I grimace as a new string of perps head into holding. For a slow little town like Sheridan, we seem to have a never-ending slew of guys in lock up these days. I shake my head and take another swig of coffee, wincing at its tepid temperature.
“I need a cup of joe,” Ben grunts as he walks toward my desk. He drops a few boxes onto his desk – items from the evidence locker, according to the labels. “I was thinking of visiting Bess over at The Lovely Cafe. The coffee there is way better than the shit we have around here. So is the company.” He nods his head in the direction of the rough looking men hanging on the cell bars.
“I could go for more joe myself,” I agree, standing up and stretching. “Things are slow at the moment anyways.”
“Well, that’s not going to last long,” Ben says with a roll of his eyes. “Did you see that list of items for the meeting tomorrow?”
“Fellas!” Josh’s overly loud voice interrupts our conversation. I look at the man with a neutral expression, trying to control my disdain. To be honest, Josh isn’t a bad guy, but he’s just so goddamn annoying with his constant disruptions and general lack of social graces.
“Helluva morning, Josh,” Ben says coolly. My brother shares my frustrations with our colleague, but he doesn’t care about being discreet. Not that it matters because as usual, Josh is completely clueless.
“Did you hear, guys?” Josh asks breathlessly. “There’s some interesting chatter over the radio today about some activity in Overland Park.”
I raise my eyebrows at this piece of information. Two days ago, Ben and I had finally had Josh removed for good from Operation Criminal Intent because he was compromising the mission left and right. While we hadn’t specifically been the ones to tell him that he was off the team, he likely knew we were the instigators behind his demotion. To hear him now speaking about the sting as if he’s once again a part of it strains my nerves, but also makes me cautious.
“There’s always lots of chatter about Overland Park,” I say in a neutral tone.
“No, it’s not the same info this time.” Josh leans toward me eagerly, like he has a big secret. “It seems there have been some issues with the undercovers themselves.”
I cock my head to a side, my heart beginning to thump. But I can’t let on. “Really? What kind of issues?” I ask in a casual tone.
Josh looks delighted at the attention. “Some really illicit information. I told the Sarge about it. I imagine he’s going to call you in to discuss the matter at any minute. Keep me in the loop, brothers.”
I feel the corners of my mouth tighten as I look at Josh. This isn’t high school, and we aren’t a gaggle of teen girls. This guy is so fucking clueless, but it’s getting to the point where you can’t really fault him. He’s never going to get the picture, no matter what.
“Yeah,” Josh sings, oblivious to my mood. “It seems the Sarge suspects something, especially when it comes to the women there.” He giggles, the high-pitched sound innocuous coming from his huge frame. “They’re ladies of the night. What does he expect? A Bible-reading virgin?”
The blood rushes through my head.
“We don’t know much about any individual’s past, or what led her to make the choices she has,” I say in a professional tone. “I wouldn’t surmise anything.”
Of course, Josh is still clueless.
“Still,” he giggles. “I bet it’s naughty.”
I turn away with disgust. If Josh has done something to ruin this operation, I’m going to strangle him, I think heatedly. But just as quickly, I calm myself down. The idiot likes to stir up gossip whenever he can, and I have far more important things to do than to listen to his drivel. It’s probably nothing more than Josh misreading a situation once again.
“If the Sarge wants to talk with us, he’ll let us know. I suggest you stay out of any work related to this sting,” I say in a cool voice.
At least this time, our co-worker has the sense to take my words seriously. He looks from me to my brother, his eyes darting furtively. Ben has his arms crossed across his broad chest, looking displeased.
“Sure, sure guys,” our colleague warbles, walking backward in the direction of his desk. “Just thought I’d warn you.”
Once the obnoxious man is out of earshot, my twin turns toward me, a flash of concern flitting across his narrowed eyes. “What the hell was that all about?”
I sigh. At least Josh is gone now, although he’s far from over.
“Something tells me he’s angry about being removed from the operation, and he’s stirred up some kind of trouble. Hard to say if it’s anything legitimate. Then again, Josh is such an idiot that it could be a tempest in a teapot.”