Free Pains and Penalties: (A Geeks and Things Cozy Mystery Novella #1) (Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries) by Sarah Biglow

something?”
    “You’re brilliant.” Chris pulled her into a one-armed hug as he dialed a number on his phone. “This is Detective Chris Harper out of Ellesworth PD. I need a trace on a phone.”
    Kalina waited patiently as he rattled off the captain’s phone number. Two minutes later, Chris ended the call and rounded on the officer who had slowly inched his way out of the interview room. “You need to get your partner and follow me. No lights or sirens. We are going in quiet.”
    “Where are we going?” Kalina asked.
    His phone beeped twice at him and he opened a map app. A tiny red dot blinked from the middle of the screen. “The cemetery. Let’s go.”

 
    CHAPTER SIXTEEN
     
    Kalina sat in the passenger seat of Chris’s car in silence. She stared ahead at the road in front of them, leading to the cemetery and the church. They could have walked it from the station but Chris insisted on driving. Maybe he needed to feel in control of the situation. She didn’t argue. She was just grateful he was letting her come along. It had to be violating who knew how many rules to have a civilian involved in an arrest like this. She was also surprised that Chris only had the two new officers for back up. He pulled the car into a spot near the front gate and cut the engine. The car clicked and rattled as the engine block cooled. He turned to her but she held up a hand to silence him.
    “I know. Stay out of the way. I got it. I’m not stupid or a hero. This is your show.”
    “Thank you. I mean it.”
    “Thank me when this is all over.”
    He quirked a half-smile at her before easing the driver side door open and shutting it as quietly as possible. The two uniformed officers climbed out of the cruiser beside them. Chris removed his gun from its hip holster and the other officers followed suit. Chris consulted his phone before stepping through the open gate.
    “The grave is near the back fence on the far right,” Kalina offered in a whisper.
    Chris pointed at each officer and then to the left and the right of the cemetery. They were going to surround Captain Cahill. He might try to jump the fence but it was wrought iron and spiked at the top. There wasn’t much chance he would make it over before Chris or the other officers got to him. Chris let them go first before he started forward, gun gripped in his right hand but down by his thigh. Kalina stayed behind him a few paces, just as she’d promised.
    The cemetery felt strange as they moved through it. It hadn’t held any special meaning for Kalina before, but now—even with all the other people around—she felt the quiet awe and respect for the dead one should have upon entering this place. And she could swear she felt a touch of sadness for Sam Gordon’s fate. She thought she might feel a little sliver of empathy for Captain Cahill but she didn’t. He may have been acting out of a place for love of his father but his actions were inexcusable.
    They reached the back fence and found the captain kneeling in front of his father’s grave, rearranging the bouquet of flowers. The uniformed officers hung back just out of sight, weapons at their sides. Chris motioned for Kalina to stay where she was as he took a few steps closer to the headstone. He still held his gun against his thigh. He made sure to step on some loose twigs.
    “Captain,” he called.
    Captain Cahill turned to face them. He didn’t look surprised. Had he really expected they would catch him? He stayed crouched down but pulled his hands away from the flowers. He held them out, fingers splayed in a gesture that Kalina assumed meant he was unarmed.
    “Sir, I’m going to need you to pull the weapon out of your ankle holster and toss it to me,” Chris instructed.
    With slow movements, Captain Cahill complied. Chris bent down and scooped up the gun and tucked it into his waistband. Dead air filled the space between the two cops; neither seemed to know what to say. Kalina longed to speak, to say she