Page 60 of So Wicked

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Faith’s reprieve was short-lived. On the way back, Slade got a call from the Carmel Police Department telling him to return to the station immediately. “And just so we’re clear,” the police captain said, “the presence of Special Agent Bold in your vehicle is why you’re being called back here. Bring her with you, or we’ll have problems.”

“I’m on my way back, sir,” Faith replied over the radio, guessing at the reason for the police captain’s anger. “You can tell ASAC Gardner that I stand by my decisions and I’m ready to answer for everything I did.”

Slade pursed his lips. There was silence on the other end for several seconds before the police captain replied, “I’ll do that, Special Agent.”

The signal disconnected, and Slade released the breath he’d been holding. “Damn. I wish I was ten percent as brave as you.”

“You’re brave enough. You kept fighting for this case even when the brass tried to take it from you.”

“Yeah, but brazenly telling my superior he was wrong? That’s a whole new level of badass.”

Faith managed a smile, but she was far more anxious than she'd let on. She'd accomplished what she wanted. She'd solved the case. Now, the other shoe was dropping, and she wasn't sure anymore that she was ready to handle that.

But she didn’t have a choice. The shoe was dropping whether she wanted it to or not. She might as well face the music.

And shewasright. A murderer was in custody. An innocent was alive. Hopefully, ASAC Gardner would accept that and not feel a need to punish Faith for fulfilling the FBI’s mission.

Slade took a deep breath when he pulled into the station. "There's a shot. This will be the last time we see each other,depending on how angry our bosses are. So I just want to say thank you. I wouldn't have been able to solve this case without you. Not in time to save Carpenter anyway, and probably not in time to save anyone. Whatever happens in there, I'm glad we worked together."

“Me too,” Faith replied. She squeezed his shoulder. “Good luck in there.”

“Yeah. You too.”

The three of them walked inside. Even Turk looked anxious about what was to come.

So when they walked inside to the sound of applause from the gathered members of the Carmel Police Department, it took them a moment to process what was happening. It wasn’t until the captain approached with a grin on his face and shook both of their hands that Faith realized that they weren’t in trouble after all.

Well, Slade wasn’t in trouble. ASAC Gardner was there, but she had a frosty smile underneath eyes hard enough to cut diamond. Faith had a feeling that she was going to get a very different greeting in a few minutes.

The officers took turns congratulating each of them. Faith made small talk with several of them, and Turk, of course, was the star of the show. He sat in the middle of the room with his chin lifted, smiling contentedly as everyone hugged, pet, scratched and loved on him. If he ever did retire, he would be the world’s happiest lapdog.

Faith kept a smile on her face, but she kept an eye on Tabitha out of the corner of her eye. The ASAC was clearly just counting the minutes before she could pull Faith aside and give her a tongue-lashing and possibly something worse. Part of Faith just wanted to get it over with, but another part of Faith took some pleasure in making Tabitha wait while all of her admiring fansthanked her for doing what Tabitha had expressly forbidden her to do.

Finally, the ASAC had enough. She approached Faith, her frosty smile now the grin of a crocodile approaching her prey. “Special Agent, will you join me for a cigarette?”

“I don’t smoke,” Faith replied. She was sorely tempted to leave it at that, but it was probably best not to push her luck. “I’ll step outside with you for a moment, though.”

“Thank you.”

The two women made their way to the side of the building where Tabitha had first warned Faith to stay away from the case. Tabitha did light a cigarette, some fancy high-class brand that Faith didn’t recognize. She took three deep puffs, then turned to Faith. No smile this time.

“Well done, Special Agent.”

Faith blinked. “Ma’am?”

“Well done. You solved the case. You caught the bad guy. And the press loves you.”

“The press?”

“Yes. The Indianapolis Field Office informed them that due to the Bureau’s pressing needs, you were unable to speak with them. However, they express their sincere gratitude to the Philadelphia Field Office for lending your expertise and allowing them to apprehend Ms. Sawyer as quickly as they did. You are once more America’s darling.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Screw you, Bold.”

“Ah,” Faith replied drily. “There it is.”

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