“Yeah, that sounds good, we’ll give you a call when we get back,” said Decker. “We have to go report in, too. I’ll drive back with Agent White.”
Andrews gave them a thumbs-up and walked off to his car.
Decker led White over to the rental and they climbed in and drove off.
They had barely gone thirty feet when White unloaded. “I don’t appreciate getting dumped by my partner.”
“I can—”
“Shut up, ’cause I’m not done. In fact, I’m just getting started. I’m a good agent and I’ve been busting my hump for a long time and I don’t deserve this shit from you or anyone else.”
“Look, I—”
She stuck a finger in his face. “I’m not done, so shut the fuck up, Donnie!”
“Didn’t take you for aBig Lebowskifan,” said Decker, referring to the line from that classic film.
“If you ever pull that shit on me again, I will lay your ass out so fast, you’ll think Muhammad Ali came back from the grave and used you for punching practice. And I already told you I have a double black belt in karate, so Icanlay your butt out. I don’t care how big you are.”
“I’m trying—”
She smacked him on the arm. “Notdone yet, Decker. And as soon as this case is over, however it turns out, I’m getting the hell away from you. And then you can go and play your stupid little mind games and screw over somebody else, because I’m not having it. I am not putting up with your bullshit and you are not blowing up my career. Now, do you understand what the fuck I’m saying to you?”
Several moments of silence passed.
“Decker, Iaskedyou a question.”
“I was just making sure you were done.”
“I hope to hell that I am.”
“You’re right. I screwed with you and I shouldn’t have. It was my fault and I’m sorry.”
“Why in the hell did you do it in the first place?” barked White.
Decker didn’t answer right away. “I don’t handle change well. And you’re not Alex. But even with Alex, it was no picnic with her for a long time.”
“Yeah, she told me. But you eventually warmed up to her. You gave her a chance. Why am I different?”
“You’re not different. MaybeIam.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, I don’t know. But what I do know is we have a case to work, and it’s going to take both of us to get there.”
“And why should I give you another chance?”
“I can’t think of a single good reason,” he conceded.
White said, “Good. If you had tried to bullshit me I might have shot you.”
They drove for a bit in silence.
“Okay, what did you find out today?” she asked.
He told her about his theory on Draymont and Cummins being lovers.
“The ME confirmed that she’d had consensual sex that night. And the physical evidence substantiates that it was probably with Draymont. DNA on the sheets will confirm. If so, he was probably leaving the house when it happened, while the judge was probably upstairs in bed. She heard the shots and raced downstairs.”