Atlanta…
The homicide detective was just staring at her, as he held his coffee mug.
It was 4:30 in the morning.
They had been at it for hours.
“Why don’t you just make this easy on yourself?” he asked.
She just looked back at him.
Her eyes were swollen from a lack of sleep…and everything she had been thru.
“You unloaded a .38 snug nose into your husband’s gut…in front of his newborn child.” The detective sat the coffee mug down. “The result of abuse? You don’t have any signs of any significant trauma.” He was looking at the paperwork. “You’ve never made any reports of abuse before this…help me do my job here!”
She knew he was not on her side.
She was fed up with men like her husband, Rick…men like this detective.
On the other end of the building the Task Force had converged on the Atlanta Police Department, complex. One of their own had been kidnapped from an undercover assignment, in New Orleans.
Another cop came into the room and called the detective.
The detective looked at Latovia. “Think about what I said…think about making this…make sense.” He got his coffee mug and left the room.
All the corridors of the APD building had been cleared.
Martina Torrez…aka, Karen Seals was in the building. This investigation was personal.
She entered the interrogation room.
Latovia looked up at her.
“Latovia…how are you holding up?”
“Who are you?” Latovia asked. She was just about fed up with Atlanta PD.
Karen sat on the edged of the table…close to where Latovia was sitting. “Let’s just say..I’m a friend of a friend of yours.”
Latovia took a deep breath. She was tired. If she was going to jail for murder, then so be it. She was tired of this.
Karen could see it on her face. “Darling…I’m not here to play any games with you.” She looked into Latovia’s eyes, trying to figure out how to go about this.
There was only one way.
Straight forward.
“You Sorority sister…Monica, made contact with you when she was in Atlanta.” Karen got up from the table and walked to the window.
Latovia watched her.
“I know your husband beat you,” Karen said.
She had Latovia’s attention.
“Monica told me.”
“How do you know Monica?” Latovia asked.
Karen turned towards Latovia.
I work with her.”
“You’re a probation officer?”
Karen sat down in the chair at the table.
“Latovia…honey, your husband was in a lot of trouble with the law.”
Latovia tilted her head.
This was new to her.
“He has been gathering intel for the government…against a powerful crime organization. Monica’s job was dealing with this investigation of this organization.”
Latovia listened.
“When she was working in Atlanta…you and her spent some time together. You met two men…during this time. Jason Beckley…or Jay… was one of these two men.”
Latovia nodded.
“He’s dead.” Karen went into her purse and slid a photo of another man. “Do you recognize this man?”
Latovia looked. “He was with Jay one day at Jay’s apartment.”
It was Diego.
Karen nodded. “Monica has been kidnapped.”
Latovia put her hand over her mouth…in shock.
Karen looked Latovia in her eyes. “We are willing to step outside of everything we do…to get her back.” She looked away. “If we don’t get her back…they’ll kill her.”
The Heatblast 