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speak, his eyes looked droopy and it appeared that he’d be sound asleep in a few minutes. For most of their six-month partnership, T.J. had been alert and ready to roll first thing in the morning. In fact, he was an energetic, cheery “morning person” who came to work singing. He annoyed the crap out of everyone around him who was still struggling to gradually wake up. But something recently changed. Something wasn’t quite right with him. She realized that she had to confront the issue, but now was not the time.
    Driving the side streets of the Bronx, watching kids enjoying their summer vacation—
    playing hopscotch and stick ball—reminded Dupree of a life less complicated. A life she abandoned when her teen years changed her from a sweet girl to an out of control and defiant young woman. She tried to blame it on her father, a worthless man who abandoned his wife and daughter when Dupree was only three years old. But the peer pressure in high school influenced her more than any other factor and set her on the wrong path.
    Why at this particular time she would be reminiscing about such things made no sense. But she not only had survived her teenage years, she’d fulfilled the promise she had whispered in her mother’s ear moments before she died.
    “I’m going to be somebody, Mom. I’m going to make you proud of me.”
    Dupree wasn’t sure if she’d kept her promise by getting into law enforcement. But she hoped that her mother looked down from the heavens with favor.
    Trying to clear her head of all these troubling thoughts, she pulled into the driveway of the ten-story office building and found a visitor’s spot. They got out of the car and headed for the entrance. Just inside the door, Dupree noticed the building directory. Horizon was located on the top floor.
    Dupree and T.J. stepped into the elevator. As soon as the door closed and the elevator moved upward, Dupree elbowed T.J. “Are you ready for this interview?”
    “Want the truth?”
    “No. I want you to bullshit me.”
    “I really don’t feel up to it.”
    Although annoyed, Dupree appreciated his honesty. “Tell you what. You just sit there and look pretty and I’ll ask the questions. Just don’t fall asleep.”
    “I’ll do my best.”
    The elevator door opened and Dupree stepped out; T.J. lagged a few steps behind her. It appeared that Horizon Cancer Research Center occupied the entire floor, which was not what Dupree had anticipated. For some reason, after speaking to Mrs. Crawford, Dupree got the impression that Horizon would be in a small space the size of a janitor’s closet in the basement of a musty old building. But clearly, this was a first class operation, and whoever funded the project had wheelbarrows full of money. Just looking around, Dupree guessed that there had to be at least a couple dozen employees moving about. And she suspected there were many more “worker bees” out of sight.
    They approached the reception desk and a young woman greeted them with a big grin. She looked like someone who could be modeling a Versace evening gown on a fashion show runway.Her teeth were bright white and perfectly aligned. And her low-cut blouse left nothing to the imagination.
    “May I be of assistance?” she asked. Her eyes were fixed on T.J. Dupree felt as if she were invisible. This was not the first time Dupree witnessed a young woman making goo-goo eyes at T.J. Why wouldn’t they? He was trim, muscular, good looking, and he had a beautiful smile. What Dupree found peculiar, was that all the female attention never seemed to faze him.
    “We have an appointment with Dr. Mason,” Dupree said.
    Still not making eye contact, which was really starting to irritate Dupree, the young woman said, “May I have your names, please?”
    She flashed her badge and ID. “I’m Detective Dupree and this is Detective Brown.”
    The young woman grinned at T.J. and tossed her long, blonde hair to one side, fashion-model-style.
    “Please have a