* * *

  The next morning, Delta walked into the District Attorney’s office, evidence in hand. District Attorney Alexandria Pendleton stood up from behind her huge desk as Delta was escorted in by the receptionist. “I understand you have some information regarding last night’s arrest of your Captain.”

  D.A. Pendleton had long auburn hair that swirled past her shoulders, delicately stroking the teal silk blouse she was wearing. Delta extended her hand and shook her strong grip. Her gray green eyes locked onto Delta, as if examining her. Her perfume, like her presence, was strong.

  “Yes, I do.” Delta laid a manila folder on the desk and sat down in the brown leather chair opposite the District Attorney’s.

  “Is there anything in there I can use?”

  “Are you asking if it was illegally obtained?”

  The D.A. smiled. “Something like that. I’ve spent all morning on the phone. Apparently there are a lot of people at the station who believe he was set up. What do you think?”

  Delta did not blink. “I think the evidence speaks for itself.”

  “Not necessarily. I want you to speak for it. Because if I find out that you or your colleagues so much as thought about setting him up, I’ll have your badge. Do you read me?”

  Delta nodded, not taking her eyes off the penetrating gaze of the D.A.

  “We can’t have vigilantes running around our city.”

  “I understand that.”

  District Attorney Pendleton leaned over her desk. “Do you? I would assume, if you do, that you’ll be able to convince me why this information wasn’t brought to my immediate attention, instead of me having to hear about it on this morning’s news.”

  Leaning back, Delta scratched her nose. “There was nothing you could have done. Their plan was practically foolproof. They even had a scapegoat set up should anyone become suspicious. That scapegoat, Ms. Pendleton, was my dead partner.”

  The D.A. leaned back in her chair and studied Delta for a moment before replying. “And you can prove these allegations about your partner being set up? Because if you can’t, there’s going to be an investigation into your activities so deep, you’ll never see the sky again.”

  Delta nodded. She liked the hard line attitude District Attorney Pendleton was taking with her. It meant she was thorough, exact, and wouldn’t let vital information or evidence slip through her fingers. That was good.

  “I’m sure, once you hear the tape and see the story unfold, you’ll understand why it had to be this way.”

  “Then by all means, Officer Stevens, enlighten me.” Draping her arm across the chair, the District Attorney waited.

  For the next thirty minutes, Delta told her story while the D.A. took notes. Except for the placing of the dope in Williams’ car and Bear’s involvement, Delta’s narrative was succinct and to the bone, if not completely forthright.

  When Delta finished, the D.A. leaned across the desk over her folded hands. Her eyes narrowed, and her pupils were small and hard. “Do you have this tape?”

  Delta nodded. “Everything is in that folder.”

  “My god,” the D.A. murmured, leaning back in her large, leather chair as Taggart and Patterson spoke in near hysterics about how to get themselves out of the murder conviction. She gasped when McKlinton said they should have killed Delta that rainy night they took Miles out. And she sighed sadly when she heard Patterson wonder out loud what he would tell his children. It was all there. An hour or so of conversation by condemned men who had painted themselves into a corner with the blood of two fine men.

  “Officer Stevens, I . . . don’t quite know what to say.”

  Delta folded her hands in her lap and sighed. “Horrifying, isn’t it?”

  Alexandria Pendleton shook her head slowly. “Unbelievable. Cops killing cops.”

  Delta leaned on the desk. She wanted D.A. Pendleton to understand the magnitude of this case. “No, Ms. Pendleton dirty cops killing good, clean cops. There’s a big difference.”

  The D.A. was still shaking her head. “It makes me sick to think about it. And you’re telling me that Miles Brookman and James Hammond were killed by the man found in the warehouse; the man who was also sent to allegedly murder you?”

  Delta nodded. “There were other people in the van the night Miles was killed. Could have been cops. Could have just been his buddies getting off on a coldblooded murder.”

  Opening the folder, Pendleton took out the matchbook, the list, and the printout of the evidence sign outs, and laid them on her desk. For a silent minute, she stared down at the evidence before her. “You’ve been awfully busy, haven’t you?”

