Free Gecko by Ken Douglas

How is he?”
    “ He’ll live, no thanks to you. What in the world did you think you were doing?”
    Washington didn’t answer.
    “ Good, don’t say anything. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to know. You went to Monday’s house without a warrant or backup and Monday kills an innocent man and wounds your partner, not to mention putting you out of commission. Why am I not surprised?”
    “ It wasn’t Monday,” Washington said.
    “ Oh, who was it?”
    “ I didn’t see.”
    “ Then how do you know it wasn’t him?”
    “ He’s in jail.”
    “ No, he’s not. It may surprise you to know that he broke out early this morning. He killed two attorneys and a good cop in the process.”
    “ Ah shit.”
    “ You can say that again. If you had followed procedure and told us about the condo, we would have had him this morning, that poor security guard would still be alive and your partner wouldn’t be down the hall sucking oxygen.”
    “ Sorry.”
    “ Tell it to Walker, I don’t want to hear it. All I want from you is what you know.”
    “ I don’t know anything.”
    “ Yeah, then how come you knew about the Huntington Beach condo?”
    “ I looked it up on the internet,” he lied.
    “ How did you get the key?”
    “ I didn’t, the guard had it,” he lied again.
    “ I can check.”
    “ Then do it.”
    “ All right, all right, no need to get hot under the collar.”
    “ Whatever you say, John.”
    “ After all, I just came by to see how you were doing. Unofficial.”
    “ And?”
    “ You were the best once. You’ve been digging, don’t deny it. I know you.”
    Washington didn’t say anything.
    “ As long as I’m here, I’d like your take on this thing. Why do you think he did it and where do you think he might go?”
    “ I don’t have the foggiest. And I don’t believe Monday killed anyone.”
    “ You’re wrong,” the captain said. The room was quiet for a few seconds as the two men stared at each other, then the captain added, “I came here offering an olive branch and you’re holding back. I want some answers and if you ever want to get back into a uniform, much less back in Homicide, you’ll tell me what I want to know.”
    “ I don’t know anything, John. Really I don’t.”
    “ That’s your final word?”
    “ It’s God’s own truth,” Hugh Washington said.
    “ Well, I have a final word for you. As soon as you check out of here, go straight to your captain. I have a feeling that he’ll want your badge and gun. You’re through, Washington.”
    “ So you were lying about me getting back in uniform or maybe back in Homicide. You only said it to get something out of me? I was finished with the department no matter if I knew anything or not, wasn’t I?”
    “ Fuck you,” his former friend said, showing his back and walking out the door.
    So, Washington thought, it’s finally happened. He was going to lose his job, no longer be a cop. Where to go from here? What next? His law degree might be a help, a shame he never took the bar. There must be something out there for him. Security consultant maybe—not bad, or security guard—pretty bad. But before he did anything, he resolved, he would get to the bottom of the Jim Monday business. He would show them that Hugh Washington still had what it takes. Then after he presented them with the killer and they were begging him to come back on the force, he’d tell them to shove it.
    He smiled at the thought, knowing he wouldn’t ever tell them that. If they wanted him back, he’d go. Being a cop is all he ever was, all he ever wanted to be. And there was only one way for him to get back. Find Jim Monday.
    He looked around the room. It was an ordinary hospital room, two beds, a nightstand next to each one, the second bed was vacant. There was a television mounted on the wall, two utilitarian chairs for visitors, two dinner trays on wheels, one bathroom and one closet. He lowered the safety bar and climbed out of bed. His head