Read Online A Voice from the Field by Neal Griffin - Free Book Online

days after her return from Mexico. Ben and Alex had insisted she come by the house to see the new baby, Isabella.
    The photo showed the whole Sawyer clan in the backyard of their Newberg home, with a backdrop of a perfect Wisconsin sunset. It was the last time Tia had visited the family. There were too many secrets between them now. Tia gave the doorframe a soft rap; Ben jerked slightly, startled, then turned quickly to face her. She stepped into the office.
    â€œExcuse me, Chief. You wanted to see me?”
    He was a near-perfect picture of professionalism: uniform pants sharply creased, boots and basket-weave belt polished to a black sheen. Only the snowy white T-shirt he wore detracted from his image—but a crisply pressed uniform shirt bearing a metal badge and four gold stars on the collar hung from the back of a chair, ready to be put on at a moment’s notice.
    His close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair, his flat stomach, and the jagged scar that ran across his cheek gave Ben the appearance of a military commando more than a small-town police chief. Tia knew he was coming up on forty-five, but he looked like he could still outrun and outgun most of the cops on Newberg PD, though they averaged a little over half his age.
    The first time Tia had seen Ben wearing the four stars of a chief, she’d jumped to her feet, given him a mock salute, and called him Patton. The half-dozen officers nearby had laughed and Tia had felt a pang of guilt at the sight of his embarrassed expression. But even now, as he offered her a tight but genuine-looking smile, she hoped some part of him was still happy to see her.
    â€œGet in here.” His voice was laced with friendly sarcasm as he set the framed photo down on his desk. “You been dodging me?”
    Tia navigated past half a dozen still-unpacked boxes as she cautiously entered the room. The office was too large for its current furnishings, but Ben had stripped away all reminders of the previous occupant. The mahogany bureau, the Italian leather desk chair, the fancy rug, and other opulent accessories were gone, replaced by a gray metal desk, two worn swivel chairs, and a new, cloth-covered couch. Practical items that spoke of dedication to the work.
    The lingering stench of stale cigar smoke and a dozen empty wall hooks were all that remained of the man who had recently been evicted from the office of the Newberg Chief of Police, courtesy of Tia Suarez and Ben Sawyer. The sparsely decorated office represented a healing wound, one not yet scabbed over.
    â€œDamn right,” Tia answered. “You’re the chief now. I’ve got a reputation to look out for, you know? Rebel. Department rabble-rouser. That sort of thing.”
    â€œTrue enough. I never liked spending time in the chief’s office either. But now that I got you in here, take a seat. How are things?”
    Tia remained standing. They had been friends once, but he was her boss and that was a boss’s question. “Yeah, right, Ben. Like your phone didn’t blow up with calls. Was it Kane’s lawyer or did one of those jailhouse guards dime me off?”
    She had to give the chief credit. He didn’t shout. His voice was controlled. “Forget about who called. Fact is, you know better. The guy is represented by counsel. He’s in custody. How is it you think you can walk into a jailhouse, in another county no less, and interrogate him?”
    Tia hoisted herself onto the edge of Ben’s desk and let her feet hang six inches above the carpet.
    â€œHey, the DA wants to kick him loose, why shouldn’t I talk to him? No court proceedings. No charges. What the hell. I figured I might as well try to get something out of the guy before he walks.” She shrugged. “Somebody has to.”
    She managed to sound flippant, hiding her guilty conscience, but Ben didn’t take well to her tone. His smile vanished and he became all business.
    â€œAnd you figured that was