C21 Chapter 21

After Zane left, Brian called Johnson over to his desk. When Johnson came over Brian stood.

“Come with me,” he said to Johnson.

Johnson followed Brian to Zane’s office. Brian closed the door and they sat down in the chairs in front of Zane’s desk facing one another. Brian looked around conspiratorially.

“Listen, Johnson. You’re new here. Some of the other officers here and I, don’t want to see you get caught in the crossfire. The chief’s under suspicion for corruption. Normally I go everywhere with him but I think it’s strange that he cut me out this morning and put you in my place. It worries me. I need to warn you to be careful. The Chief’s in big trouble if he’s involved in the corruption we’re talking about and I suggest you stay as far away from him as you can without making him suspect you know anything, okay?”

“Why?” Johnson asked.

“Why? Why?” Brian asked incredulously. “Son, he’s going to drag you down if you aren’t careful. Right now, he’s looking for a scapegoat. Someone who can take the fall for everything so be careful. Keep him as far away from your personal life and your home as you can. He’ll plant evidence and if he has to, he’ll kill you, or try damn hard. Watch your back.”

Johnson stared at Brian saying nothing.

Brian continued. “Those kids who all got gunned down? Do you know who saw them before we were tasked to go and question them? Zane did. So we suspect that he interviewed some of them and got some information which was a bit too close to home. We suspect he arranged the drive by’s and took the kids out. Why send us to go and talk to the kids? I don’t

know but I’m guessing he’s trying to throw someone off the trail because it’s getting kind of hot for him. I got hit over the head by that woman when we brought her in for questioning. Think that was just a coincidence? I doubt it. Seriously. He leaves the room and leaves me to get my ass kicked. He washes his hands and blames me for losing her.

Johnson left the station at the end of his shift. After his chat with Brian, he had steered clear of as many colleagues as he could. He didn’t want to get into any further conversations with anyone and although Brian had pushed hard to push blame on Chief Zane, he wasn’t sure who to trust.

Why would Zane take him to see a different Jerry if he knew that Brian would have taken him to someone else the day before? Surely Zane would know that it would come out? On the other hand, maybe Brian had never imagined that Johnson would go and visit the same informants the next day with Zane.

Johnson felt a queasiness in his gut. He began to get the feeling that everything he had been told so far since he arrived and his training started in this city, just might be a lie. Every person he met might just be a crook. Was it possible the force could be so corrupt? Who could tell?

He wondered about Zane suggesting he take some time off and go home. Was Zane trying to get him out of the way? And if so, for what reason? Was Zane afraid he might become collateral damage in what was coming? If Zane suspected him, why would he hint that he should take some time off? Surely he would want him here to arrest him when the time

came and the bust went down.

Regardless of the reason, he began to think that taking time off might not be a bad idea. He would hopefully not be here when the trouble hit and could come back with some peace of mind after it had all blown over.

He told himself he sounded like a coward. But, he told himself, considering that he didn’t know who to believe, he had to think of self-preservation. And self-preservation didn’t look like it meant sticking around for the next couple of days or weeks.

Johnson made a decision. He called Zane and asked if he could see him after work at his home.

Zane agreed.