“What were you doing trespassing on the Walker Ranch tonight?”
“Tonight…” Robert shook his head vigorously, already gearing up to tell a lie, but Fox wasn’t in the goddamn mood for games, especially not at this time of night. “I can’t think straight when I’m in this much pain. Dr. Bain, please.”
“I don’t know who the hell you men are,” the doctor said and marched past Bull in a huff. “But I’ve asked you multiple times to leave my patient alone. I’m getting security.”
“Yeah, you go get the guard who was watching an episode of Cheaters when I walked past his desk without showing my ID,” Fox murmured, then told Bull to close the curtain back.
“This won’t take long.”
Fox kept his focus on Robert’s watery eyes as he pulled out his badge and mashed it against his face. “Now that we know each other…”
Robert started to cry large crocodile tears before Fox even finished his sentence. Damn, this guy was a serious wimp, and Fox knew he didn’t have his man… not the main man, anyway… he had a lackey. A skinny kid with shoestrings for arms, who couldn’t throw a brick through a spiderweb, much less a plate-glass window. Shit. Fox glanced at his phone, scrutinizing the brief information Free had sent to him on Robert Abbott. He didn’t have a record, so Fox only had the basics. He’d have to squeeze the information from the kid with what he had; he’d done more with a lot less. His plans were usually solid, but it wasn’t unusual for him to have to change course or go with his contingency.
Fox folded his badge and glared at Robert. “Tell me what I need to know. You don’t have any priors, so I’m gonna assume you’re not a complete dumbass. If you got involved in someone else’s shit, or if you got in over your head, then say you did, and I’ll see if I can help you.”
The kid was shaking as he seemed to have a hard time concentrating on his words and not staring at Bull.
“You’d be a first-time offender, so the judge might go easy on you. Then again, he or she might not. Trespassing with the intent to destroy property will probably only get you thirty days and a fine. But then of course, you’d have a criminal record to follow you the rest of your life.”
“No. Please. I can’t go to jail. I can’t!” Robert cried, damn near blubbering now.
Even Bull was no longer scowling but staring at the kid as if he and Fox were thinking the same thing. This guy was too much of a crybaby to be the one responsible for the vandalism. Fox needed to hurry up and get some answers.
“Do you think your boss, Mr. Greenberg, will hold your job at his chicken farm for an entire month while you serve your time? It took you two tries to get that job, didn’t it?” Fox went for the jugular. “I guess your single mom will have to take a third job to keep the mortgage paid and your four little sisters off the streets.”
“No,” Robert cried, clutching the ice on his shoulder.
“Then tell me what I—”
The curtain was snatched to the side, and Dr. Bain stood there with the same thick-bodied man in the black polyester uniform who’d ignored them when they’d walked past the entrance. Fox cocked a brow, waiting for one of them to say something.
“I’m hospital security. I believe you men have been asked to leave,” the officer said, with bass and confidence in his voice. He stood almost as tall as Bull with his peaked cap on, and he had arms that looked made to hold down a wild patient or escort unwanted visitors out.
“So, you finally decided to take a break from that bullshit show to come do some work, huh?”
The guard bristled and took a step towards him, and Fox saw Bull inch away from the wall out of the corner of his eye. “And you are?”
“I’m SWAT Lieutenant Tucker.” Fox held up his badge.
“You’re a police officer?” the guard sputtered while staring right at his identification.
Fox sucked his teeth. “Get the fuck out. Go back to Joey Greco since you seem to like dumbass, repetitive questions.”
The guard glanced at the doctor before he whispered loudly, “Did you call Sheriff Thompson?”
“Yes! Will someone please find him,” Fox griped. “I mean, is this Senoia or Seattle?”
Dr. Bain spoke up. “Clarinda is calling him now.”
The security officer wisely turned and left, taking the physician with him. Good. Robert must’ve realized he wasn’t getting any help from anyone else because he went right back to pleading not to go to jail.
“Fox. You are not going to bloody believe this. It’s incredible what Steele found on this county’s sheriff. I mean… an elected official… and—”