Free Under the Color of Law by Michael McGarrity

You'll have it this afternoon."
    "You should have been a cop, Helen."
    Helen's eyes smiled.
    "You don't want to hear my response to that comment, Chief."
    "Probably not. Give me the back channel scoop on Alonso Herrera."
    Helen's expression turned sober.
    "Do you really want to step into that open manhole right now?"
    "That bad?" Kerney asked.
    "You know about Herrera's uncle?"
    "I just learned who he was."
    "Herrera was bounced from his patrol team and sent to the crime-prevention unit in an attempt to keep him off the streets."
    "Be more specific," Kerney said.
    "Shoddy paperwork, poor attitude toward the public, abuse of sick leave, sub par performance, citizen complaints about the use of excessive force."
    "There's nothing documented in his file."
    "Not anymore there isn't," Helen replied.
    "Your predecessor ordered the file purged and Herrera's performance evaluations upgraded to adequate. As a result the department got a nice bump in the annual budget that sailed through the finance committee and the city council without a hitch."
    Helen passed the file folder she'd brought in to Kerney.
    "When you asked me for Herrera's personnel file, I thought we might have this discussion. That file contains copies of the original disciplinary reports and performance evaluations on Officer Herrera, along with some internal memoranda. When I heard that you were to be our next chief, I was glad I saved them."
    "You are insubordinate," Kerney said with a laugh.
    "Only when it's in the best interest of the department."
    An incredulous expression creased Kerney's face as he read the material.
    He set the folder aside and said, "Herrera starts his days off tomorrow.
    Prepare an order assigning him to permanent duty in Fleet Management upon his return to work."
    "Are you sure you want to do that now?" Helen asked.
    "I might as well find out right away if I'm going to survive in this job or not."
    "You'll be making an enemy on the city council."
    "I'll add him to my list. Captain Otero wrote some strongly worded memos protesting the decision. Is that why he was removed as a field-operation captain and placed in charge of Technical Services?"
    Helen nodded.
    "It tubed his career. He's got a short-timer's calendar in the top drawer of his desk, and he's counting the days until he can take early retirement."
    "How close is he?"
    "Sixty days."
    "Have him come see me," Kerney said.
    "May I tell him why? With the old chief the senior commanders never knew what to expect when called to appear at the Crystal Palace."
    "Tell him I've a few minor questions about the fleet-replacement schedule. Set up the appointment for late this afternoon, and get me his personnel jacket. I want to take another look at it. I may have found my deputy chief."
    Helen grinned.
    "What?" Kerney asked.
    "Nothing," Helen said lightly as she rose and left the office.
    Detective Sloan had accepted Kerney's offer to scout out Father Joseph's military records and make contact with the priest's mother, so he turned to those tasks, first calling the Armed Forces Record Center.
    Kerney got nowhere with the civilian employee he spoke to. Terrell's records could not be released without his written permission.
    He called the retirement home where Mrs. Mitchell resided, and spoke to a caseworker. Mrs. Mitchell, age eighty-seven, was in failing health but mentally alert. Leaving out many of the details, Kerney gave the caseworker the news of Father Joseph's death. The woman suggested it would be best for her to pass the information on to Mrs. Mitchell to soften the impact.
    "By all means, please do that," Kerney said.
    "But Mrs. Mitchell will still need to speak to the police. I'm going to ask the Houston Police Department to have an investigator meet with her as soon as possible."
    "Why is that necessary?" the woman asked.
    "To learn as much as we can about Father Mitchell, and find his killer."
    The caseworker sighed and hung up.
    By phone Kerney put in his request to the chief of