The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Herman basically told everyone to clear out.

Jason knew Herman was in a foul mood, and Anastasia was a mess herself. It

wasn't the right time to press for details.

So, he left.

It was already dark when he made it back to the station. The corpses of those four

men were still lying in the morgue, cold and forgotten.

Jason holed up in his office, combing through case files. Those four had to be

connected somehow—there was no way it was just random chance they all ended

up together.

They'd only recently gotten out of prison. What on earth had pushed them tonoveldrama

kidnap Anastasia? None of them had family, no ties, nothing to lose—but guys like

that usually kept their heads down, tried to stay alive.

Lately, the department was drowning in cases. Jason was running on fumes,

getting maybe four, five hours of sleep, practically living at his desk.

He had to keep tabs on Harry, the serial killer case was still nowhere near solved,

and now this new mess had landed in his lap.

Jason was barely keeping it together when someone knocked on his door.

"Come in," he said, gathering up the files.

The door opened. It was Chief Taylor.

Jason blinked. "Chief? Didn't expect to see you this late."

Taylor, in his fifties, always looked warm and approachable. He smiled. "Still hard

at work, huh, Jason? You working on the Salstrom kidnapping?"

Jason figured this was about pushing for progress. "Yeah. I'll solve it soon, Chief."

"No rush, I'm not here to breathe down your neck." Taylor grinned. "How about

grabbing a bite with me?"

When the Chief invited you to eat, it usually meant good news.

"Chief, if there's something you want to say, just say it here. I'm swamped."

"There'll always be more cases, Jason. But you're no use to anyone if you burn

out." Taylor chuckled. "But I already made a reservation, so come on, indulge me."

Jason couldn't refuse.

***

They ended up in a private booth at a diner. Food arrived, and Taylor asked,

"Drink?"

Jason got straight to the point. "Chief, what's this about? You didn't come out here

just to eat."

Taylor laughed. "Always so

impatient. Fine—I've got some good

news. Remember last time, when

Alisa messed up your promotion?

There's another shot. Einsberg's

starting an anti-terror squad and

they want you to head it."

Jason hesitated. "But the Salstrom case isn't closed yet. The serial murders—"

Taylor waved him off. "Someone else will take over. This is a big opportunity,

Jason. Don't let it slip away."

Jason got it now. This wasn't a reward. They wanted him off these cases—

especially Anastasia's.

He kept his face neutral. "Thanks,

Chief, but I'd rather stay. I've

followed the serial killer case from

the start. I want to see it through.

You should pick someone else for

the squad."

He didn't mention Anastasia's case, hoping Taylor would drop his guard. If

someone was blocking him, he wanted to know who.

Taylor's smile faded. "Jason, I gave

you your start here. This is a

one-time shot. You'll still have

access to the serial killer case from

Einsberg. I'll make sure of it. You'll

get special clearance, work with the

new lead."

That only made Jason more certain—they didn't want him near Anastasia's case.

He pushed, "What about the Salstrom kidnapping? All four suspects are dead,

and if the press gets wind of this, Riverdale's going to explode."

Taylor took a long drag from his cigar. "The case is closed. Herman called—it's

over. There's enough gossip about Mrs. Salstrom already. Digging further will only

hurt her."

"Herman asked for that?"

Jason was stunned. He'd just seen Herman. The man had looked furious—like

he'd never rest until someone paid. No way he'd give up that easily.

Taylor nodded. "The Salstroms are a big name here. This kind of scandal could

destroy Mrs. Salstrom. They want it gone. So, you'll report to Einsberg tomorrow."

That wasn't a request. It was an order.