  “He was my partner.” Delta didn’t know what else to say.

  The District Attorney nodded. “I understand. I’m just not sure I, myself, would have had the courage to do what you’ve done.”

  “You’d be surprised what you can do when you see someone you love shot down right in front of you.”

  The D.A. visibly shuddered at the thought. “Well, you’ve done your job well. I believe it’s my turn.” D.A. Pendleton stood up and offered her hand to Delta.

  “There’s one last bit that you might want to look into.”

  D.A. Pendleton’s eyebrows raised. “You never give up, do you?”

  Delta shook her head. “No, I don’t.” Pulling the yellow slip of paper she found in Williams’s trunk, Delta handed it to the D.A.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s a prescription Williams had for asthma.”

  “So?”

  “Before Miles was killed, we were talking about the fact that we didn’t have a clue as to how the dope was being funneled back into the streets. We shook down every street corner pusher and dealer for blocks, and still came up empty. We squeezed every possible source we had, and still, no one knew where it was coming from.”

  D.A. Pendleton looked at the yellow slip. “And so you’re thinking what better place to deal drugs from, than a pharmacy?”

  Delta nodded. “Once you haul this man in, you’ve got your key witness.”

  “Makes sense. A dirty cop would feel easier about dealing with white collar criminals than with street people. You’ve done exceptional work, Officer Stevens.”

  “The name is Delta.”

  “Well, Delta, you do realize the role you’ll have to play in the trial? You may not come out of this with any colleagues. Even good cops don’t like snitches.”

  Delta nodded. “I know. This wasn’t a popularity contest Ms. Pendleton. I just finished the job my partner started, that’s all.” Rising, Delta took D.A. Pendleton’s hand firmly in hers. “It’s your baby now.”

  Pendleton smiled. “I'll give it everything I’ve got. I do have just one more question for you.”

  Tired, sore, and not sure she was up to any more questions, Delta nodded. “What’s that?”

  “Why?”

  Delta cocked her head. “Why?”

  “Yes. Why? What happens to good cops that makes them turn sour?”

  Still standing, Delta backed away from the desk and stared out the window. A gentle mist stroked the pane. “I read a poem once by a black poet. Can’t remember his name right now. It was subtitled What Happens to a Dream Deferred? I think cops have incredible dreams when they come out of the Academy. We have energy, enthusiasm, and a love for what’s good and right.”

  “And then?”

  “God,” the word seemed to fall out of Delta’s mouth. “And then you face the dregs of society day in and day out. Sometimes, these people are making more money in one day than we’ll see in a month. You bust your ass, take a few stitches, maybe watch a man lose his life, only to see the same scum back on the street because some high-priced lawyer maneuvered around a leaky system. All your work, all your energy ends up being for nothing. It gets to you after a while, I guess. Some cops escape with alcohol, some lift weights, and . . .”

  “And some give in.”

  Delta nodded, still gazing outside. For a moment, she had forgotten Alexandria Pendleton was in the room.

  “How do you cope with it, Delta?”

  “Cope? You don’t really cope. You cope when a child dies in your arms, or when you hold a woman who has just been raped. That’s when you cope, that’s when you better believe in something more powerful than yourself.” Delta watched three young girls walk across the crosswalk holding hands. “How do you stay clean? That comes from within.” As Delta watched the girls get on a bus, she felt Alexandria’s hand touch her shoulder.

  “Well, Delta Stevens, whatever you believe in, wherever your inner strength comes from, I applaud it. You are one hell of a woman.”

  For a moment, the two women stood by the window, looking out at whatever dreams and emotions drifted past.

  Delta watched as the mist started falling in heavier drops and sighed as they rolled quickly down the pane.

  “I’ll do everything I can do get you a conviction on this, Delta.”

  “Thank you.”

  Turning to leave, Delta stopped, hand poised on the shiny brass knob. “You know, the last line of the poem asks whether or not a dream deferred just explodes. What do you think?”

