What is it, boy? Parker asked and let the leash drop. Sherlock took off with his nose to the ground. He headed straight for the bank of lockers situated against the wall between two classrooms. He started pawing and jumping at the last locker on the left.
Parkers expression darkened. Can you open this locker?
She grimaced and gestured to the combination lock hanging from the lock mechanism. The key to the lock has been missing for...oh, at least six months. And no one seems to know the combination. I keep meaning to have the locksmith come out to rekey it, but havent. Theres nothing in there.
She hoped. But watching the way Sherlock was attacking the locker, a lump of dread dropped to the pit of her tummy. It occurred to her Sherlock hadnt smelled anything in the locker this morning so whatever had him agitated now had been placed in it recently. Not good. Not good at all.
The door next to the lockers pushed open and Jim Wheaton walked out. The heavyset officers gray eyes narrowed on the dog. Whats going on?
Beside her, Melody felt Parker stiffen. Sherlock smells something, Parker said in a neutral tone that belied his physical posture.
We need to get in this locker, she said, her voice tight with anger.
Jim frowned. Why? Nobody uses it. Hasnt for months.
Several teens crowded around Jim in the doorway.
Melodys fingers curled with anxiety. Can you break it open, please?
Jim sighed heavily. Yeah. Let me get something. He turned and groused, Out of my way.
The teens scattered, some stepping into the hall, others moving back into the class.
Jim disappeared back inside the room and reappeared a moment later with a pair of bolt cutters, which he used to cut the lock. The locker door swung open.
Melody gasped. Oh, no.
She stared at the pile of baggies filled with white powder and recoiled as if a rattlesnake was about to strike.
Someone had a stash of cocaine in the locker. Shock punched her in the gut. Drugs in the youth center. This was her worst nightmare.
She met Parkers gaze. The accusation in his eyes stung worse than a snakes bite ever could. Did he actually think she had something to do with this?
Im shutting you down, he said, his eyes cold, his voice hard. As of today, this place is off-limits.
THREE
You dont have the authority to do that, Melody protested.
Ill get it. Tension tightened Parkers jaw as he stared at the drugs sitting on the shelf in the locker. It figured the youth center would be too good to be true. Guess the rumor mill was correct.
Was Melody dealing drugs out of the center? Disappointment flooded his system, yet he had a hard time reconciling those thoughts with the woman standing next to him. The shock in her eyes, the distress on her face couldnt be an act. Could it?
If she were guilty of dealing drugs through the center, shed have thought up some excuse to refuse opening the locker. But thered been no excuses, no hesitation.
Hed give her the benefit of the doubt. For now.
Sherlock jumped up, the nails of his paws scratching the metal locker, then the beagle let out a series of loud barks.
Good job, boy, Parker said, absently withdrawing a small white towel from the leather pack around his waist. The towel had been scented with various drugs, which helped train the beagle to sniff out a wide variety of illegal substances and was the dogs reward for finding the correct stashes.
Distracted by the toy, Sherlock clamped his teeth around the end and tugged. Holding on to the other end, Parker played tug-of-war as a reward for a job well done.
Who put this here? Jim exclaimed, staring into the locker.
Thats what Id like to know, Parker said, his gaze searching each person in the vicinity. I want the locker and the bags printed.
Melody nodded her agreement. Jim, would you call the station and have them send over Rose and Clay?
Jim grunted his assent and disappeared back inside the classroom.
Pleased with her take-charge attitude, Parker shifted his attention to the kids huddled in a group watching the action unfold with wary expressions. Well need to get a court order to have the techs print everyone whos had access to the center.
Frowning, Melody followed his gaze. Lets take it one step at a time, okay? See what prints the CSU team finds on the baggies and the locker and run them through IAFIS to see if any of the prints pop.
IAFISthe FBIs Integrated Automatic Fingerprint Identification Systemwould only show those already in the system.
One way or another Parker would find whoever was using the center as a clearinghouse for their drugs. He wasnt going to let what happened to his brother happen to someone else.
