trick,“ Helen said, obviously taking great satisfaction from her victory. „You’re a hard man to matchmake, Steven.“
„I know. The number?“ With an inward sigh he wrote it on his desk blotter. „I’ll try to call her tomorrow.“
„Why not tonight?“
„Don’t push it, Helen.“ Steven massaged the back of his neck. „Besides, I’ve got calls to return. Don’t hold dinner for me, but tell Nicky I’ll be home in time to tuck him in.“
He returned four of the six calls, checking each one off his list. Two more to go, then home to a warmed-over dinner and hopefully a cold beer. And his boys. Always his boys.
„Steven?“
Steven looked up to find his boss leaning against the doorjamb of his office door, his normally jovial face creased in a frown, a manila folder under one arm. Steven placed the phone receiver back in its cradle. „What’s up?“
„New case in from Asheville.“ Special Agent in Charge Lennie Farrell laid the folder on Steven’s desk blotter, dead center. Farrell was a stickler for detail, sometimes to the point of annoying everyone in his command. But he was a good man, a good leader. And Steven respected him. „I need you to go down there tomorrow and check it out.“
Steven opened the file, scanned the first few pages. „I remember this one, vaguely. Wife and son of a cop missing, when? Seven years ago now? How did you get this file so fast? They just pulled up the car yesterday morning.“ He squinted up at Farrell. „Why isn’t the Asheville field office responding to this? It’s their jurisdiction. What’s up, Lennie?“
Farrell shrugged. „I got a call right at noon from the head of the Asheville office. He was in the district attorney’s office seven years ago and he thought the husband did it back then, but there wasn’t sufficient evidence to charge him. He’s concerned this’ll get brushed under the carpet again. Apparently enough of the Asheville PD have personal history with the husband to make him concerned about conflict of interest within the Asheville office.“ Farrell hesitated. Then straightened his spine. „I also got a call from the investigating detective. Retired now. He and I go back a lot of years. He also thought the husband did it. He wants the right thing done by the wife and boy this time around.“
Steven regarded Farrell for a long moment. „Did the investigating officer call you or the Asheville field office first?“
Farrell looked distinctly uncomfortable. „Me first. I recommended he go through channels, to call the field office and get them involved. He did and the field office asked us to get involved.“
Steven glanced down at the file, then back up at Farrell. „Your dad’s a retired cop out of Asheville PD, isn’t he?“
Farrell jerked his head in what Steven interpreted as a nod. That was enough. Steven massaged his temples, feeling his headache worsen. He’d been through cases like this one before and the outcome was rarely pretty. The SBI was rarely welcomed by local law enforcement with open arms.
Usually at least one local cop viewed SBI Special Agents as trespassers on local turf. Truth was SBI resources were better equipped to investigate cases that, thank God, weren’t daily occurrences in North Carolina’s small towns. Nevertheless, his presence was likely to be considered „outsider interference“ by the local police. „Is local law enforcement aware I’m coming in on their investigation?“
Farrell nodded. „Actually, the Lieutenant in charge at Asheville PD gave the field office a call this morning.“ He checked his notepad. „Her name is Lieutenant Antoinette Ross. Goes by Toni. Well respected by the Asheville field office. She asked for SBI support, so you can at least count on cooperation at the top.“
Steven smirked. „Before or after your father talked to her?“
Farrell shook his head with a slight smile. „You’ll have to ask her that question.“
Steven scanned the file once again.
„I know. The number?“ With an inward sigh he wrote it on his desk blotter. „I’ll try to call her tomorrow.“
„Why not tonight?“
„Don’t push it, Helen.“ Steven massaged the back of his neck. „Besides, I’ve got calls to return. Don’t hold dinner for me, but tell Nicky I’ll be home in time to tuck him in.“
He returned four of the six calls, checking each one off his list. Two more to go, then home to a warmed-over dinner and hopefully a cold beer. And his boys. Always his boys.
„Steven?“
Steven looked up to find his boss leaning against the doorjamb of his office door, his normally jovial face creased in a frown, a manila folder under one arm. Steven placed the phone receiver back in its cradle. „What’s up?“
„New case in from Asheville.“ Special Agent in Charge Lennie Farrell laid the folder on Steven’s desk blotter, dead center. Farrell was a stickler for detail, sometimes to the point of annoying everyone in his command. But he was a good man, a good leader. And Steven respected him. „I need you to go down there tomorrow and check it out.“
Steven opened the file, scanned the first few pages. „I remember this one, vaguely. Wife and son of a cop missing, when? Seven years ago now? How did you get this file so fast? They just pulled up the car yesterday morning.“ He squinted up at Farrell. „Why isn’t the Asheville field office responding to this? It’s their jurisdiction. What’s up, Lennie?“
Farrell shrugged. „I got a call right at noon from the head of the Asheville office. He was in the district attorney’s office seven years ago and he thought the husband did it back then, but there wasn’t sufficient evidence to charge him. He’s concerned this’ll get brushed under the carpet again. Apparently enough of the Asheville PD have personal history with the husband to make him concerned about conflict of interest within the Asheville office.“ Farrell hesitated. Then straightened his spine. „I also got a call from the investigating detective. Retired now. He and I go back a lot of years. He also thought the husband did it. He wants the right thing done by the wife and boy this time around.“
Steven regarded Farrell for a long moment. „Did the investigating officer call you or the Asheville field office first?“
Farrell looked distinctly uncomfortable. „Me first. I recommended he go through channels, to call the field office and get them involved. He did and the field office asked us to get involved.“
Steven glanced down at the file, then back up at Farrell. „Your dad’s a retired cop out of Asheville PD, isn’t he?“
Farrell jerked his head in what Steven interpreted as a nod. That was enough. Steven massaged his temples, feeling his headache worsen. He’d been through cases like this one before and the outcome was rarely pretty. The SBI was rarely welcomed by local law enforcement with open arms.
Usually at least one local cop viewed SBI Special Agents as trespassers on local turf. Truth was SBI resources were better equipped to investigate cases that, thank God, weren’t daily occurrences in North Carolina’s small towns. Nevertheless, his presence was likely to be considered „outsider interference“ by the local police. „Is local law enforcement aware I’m coming in on their investigation?“
Farrell nodded. „Actually, the Lieutenant in charge at Asheville PD gave the field office a call this morning.“ He checked his notepad. „Her name is Lieutenant Antoinette Ross. Goes by Toni. Well respected by the Asheville field office. She asked for SBI support, so you can at least count on cooperation at the top.“
Steven smirked. „Before or after your father talked to her?“
Farrell shook his head with a slight smile. „You’ll have to ask her that question.“
Steven scanned the file once again.
Similar Books
