Page 25 of State of Alert

“Wow, and here I thought it was always you taking care of me.”

“We’re taking care of each other without the man we both loved.”

“Don’t make me cry. Chicks crying on the job bug me.”

He laughed. “You crack me up, Holland.”

“I do what I can for my people. Speaking of my people… What do I do about this bullshit investigation?”

“You go forward the way you would with anything else. Work the case. Who knows what you might uncover in the process?”

“And that’s not a waste of taxpayer dollars? To investigate a murder that didn’t actually happen?”

“We can easily say later, if or when it becomes an issue, that we were acting in concert with NCIS and federal authorities.”

“You’re good at this.”

He huffed out a laugh. “I sure hope so after all these years, and PS, so are you. Coming to me with this was one hundred percent the right call. It’ll stay between us and only us. Understood?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“I want you to brief me—in person. No paper trails between us.”

“Got it.” She took a deep breath and tried to get her game face on so she could go out there and do the job. “You’re sure we’re doing the right thing here?”

“Not one bit sure, but I guess we’ll find out. Either way, we’re in it together, kid.”

She stood to leave. “That makes all the difference. I’ll check in later.”

“Sam.”

Turning back, she raised a brow.

“He’d be so, so proud.”

All she could do was nod, fearing she might still lose her composure. Nothing he could’ve said would mean more to her, as he knew. Making her father proud was one of her top goals on—and off—the job.

With the chief on board, it became more bearable to go through the motions. Hopefully, when the others learned the truth, they wouldn’t hold it against her.

As Sam was leaving the chief’s office, Jeannie McBride approached from the other end of the corridor, smiling when she saw Sam. Her white uniform shirt was untucked over her pregnant belly.

“Deputy Chief McBride, how goes it?”

Jeannie put her hand on the baby bump. “Getting bigger by the day and busy doing a million things I had no idea needed to be done around here.”

“We miss you in the pit.”

“I miss you guys, too, but this is the right job for me now. I’m so tired at the end of the day I can barely function. I wouldn’t have the stamina to chase you around.”

Sam laughed. “I barely have the stamina to chase me around.”

“I heard about Juan Rodriguez. I’m so sorry. I know Nick was close to him.”

Sam winced to herself. “He was. It’s terrible.” God, the lies just rolled off her tongue. “I need to get back to it. Come visit once in a while, you hear?”

“I will. Good to see you.”

“You, too, Chief.”

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