Read The Executioner for Free Online Page B

chairs in front of her desk. ‘This will be the last time any of you two walk into my office without knocking,’ she said as both detectives sat down.
    William Bolter chuckled. ‘I told you she can be a right bitch.’
    Hunter kept silent. His eyes studied the new captain. She was playing her cards right. Straight away she was making a stand. Showing she wouldn’t take crap from any of her detectives. The right thing to do on her first day in such a powerful and male-dominated job.
    ‘I’m gonna skip the bullshit speech I gave the other detectives earlier. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before and I’m not here to patronize you,’ she said, taking a seat behind her new desk. ‘Nothing’s gonna change. You’ll carry on doing your job and you’ll report to me as your captain just as you did with William.’ She nodded towards Captain Bolter.
    Hunter liked her style. First show you mean business then play your friendly hand. Barbara Blake was no first-timer.
    She tossed a neatly folded newspaper towards both detectives. ‘Your new case is already causing a stir.’
    Hunter picked it up and checked the headline.
    DECAPITATED PRIEST MADE TO LOOK LIKE THE DEVIL. There were no pictures.
    Hunter handed the paper to Garcia without reading the rest of the article. ‘That was expected, captain. Reporters were already there by the time we got to the church. We’re just lucky none of them managed to sneak in and snapshot the body.’
    Captain Blake leaned back on her chair. ‘I just came off the phone with Mayor Edwards. As you probably know, he’s a Roman Catholic. He’s also very good friends with Bishop Patrick Clark, who’s the Episcopal Vicar of the San Pedro region. The Seven Saints Catholic Church belongs to that region.’ She paused and locked eyes with Hunter. ‘Mayor Edwards called to pressure me. He wants this investigation to be the very definition of swift justice. I reassured him that, as always, we’d be doing our best. He asked who I had on the case, and when I gave him your name he freaked out.’
    Carlos frowned.
    ‘He demanded I handed the investigation to someone else.’
    ‘What?’ Garcia looked at Hunter.
    ‘He’s got some issues with you.’ She continued staring. ‘I’d say he hates your guts. What did you do, bed his wife?’
    A slight head tilt from Hunter. William Bolter kept his eyes on his coffee cup.
    ‘Oh hell no,’ she said as her eyes widened. ‘Please tell me you didn’t bed the mayor’s wife.’
    Garcia cocked both eyebrows.
    ‘With all due respect, captain, I don’t see what my personal life has to do with the case.’
    The captain’s lips twitched. She stood up and walked around to the front of her desk. ‘I’d have to agree with that statement. William tells me you’re the best he’s ever commanded. I trust his judgment. And I’ll be damned if on my first day as the RHD captain I’ll allow some snob-ass politician to try and intimidate me, much less tell me which of my detectives I should or shouldn’t assign to an investigation.’
    William Bolter smiled.
    ‘I told the mayor the case was being handled by extremely competent and experienced detectives. And never to try and tell me how to run my division again.’
    ‘You defied the mayor of Los Angeles on your first day?’ Hunter asked calmly. ‘Most people would prefer to have him on their side.’
    Captain Blake leaned against her desk directly in front of Hunter. ‘Do you think I made a mistake, Detective Hunter?’
    Hunter held her gaze. ‘Do you think you made a mistake, captain?’
    Captain Blake’s smile was full of confidence. ‘Let’s get one thing straight from the word go, shall we? I’ll always stand by my detectives. So don’t even think about starting with that Miami-Vice, I don’t give a crap bullshit attitude. It doesn’t bother me pissing politicians off. What bothers me is not having the trust of the people I work with.’ Her voice was steady and firm. Her stare moving between