He didnt think Melody was involved. At least he hoped she wasnt because he really liked her. Liked her determination and seeming dedication. She appeared sincere and genuine in her earnest attempt to effect some change in the lives of the kids in Sagebrush. His gaze skipped over her lush dark hair and her beautiful face. In all honesty, he liked a few other things about the detective, too. Sherlock jerked on the towel, bringing him back to his senses. The woman had a locker full of drugs. Now was not the time to be noticing her appeal. He shifted his focus to Sherlock. Drop it.
The beagle let go of the towel and sat, his tail thumping softly against the floor. Parker put the toy back into his pack, glad for something to do so he could regain control of his emotions.
A young woman with long blond hair came down the hall. When she saw the locker and its contents, her face paled. Oh, wow. Is that what I think it is?
Melody took the womans hand. It is. To Parker, Melody said, This is Ally Jensen, my assistant. She turned back to the young woman. Do you have any idea how that got there or whos been using this locker?
Ally shook her head. Her gaze darted to the group of kids and back to the locker. No. No, I dont.
Parker narrowed his gaze on the girl. Could the drugs be hers? Are you sure?
Her green eyes shimmered with anxiety. Im sure.
The doors at the end of the long corridor opened and the crime-scene techs walked in.
Called to the youth center twice in one day, Rose Bigsby said as she approached. She pushed up her wire-rimmed glasses with her free hand. Did you have another break-in?
Melody grimaced and looked as if she might be sick. Not a break-in this time. She gestured to the drugs.
Clay whistled through his teeth.
Rose held up a staying hand. Hold your horses, everyone. With all due respect to Sherlocks awesome track record for sniffing out the real stuff, we need to test it first, especially considering the whos and wherefores around here... Her gaze slid to Melody. Parker could hear the unspoken thoughts about respecting coworkers. Rose set the duffel bag she carried on the ground and pulled on rubber gloves. Everyone back up and give me room to work.
She opened her bag and withdrew a vial, then carefully opened a baggie, taking a tiny sample and putting it into the vial. The color the substance turned when mixed with the chemical agent in the vial would determine the type of drug.
Cocaine, Rose announced, holding up the vial to reveal the purple-colored bottom.
Cocaine, Rose announced, holding up the vial to reveal the purple-colored bottom.
Parker had figured as much. Rose and Clay set to work on fingerprinting the baggies and the locker.
Melody went to the group of kids and talked to them in a low voice. Frowning, Parker walked over.
If any of you know anything about the drugs, I need you to tell me. You wont get in trouble for telling the truth, Melody said.
Parkers eyebrows rose. Was Melody really that naive to think these kids would reveal anything? If one of them was involved, they certainly wouldnt confess. And they would get in trouble.
Was she making this show of trying to find the culprit to throw suspicion off herself? His gut clenched.
What did he really know about her? She could very well be on the crime syndicates payroll. Or her partner, Jim, could be. Parker needed to have both officers finances looked at, see if either of them had money troubles, because that would be the only logical reason why someone like Melody, who was so smart and competent, would ever betray the oath she took to protect and serve.
As much as he hated the directions his thoughts were taking, he needed to report this to his boss.
And her boss.
They were supposed to be on the same team. If Melody had something to hide, then shed have to pay the price. That thought didnt settle well with him at all.
* * *
Melody watched Parker step away to make a call. Tension coiled through her. She needed a plan of action. Get the kids to talk, and then track down the culprit. She would get to the bottom of this situation and prove to Parker the center wasnt being used for drug dealing. This was a one-time incident. It had to be. But the unease in her stomach taunted her.
I saw John Riviera hanging around that locker, Joy Haversham said, drawing Melodys attention back to the question shed asked the group of teens gathered in a nervous circle around her.
Joy! Tony Roberts made a slicing gesture across his throat.
Melody would be talking to John ASAP. If he were the culprit, then he would pay the price for his bad judgment and illegal activity.
What? I did, Joy said. The fifteen-year-old girl twirled a brown curl around her finger. He was standing there, leaning against the lockers last Thursday night.
Doesnt mean those are Johns drugs, Tony countered. They could be anybodys. This place is easy to get into.
Melody arched an eyebrow. Oh, really?
