ANGEL BLUE [1]

LEAD 23: strange case of dr jekyll

      “How’s your friend doing, Detective? Has she taken her due leap into the great beyond?” Nikita taunts.

     “Makita Banks is fine, I’ll tell her that you’re actually concerned,” I give a sweet smile even though sarcasm is evident in my tone. “Let’s get down to business Nikita.”

      “Where’s Pingelly? I kind of miss that face of his, especially seeing that he’s chased me from Louisiana to Washington and now here of all places,” Nikita pulls on his shackles with a pout on his thin lips.

      “Sam’s busy with other cases,” I clear my throat, “focus Nikita; we have lots of things to discuss.”

      “Oh,” Nikita annunciates, “he’s not working on Angel Blue anymore is he? How interesting, you know he was never a fan of this project being launched in the process―ever since his father was killed by Diablos, I can understand the reasons why he doesn’t want any involvement in this.”

      I pause shuffling through his file and look up. Nikita’s caught my attention; I lean forward in my chair and attempt to raise an eyebrow. Obviously like all the other times, it becomes an agitated twitch. Sam told me his father was shot down in action during a drug bust in Quantico. However then I think, Quantico is where the FBI Academy is―would a drug lord be stupid enough to pull runners beneath their noses?

      “Don’t start second guessing your ex-comrade, he doesn’t know but I do,” Nikita grins, “I’ve encountered Pingelly many times but he hasn’t known, I’ve watched him ever since he walked through the glass doors in Washington. To him, the rationality of exterminating creatures that have done nothing wrong apart from surviving was insane―when he tried telling his superior, the one that I sent the condolence letter to, Pingelly was given the ultimatum that he either goes to Manhattan or he will be back from the gutter where he came from.”

      “Right,” I say.

      “Now that I’ve peeked your interest, give Pingelly a call because what I have to tell you should be heard by those like me,” Nikita rocks back in his chair, pulling on his restraints. “Come on Detective, if you really want to know the disreputable truth of the mission you’ve been given, dial his number and tell him Henry says hello.”

      • • •

      It’s like a parent teacher interview but worse because (a) there are no parents and (b) there are no teachers telling Dad how disruptive I am. Nikita is grinding his cuffs together as if he’s trying to create fire with flint, and that’s disturbing seeing Nikita’s track record of unpredictability. Sam, on the other hand, is leaning against the door of the interrogation room sipping casually on his latte. I try not to shoot myself.

      “Well this is the pinnacle of awkward,” Nikita announces, “I thought it would be fun to see the gears grinding between you to―it’s like talking to strangers. C’mon, you both contain the Diablo gene, you’re smarter than this.”

      “If you keep trying to distract me I will literally take your hand and shove it down your throat until you choke,” I open Nikita’s file and push it forward. “Now answer my questions.”

      Nikita yawns, “I can tell why you don’t want to work with her, Pingelly. She’s a bore. I’d prefer it if you took over the interrogation, seeing that your own partner bumped you from Angel Blue. Low blow Detective.”

      I unlock my jaw and slowly get out of the metal chair, Nikita knows exactly how to get under my skin and I’m really starting to hate it. It isn’t enough for him to use me as a Voodoo doll with those syringes but now he has to make it obstinate between me and Sam? I’m going to kill him, that’s if Sam doesn’t do it first.