Free Linda Kay Silva - Delta Stevens 3 - Weathering the Storm by Linda Kay Silva Page B

him. “If I ever hear you call me that again, I’ll kick you ass. You understand?”
    Nodding rapidly, Tony backed away. “Geez, don’t get so uptight. I only thou—”
    “You thought wrong. Let’s get one thing straight, Carducci. We’re partners. Not friends, not buddies, not pals. My job is to teach you the streets and your job is to shut your mouth and listen. You got that?”
    For a moment, the air was thick with cold anticipation as all eyes focused on the two of them locked in a powerful glare.
    “I said, do you understand?”
    “I get it,” Tony said through a clenched jaw.
    “Good. Keep it that way.” Turning from him, Delta pushed two desks out of the way and headed to the far corner of the muster room. If familiarity breeds contempt, Delta wondered, then what does contempt breed?
    She hoped she didn’t have to find out.

Chapter 8
     
    When they entered muster, the room was abuzz with cops telling jokes, tall tales, and sexual escapades. This was the time when people bonded and shared portions of their private lives. Some officers rarely opened up and stuck only to talking about the details from the previous shifts. It was a time when information was exchanged, personalities were revealed, and humor was applied to a variety of circumstances. It was also the time when they discovered what events transpired on the shifts prior to the one they would be working.
    To Delta, muster was a mixture of personal sharing and professional caring. She’d always enjoyed muster because it reminded her of her college days when the locker room was alive and crazy.
    Taking a seat next to Carducci, Delta pulled out a notepad to take notes.
    “What’s that for?” Tony asked, pointing to her clipboard.
    Delta sighed. Why anyone would choose to be a teacher was beyond her, and whoever said there was no such thing as a stupid question obviously never taught anyone stupid. “For notes. I like to take notes in case I forget something.”
    Tony nodded, moving his whole body while doing so. He reminded Delta of a puppy whose body was too big for it. “Cool. Then I guess if you’re going to take notes, I don’t have to.”
    Delta wrote the date on the top of the paper before looking up at him. “I suggest you get used to taking your own notes.”
    Still nodding, like he was listening to a song on a walkman, Tony grinned. “Sure. Can I borrow a piece of paper?”
    Sighing even more loudly, Delta pulled a piece out and handed it to him.
    “Thanks. Got a pe—”
    “Get one yourself,” Delta growled as the duty sergeant strolled up to the podium.
    “Evening ladies and gents in blue. I hope your day was peaceful because your nights are about to get hairy.”
    “What else is new?” Steve “Downtown” Brown heckled.
    The sergeant glared a warning before continuing. “Two rapes reported this morning on the east side. No ID on either perp. Both women were pretty badly beaten up, so be sure to read Schumann’s report.”
    Several heads nodded and uttered epithets under their breaths. For the next several minutes, the sergeant went over all the burglaries, robberies, and various misdemeanors from the previous shifts. Then, he cleared his throat and leaned forward on the podium. Everyone stopped writing and waited for him to continue.
    “As I’m sure you’re all aware, C.I.C’s are on the rise here in California.”
    Tony looked over at Delta, but before he could ask, she answered his question in a whisper. “Crimes Involving Children.”
    “Word has it,” the Sergeant continued, “that the sale of pornographic and snuff films have quadrupled in recent weeks. This memo from the Department of Justice was sent to every police department with a fax machine. This, ladies and gentlemen, is some serious business.”
    Some of the officers whistled. The DOJ wasn’t one to hit the panic button and send out memos to every police department in the country. For them to do so, meant that there were some perpetrators out there