In a World They Forgot

Highway Jammed With Broken Heroes

Detective Reese was enjoying his retirement at the blackjack table of the Bellagio. A bullet to the thigh had left him with irreparable damage and the walking cane propped up at his side was as much of a crutch as the bourbon in the glass was. I had tried to encourage him to meet someplace else, somewhere more private, but the second he heard the name Romani he had insisted on a public arena that only emphasised why the City of Sin was nicknamed so. His grey hair was fine and combed to hide the bald patch and his blue eyes were definitely the eyes of a cop. They held the glint of someone who had seen too much, who knew his fair share of nightmares and who now felt as though his life was nothing to be proud of, since the job had cost him everything.

Nick had accompanied me to save Greg getting too personally involved in this matter. He was protective, but sometimes he could jump in with both feet when I didn’t need a hero at that point. Plus, I had a feeling this conversation could get nasty and personal; I didn’t need my husband being brought up on assault charges.

“Detective Reese?” I asked as we approached the empty table.

“It’s like hearing ghosts when I hear that name again.” He turned around, signalled to the dealer that he was done and then collected his chips.

“I’m CSI Nick Stokes and my partner is CSI Miki Sanders.” Nick introduced, cutting through the pleasantries in a quick and neat fashion.

“I understand that you wanted to meet somewhere public, but I’d appreciate it if we didn’t have this conversation at a blackjack table.” I voiced, hoping that he wouldn’t be as cynical and as unhelpful as some of the veteran beat cops had been implying for the last five days.

“There’s a bar just behind me. You can buy me a drink.” He directed this request at Nick and gave the Texan his order before slowly standing up and looking at me. “No one told me you were about to drop a baby.”

“That’s because I’m not. I have four months left.”

“And you’re still working cases? Back in my day you’d be nesting already.”

“Well maybe back in your day there wasn’t an unsolved murder and a whole load of mess to clean up.” I chose the table furthest out of ear shot and the displeased look on Reese’s face didn’t go unnoticed.

“Back in my day a detective of my calibre held more respect than this.”

“I’m only dredging up the past to fix the future.” Nick came over and placed the drink in front of the past-it cop before occupying the seat to my right.

“Well, get on with it.”

“Antonio Romani.” He visible stiffened at the name and I only felt encouraged to push this guy until he snapped. “Tell us everything.”

“Now why are two CSIs looking into an old confidential informant? That doesn’t seem like your usual avenue of investigation.”

“Just answer the question, Mr Reese.” Nick spoke up, his dark eyes hard as though this whole conversation was going down in an interrogation room and not a casino bar.

“What’s to answer? He was involved in drug dealing and wanted to go straight so he turned CI. He helped bust a couple of strong deals before someone put a bullet in him.”

“We know there’s more to it than drug dealing, Mr Reese.” Nick, taking lead, seemed to sense the tension in my glare. I may not have known my father but that didn’t change who he was and it didn’t change the fact that whatever had happened back in the eighties had gifted me with two bullets and a brush with death not that long ago.