Page 58 of So Dark

“How so?” Smythe asked.

She took a deep breath. “I have chosen not to renew my lease at my apartment in Fitler Square. I’ve found a residence inAllentown, and I will be signing a lease there. I move in three days.”

The Boss stared at her in shock. For the first time during this meeting, he spoke. “What? That’s an hour away Bold. Twice that in traffic.”

“Yes, sir,” she agreed. “It will be a difficult commute. But one I can handle. It will also remove me from the hunting grounds of this new killer and away from the lens of the media. My lease in Fitler Square is active for another five months. I will keep this move quiet so the media and the killer don’t become aware. I will also change my phone number and my personal email address to avoid contact with the media. In addition, I have discontinued my personal social media accounts. I will be going very low-profile for a while.”

She took another breath, then said, “I will also agree not to take any cases in the Philadelphia, Wilmington, Trenton or Allentown areas so that I’m not recognized by local law enforcement.”

“This includes the case of the Messenger Killer?” Smythe asked.

Her fingers flexed slightly. “This includes the current open investigation in Philadelphia, yes.”

Smythe lifted his eyebrows and looked at The Boss. The Boss shrugged. “I’ve been keeping her far from home since the West case broke open. I can keep pushing her outside of the area.”

Smythe nodded. “Well… in that case, I will approve your continued employment as a field agent.”

Faith released a sigh of relief. “Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it. I promise you, I won’t do anything to jeopardize my anonymity or the Bureau’s need for secrecy.”

“I’m sure you won’t,” he said. “Though I do have to ask. Do you truly feel you don’t have the qualities of an ASAC?”

She considered her answer for a moment. "I believe I have the skill set of an ASAC. But the qualities? No. I'm not particularly patient. I'm not willing to step away and let others handle the grunt work. I…" She stopped herself. It wasn't a good idea to admit that she wasn't good at distancing herself emotionally from a case. Instead, she said, "I am a poor teacher. I could check the boxes off of a list of ASAC duties, but I couldn't excel at that job. More importantly, it would be very difficult for my agents to work with me."

“A surprisingly frank self-analysis.”

She smiled slightly. “I know it’s not the wisest career move to tell you that I’m unpromotable, but I don’t want to be dishonest with you. I’m an asset where I am right now. In a different role, I don’t believe I would be as much of an asset.”

“Well, that’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Smythe replied. “Your own SAC Monroe has twice turned down an offer for Deputy Director because he feels he’s best suited as SAC of a field office.”

Faith turned to the Boss in surprise. She’d heard that he was blacklisted from promotion because of a fight with Smythe earlier in his career. The Boss looked decidedly unhappy that Smythe had revealed that tidbit, but he didn’t deny it.

"Very well. Then, your future is secured. Now I will turn the conversation over to Chief Lasseter to discuss your K9 unit.”

Faith took a steadying breath and fixed Chief Lasseter with what she hoped was a calm expression.

Lasseter shuffled the stack of papers on her desk and reached into her pocket for a pair of reading glasses. “All right. Concerning K9 unit six-four-seven, Turk, German Shepherd male, you’re petitioning to have the mandatory retirement requirement waived in his case.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Why is that?”

“He’s still an incredibly capable K9,” Faith replied. “In my most recent assignment, he helped prevent the escape of a serial killer while defending myself, my partner and an innocent civilian from the killer in question. If you look at his record, you will see that he does so in nearly every single one of my cases.”

“Yes, he is as celebrated in the K9 division as you are in the operations division.”

Even considering the seriousness of this conversation, that praise caused Faith’s heart to glow. She sat up a little straighter and said, “As I told Director Smythe, he is instrumental to my success. He is an incredible asset to me, and without him, I will not be as capable at my job.”

“And you don’t believe another K9 unit could provide the same benefit?”

“As you said, ma’am, he’s as celebrated as I am.”

She smiled slightly. “We all assumed it was the handler, not the K9.”

“With all due respect, ma’am, you assumed wrong.”

Smythe chuckled. The corners of the Boss’s mouth turned up. Lasseter’s slight smile widened into a grin. “We like to see our handlers attached to their K9s.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

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