Cop Said “You Two Aren't Welcome Here” To Twins — Both Were Federal Agents Investigating Him
Chapter 18
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Nobody said anything. Then Hank looked up at the clock over the mirror. "You know what the worst part is?" he said. "It doesn't even matter what happens to me. Come Friday night, 9:00, he'll walk right through that door and hold out his hand like nothing ever happened." He shook his head. "He'll still come Friday for the rent. He always does. That man has never missed a Friday in 11 years."Kendra went very still. She looked at Jayda; Jayda was already looking at her. One look, no words. They always knew.On Tuesday afternoon, Kendra found Tyler Webb at a small park on the edge of town. He was not in uniform: he was sitting on a bench by the swings, holding a baby girl in a pink hat, rocking her gently and staring at nothing.When he saw Kendra walking toward him, he stood up fast like he wanted to run; then he looked down at the baby in his arms and sat back down."I'm not supposed to talk to you," he said."I know." Kendra sat down on the other end of the bench. "What's her name?"He was quiet for a moment. "Grace.""She's beautiful."Webb's chin trembled. "He found the pictures on my phone Thursday night. He took them to Pratt. Sunday night, Pratt called me into his office: he said he'd charge me with stealing evidence, he said my wife would lose her job at the county by Monday, he said I'd never work as a cop anywhere in Missouri." Webb looked down at his daughter. "He had the statement already written. All I had to do was read it.""I understand," Kendra said—and she did."The book isn't gone," Webb said quietly. "He didn't burn it—Dempsey's too proud to burn it; it's 11 years of his work. Sunday night, after he found my pictures, he gave it to Pratt to hold. I saw him carry it in. Pratt keeps it in the safe in his private office, upstairs over the old bank on Main Street."Kendra kept her face calm; inside, her heart was pounding."And on Fridays," Webb went on, "after he's done collecting from all the bars, he drives the money to that office—11:00 every Friday. Pratt counts it himself and takes his 40%. That's how it's always worked."Kendra took out her phone, found the bar video, and turned the screen toward him. On the screen, a young officer stood in the doorway of Delaney's Tavern; Dempsey shouted,"I said turn it off!"; the young officer's hand moved toward his camera, then stopped, and the green light stayed on."That was you," Kendra said. "Nobody made you do that. Your sergeant was screaming at you in front of a whole room, and you decided to keep the light on. That's who you are, Tyler—not the man who read that paper on TV."Webb stared at the screen for a long time. Baby Grace grabbed his finger and held it. "What do you need?" he finally asked."Friday night," Kendra said, "you ride with him like always. Your camera stays on the whole time—every bar, every envelope, right up to Pratt's door.""He'll see the light."Kendra reached into her pocket and pulled out a small roll of black tape. "Not if it's covered."Webb almost laughed. He took the tape.