Free No Mercy by R. J.; Torbert

he saw Bud weakening. “Just like the last time,” Paul finished.
    Bud nodded and said, “OK, my partner, OK.” Paul was referring to the many times they have counted on each other, especially when their lives were in jeopardy, but it was the Face of Fear investigation that forever bonded them. Bud had become suspicious of Paul as the evidence accumulated during the case, and even handcuffed him to his own bed. The detective escaped with the help of Joey Z from downstairs in the restaurant and ended up saving Bud and Officer Dugan's lives as well as others in the Wilkerson house. Bud played it over and over in his mind so many times and never forgave himself for having doubts about him.
    The case went down in history as the most famous on Long Island, and it was Cronin, Powers, Johnson, Lynagh, Rachelle, Madison, Deborah, Healey, and Lindsey that received so much publicity there was worry their lives would never be the same again. Lindsey's parents respectfully asked the media to let a twelve-year-old girl have her privacy and grow up. Rachelle gained the most notoriety from her writings and tweets and promised she would one day write a book about it all. Madison was known worldwide as the vigilante Ghost Face killer, which helped the county break the rules and keep her in the Riverhead facility even after her trial. It had never been done before, but the exception was made with the political pressure and public sympathy to keep her on Long Island close to her only family, Rachelle. The former Suffolk County executive William Lance, a powerful businessman with extraordinary wealth—and also the father of Deborah Lance— pulled all the strings to keep Madison in a jail, not a prison.
    Bud fell for Deborah during the case, but his insecurities kept them from progressing. Her wealth and status was his problem, not hers. She never changed toward him, but behind the jokes and the humor there was some truth. Now, as her name was being mentioned in this case, he wondered why his confidence with her left him. Still, everyone in the room, including the one closest to him, Paul, noticed he carried a photo of her in his wallet and had one of her on his desk as well.
    Powers and Johnson walked into Cronin's office and Paul convinced the detective lieutenant he needed Hansen as well on his team for the case. Cronin asked Powers what he was assigning the team to do. Paul started to give instructions, and it was always Bud's favorite part to watch how he continued to be smooth no matter what was happening.
    Detective Powers looked at O'Malley and said, “Detective, I'd like to see your reports on the case to date. Then you and Wyatt go to the City and speak to the club's owner and employees at Skyline. Make sure you speak to them before you speak to the lead detectives about their thoughts and notes on the case. Also, you have video of the masked man coming out of the rooms at both the City and Pajama Club. What about the video of them going in the rooms? Check it out.”
    He looked at Cronin and continued, “Boss, please call the City and let them know our men will be speaking to the appropriate people at the club, then ask them for notes that may help us with the murders here. We need to find out if there is a connection not only to each other but to pretty brunettes, or if there is a link to Deborah or something else.”
    He looked at Franks and Dugan and said, “Talk to the relatives, friends, and parents of the two Long Island victims. Did they know each other? Are there six degrees of separation somewhere? Find out.”
    He looked at Hansen and instructed, “Speak to anyone who dated or was a boyfriend of the two girls. You will have to coordinate with Franks and Dugan, most likely.”
    He turned around to Bud and said, “You are with me, but first look at all the tapes in the club from the night of the murder. If there is a link, then it's on those tapes. Maybe you will save O'Malley time by finding the men who walked in,