The station was bustling. I glanced at Thruor, then went inside. Foster daughter or girlfriend. I thought they were more likely to talk to the former.

“Oh…you…” The desk sergeant frowned.

“Is Mike stuck here?”

“Go in back. Talk to Detective Hargrove.”

My heart twisted in my chest, but I stepped back into the squad room, feeling oddly inside and outside at the same time.

“Jane…come into my office.”

I did so.

“Mike and two other officers are missing.”

Missing. “Not calling in? His girlfriend said he called her and then hung up.”

Hargrove nodded. “Is she…”

“She’s outside, and I’m sure she’d lend you guys the phone, if that helps at all. But I’ll help find him.”

“Miss Doe…”

“You know he trusted me. You trust me, or I wouldn’t be back here. Two more sets of eyes won’t hurt, right?”

“The girlfriend.”

“She’s not going to get herself hurt.” I didn’t mention Thruor also wouldn’t obey any instructions to stay out of it. We should probably pick up Kanesha too…except three people wouldn’t fit on the bike. “And she has friends. Tough biker chicks. Get them on the case and we’ll find them.”

Hargrove frowned, then he slowly nodded. “I’m not supposed to involve civilians.”

“Who are the other two? Warwick?”
“Warwick and Isabel Santez. I have…”

“I’ve met Warwick, but let’s get pictures anyway.”

“We really need to find a way to recruit you.” Hargrove studied me. “I don’t understand why you’re resistant.”

“Because…I don’t follow rules well.”

“One day we’ll have to recruit you or arrest you.”

Maybe, I thought. “That’s not important. Getting a good dragnet out to find Mike is.”

I was not going to let him be killed for me. I was not going to let anything happen to him. I was sure this was mob or gang related, though. Mundanes.

I could handle them. I took the pictures and headed out into the winter cold.

“We’ll find him,” I told Thruor.

She smiled. “I know.”

That smile told me people were going to die.