  Alexandria Pendleton stepped out from behind her desk and stood a foot away from Delta. “I think that people like you keep that from happening.”

  Smiling her acceptance of the compliment, Delta walked out of the office.

  Before she could reach her car, three large men in blue were lumbering toward her. “Shit,” Delta muttered to herself, seeing them approach. It was starting already.

  “Hey, Stevens!” one of the officers called.

  Delta swallowed hard. “What, Quince?”

  The larger man, Quince, walked over to her and stuck his hand out. “The guys in the department heard what you did last night. Took a lot of guts to take them on by yourself.”

  Delta’s jaw dropped open.

  “Taking down dirty cops is bad business, but it’s gotta be done. We just wanted to congratulate ya.”

  Delta slowly reached out to the huge hand and shook it.

  “I don’t know all the particulars, but we’ve heard that you busted some kinda drug operation. From the inside.”

  Delta nodded, still speechless.

  “Well, we just wanted you to know that the three of us are behind you. You’re okay in our book.”

  “Yeah, and if any of the other guys give you any shit, you come to us, okay? It’s shit like this that gives us all a bad name. We gotta stand by each other.”

  Inhaling slowly, Delta nodded again. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  Quince winked at her. “You’re a damn good cop, Stevens. And I’d have you for a partner any day. I’m sorry that Miles and James were offed by those assholes. Never liked that damned Williams anyway. Always had that shifty look in his eye.”

  Delta nodded and grinned. She sensed the helplessness these men were feeling—their impotence to keep a friend from harm. She knew that emotion—she had spent many a night crying it out of her soul.

  “I appreciate this a lot, you guys. I wasn’t sure if I had any friends left.”

  Quince laid his hand on Delta’s shoulder. “More than you know. It took more courage than I’ve got to do what you did. A man’s gotta admire someone with that kind of chutzpah.”

  Delta smiled, feeling the heat of humility rise to her face. “Thanks.”

  “No, Stevens. Thank you. And remember that we’re here. Us and lots of the other guys as well.”

  Watching the three men stride away, Delta heaved a sigh. Finally, she and Connie were no longer lone figures fighting the system.

  * * *

  On the fourth day after Williams’s arrest, Delta rose from her own bed and found Megan in the kitchen. On Pendleton’s advice, Delta had taken a leave of absence in order to stay out of the limelight as long as possible. Thus far, in the four days since the arrest, five additional cops had been arrested, and two resigned from the force.

  The dominoes were quickly falling.

  “Mmm, don’t you look good enough to eat,” Delta said, threading her arms around Megan’s waist. “What’s cooking?”

  Turning while still in Delta’s arms, Megan kissed her long and hard.

  “Nothing, yet. Want some eggs?” Megan winked sensually. Pulling Megan away from the kitchen and into the living room, Delta shook her head.

  “I know I’ve done nothing but sleep the last three days, but I’m awake now, and I have a few things to say to you.”

  Megan sat on the couch next to Delta and held her hand.

  “You have been so wonderful through all this, that I don’t know how to thank you.”

  Megan’s blue eyes sizzled. “I thought Hawaii was on the agenda.”

  Smiling, Delta nodded. “So it is. But before you and I go any further, there are some things I must say.”

  The fire in Megan’s eyes cooled, and she nervously grabbed Delta’s hand in both of hers. “I think I know what this is about.”

  Delta smiled gently and retrieved one of her hands so she could stroke Megan’s soft cheeks. “Yes, but I don’t think you have any idea the direction it’s headed.”

  Megan’s eyes widened. “Maybe I don’t want to know. I’ve been dreading this talk. I kept hoping that when this was all over, you and I could just move ahead. I . . . I guess I’ve just been fooling myself, haven’t I?”

  Delta slowly shook her head. “No. I don’t think so.”

  A tiny flicker of light shone in Megan’s eyes. “No?”

  “No. Megan, since you’ve come into my life, I feel so alive again. It’s been a long time since someone has touched me as you have, and I’m not about to toss those feelings to the wind. I’m not the same woman who started digging where Miles left off. So much of that change I owe to you.”

