notes from the vice presidents and department supervisors but spent most of her energy on her interview with Tammy and some of the others in the warehouse.

  When she made an appointment to talk to someone in Pharmaceutical Development, she specifically mentioned she was interested in the opioids that Kilton Pharma produces. She was thrilled to have received an email setting that up for the afternoon. Easy office work in the morning, a chance to find out more about the opioids in the afternoon, and a dinner date with Kyle this evening. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this excited about her day.

  “If you grin any wider, I think your face is going to split,” Marcus said.

  Lost in thought, she jumped at his words, her head whipping around to see him grinning just as widely. “I’m just having a good day.”

  “Obviously! You want to confess what’s got you so happy?”

  “Once I stopped interviewing the higher-ups at Kilton, I’ve had more interesting interviews with regular employees. And it’s made me want to write more for the e-magazine I f
reelance for. Marcus, it’s so much more exciting to me than what I’ve been doing here.” Glancing around to see if anyone else was listening, she added, “And I’ve got a date tonight.”

  “Damn, I can’t remember the last time you went on one of those.”

  “Tell me about it!” Shrugging, she turned back to her laptop. “Hence, my good mood.” By lunchtime, she’d finished typing her notes, sending them to her personal email so that she would be able to look at them anytime.

  She grabbed her backpack and made sure her notebook and pens were inside. Pulling out a granola bar, she tossed a wave to Marcus and said, “Dr. Chen has arranged for me to visit the research and development area this afternoon.”

  With his goodbye following her as she left, she munched on her granola bar as she walked along the sidewalk between the various buildings of the pharmaceutical compound. The research and development building was near the production plant, and she planned on touring and talking to some of the production members soon.

  Entering, she signed in with the guard and was soon met by an assistant who led her into the bowels of the building, past many glass windows overlooking the research area. Everyone was dressed in full personal protection equipment: booties on their feet, jumpsuits covering their clothing, masks, goggles, head covering, and, of course, gloves.

  The assistant left her in a small conference room, telling her that Dr. Chaudra would be in to speak to her shortly. She pulled out her notebook and quickly began jotting notes of her impressions so far. The building was pristine, not a speck of dirt to be found anywhere. She described the employees in their PPE and the workstations she had seen.

  The door opened and Dr. Chaudra walked in. A wide smile on her face, she stuck her hand out in greeting. “I’m Dr. Sahana Chaudra. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Both women settled at the table, and Kimberly immediately dove into her subject. “I know you’re extremely busy, and I’m thrilled you agreed to meet with me. I’m more than willing to hear anything you have to tell me about the pharmaceutical research, but I also wondered if we could speak specifically about fentanyl.”