Tony shrugged. At nearly eighteen, the kid was more man than boy. Had he been the one dressed in black this morning?
She eyed the width of his shoulders and decided no, he wasnt the man whod rammed into her and knocked her against the wall. That man had had broad shoulders as hard as bricks. What do you mean this place is easy to get into?
A guilty, sheepish look crossed his face before he carefully masked it with insolence. The windows in the locker room are never locked.
That was a surprise. Well, they would be from now on. The locker-room windows were at street level since the locker rooms were in the basement. Shed make sure Jim secured them every night.
Parker returned, pocketing his phone. He leveled her with an inscrutable look. Our captains want us over at the station house as soon as Rose and Clay wrap things up.
You two can go, Jim volunteered. Ill stay and keep an eye on the place.
Parker shook his head. They want to see you, as well.
A flash of annoyance shot through Jims gray eyes. I dont know anything about this. Im just a volunteer.
Melody frowned. Technically, he was her co-director. Jim, well both go. The center is both of our responsibility.
Yeah, well, I keep telling you these kids are trouble, Jim groused. Wouldnt surprise me if the captains decided the youth center was too much of a liability.
His words sent a shaft of apprehension sliding straight to her core. Jim knew how much this place meant to her. He and his late wife had taken Melody under their wing when shed first arrived in town. Jim had tried to talk her out of opening the center.
But she wouldnt be dissuaded. And so hed stepped up to be her co-director.
She suspected hed volunteered to help her in order to protect her. But would Jim take this opportunity to help Parker convince the captains to close the youth center doors for good?
She sent up a silent plea for Gods protection over the center. They were doing good work here. It would be a shame for everything theyd accomplished and all they could do in the future to end now. There were still so many kids who needed the help, the guidance the center offered. Shed made a promise to herself shed do all she could to see that teens like Daniel were given every opportunity to choose a path other than drugs.
Ill keep an eye on things, Ally assured Melody.
Melody wanted to trust Ally. The young woman had been a faithful volunteer from the beginning. They shared the bond of grief. Ally had been Daniels girlfriend. After that horrible night, Ally had pulled her act together and had been clean ever since. At least Melody believed so. But at the moment, she wasnt sure what to think or who to trust. Someone with access to the center had stored his or her drug contraband in the locker.
Thats okay, Ally. I think it will be best if we close the center for the rest of the evening, Melody said, hating to cancel the classes and programs scheduled for the night. But Parker was right. The place had to be shut down. At least temporarily. Would you mind posting a note on the doors?
Ally sighed. No problem.
Melody caught Parkers gaze. She detected a hint of approval mingled with the surprise in his brown eyes. Her hackles rose. She wasnt doing this for his sake. Best to close now and sort this out than...
Let you close us down for good. She let the unspoken words form in her mind.
He nodded as if hed heard and understood.
Rose put all the bags of cocaine into a large evidence bag. Well take all this to the station. Theres too much to print to do a good job here.
Im done, Clay added. I got everything I could off the locker.
He and Rose gathered their things and exited the center. Jim followed closely behind.
Melody ushered the teens out the door. Hating to see the disappointment and confusion on the kids faces, she said, You all can come back tomorrow.
She could only hope and pray shed be able to keep that promise. Would God come through for her? Shed find out soon.
Ill give you a lift to the station, Parker said as he and Sherlock followed her while she locked up.
She shook her head. I can manage to walk over there by myself.
Ive no doubt you can, Parker said. But the captains are waiting.
True. Realizing that it would be quicker to accept the offer of a ride, she followed Parker and Sherlock to the SPD vehicle.
The thick tension between her and Parker made her shoulder muscles tighten. Despite what Parker might think, she knew shed done a good job with the youth center. And shed do whatever it took to find who the drugs belonged to. She couldnt allow these kids to be in harms way.
She rolled her shoulders, trying to release the tightness. Someone had breached the center with their
poison.
After arriving at the station house, they went straight to the conference room. An oval table with leather chairs dominated the center. A floor-to-ceiling window stretched across one wall while the far wall was lined with shelves full of procedure books.