  Megan silenced Delta with a finger to her lips. “You don’t need to thank me, sweetheart.”

  “Yes I do. Before you came into my life, I only saw the world in terms of black and white. I suppose being a cop made me predisposed to that way of thinking, but since being with you, I’ve learned there’s a lot more gray in life.

  Megan ran her hands through Delta’s hair and brushed her fingers across her cheek. “Oh, Delta, you don’t know how happy it makes me to hear that. I was so afraid—”

  “So was I. I was so afraid that I was going to throw us away because we come from opposite ends of the universe. And maybe I would have. Maybe being a cop was all I knew. Maybe I had become black and white. But I learned a great deal about myself when I was trying to stay alive in that warehouse. When I killed that man, I realized that I did what I had to do to survive. For the first time, I understood what you meant.”

  “We’re not so different, you and me.”

  Delta smiled. “No, we’re not. Not anymore.”

  Pulling Megan to her, Delta kissed her, gently at first, but then harder, thrusting her tongue into Megan’s mouth.

  Pushing Delta away, Megan fanned herself. “Why, Officer Stevens, I do believe you care for me.”

  Bringing Megan back to her, Delta kissed her warmly. “Yes, Megan Osbourne, I most certainly do.”

  “Enough to do that one thing?”

  Delta’s eyes grew wide. Licking her lips, she nodded vigorously. “Oh God, yes.”

  “Good!” Jumping to her feet, Megan left the room and quickly returned carrying a square board with chess pieces on top. Setting it on the table, Megan sat across from Delta, who looked at the chessboard bemused.

  “Is this that ‘one thing’ you were talking about?”

  Megan’s eyes sparkled. “Well, of course. What one thing did you think I meant?” Winking, Megan leaned across the table, knocking some pieces to the floor and slipped her hand into Delta’s pajama top. “Why don’t you make the first move?” Megan murmured huskily.

  For Delta, it was the sweetest chess match she ever played.

  * * *

  After the guilty verdicts were handed down and the lengthy sentences pounded out with the gavel, Delta found herself driving alone to the cemetery. The trial, as anticipated, had not been long. The evidence and various plea bargaining was sufficient enough to lock most of them behind bars for a long, long time. The pharmacist’s testimony buried Williams, as he had kept a log of dates, times and transactions Williams and others had made. Jennifer came to the trials every day, as did Connie and Megan. It was an emotionally difficult trial because friends were called in to testify against friends and partners against partners. But in the end, the individuals standing on the two sides of the issue were clearly divided.

  When it was finally over, there was no celebration or cork popping. While Delta was glad to see justice done, the price everyone paid, they paid in spirit. It was that very spirit that Delta needed to mend now.

  Standing by Miles’s grave, Delta sighed heavily. The rains made the surrounding grass smell fresh and clean, and birds chirped as a slight breeze rustled the leafless branches. Looking about her, Delta felt alive, and she knew that Miles wanted her to feel this way.

  “It’s me again,” she said, taking her hand from her pocket. “We did it. It took a lot of work, but we did it. I told you I wouldn’t let you down.” Delta looked around her at the other visitors. “My life is very different now, without you. I’ve fallen in love with Megan. Somehow, I think you expected that to happen. Maybe, in some weird way, you had a hand in it.” Delta inhaled, then released a loud sigh. “I miss you, big guy, but it’s time for me to move on. I need to know that I’ve let go of you. Connie said it would be good for me. I finally had to agree. So .here I am, one last time, to say goodbye.”

  Laying three objects on the headstone, Delta wiped her eyes. A tiny rain tumbled carelessly to the ground. Standing two of the objects up, Delta removed her hand from the white king and the white knight; two marble pieces from the chess set Miles bought for her.

  “Do they play much chess where you are?” Delta asked, centering the third object in the middle. “If they do, always remember that the best moves are often the most preposterous, illogical, and outlandish ones imaginable.”