Page 10 of Wine and Research
Feeling better, she drove the short distance down Main Street, past several stores, the cat café, then the fire department, before pulling into the parking lot of the police department, separate from the borough building on the corner.
The brick façade of the large two-story structure was weathered by years of sun, snow, ice, and rain, yet it retained anair of quiet authority and stood as a symbol of safety and security for the community it served.
Elle loved older buildings and classic architecture. To her, it represented safety and strength. She definitely needed the latter because her positivity meter was diving into the negative.
“You’re an idiot,” she told her reflection in the rearview mirror after she parked. “Suck it up.”
She was made of sterner stuff. She’d had to be to survive so much loss and to excel in a career with a deep talent pool. If she wanted to honor the men and women in blue, and she did, then it was time to put on her big girl panties and get inside the building.
Her gaze flicked to the digital clock on the dashboard. It was quarter to ten. Time to go.
Elle cut the engine, dropped the keys in her small crossbody purse, and slid from the vehicle, confection box in hand, before her feet had the chance to turn cold again. Her purposeful stride to the entrance had nothing to do with confidence and everything to do with not allowing herself time to chicken out.
She’d ridden with Officer Mercer before and she could do it again. Besides, she honestly wasn’t sure that he would be assigned to her this time around. And if he was, she would do her best to suggest otherwise. Feeling better, she entered the building with her head held high.
The ground floor housed a reception area with a row of black seats against the outside wall. On the left was a window for the Records department and on the right was a wall of plaques. Straight ahead was a cinder block wall with a larger window flanked by two steel doors, and behind the window was the desk officer.
Officer Parks slid the glass partition open and smiled. “Hello, Ms. Hudson. Lt. Kroeger is expecting you. You can go on back.”
“Thanks, Jeffrey,” she said, opening the box for his inspection. “Have one.”
He thanked her, grabbed a glazed donut, then hit a button that buzzed, unlocking the door on her right.
She closed the box and headed through the door and down a small hallway that opened to the heart of the department. Offices lined either side, each door adorned with a nameplate bearing the title of its occupant – detectives, sergeants, and administrative staff. In the middle were desks for the patrol officers.
The scent of coffee lingered in the air, mingling with the faint smell of printers and ink. A bulletin board adorned the wall in one corner, displaying notices of community events, missing persons, and wanted posters. She dubbed it the ebb and flow of life in the town.
Elle knew from last year’s tour that the second floor housed interrogation rooms and holding cells. The atmosphere shifted up there. The air was heavy with tension and anticipation.
God, she could relate.
Forcing her pulse to calm down, she smiled at the officers and sergeants she recognized.
“Back for more torture, I see.” Officer Nealy grinned.
She laughed. “Yes, and I came bearing gifts.”
Elle set the box on the table next to the coffee maker and spent several seconds catching up with everyone in the room. The fact that Officer Mercer was not around went a long way to helping her relax.
Maybe today was his day off. She knew it fluctuated, so it was possible.
Positive feelings were flowing through her again, so much so, that she had a smile on her face as she knocked on the lieutenant’s door and entered on his command.
“Ms. Hudson, you’re early. I like that,” he said, nodding to one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”
It was then she realized she’d forgotten to grab the éclair from the box to give him. They were his favorite.
He tapped his phone a few times, then held it to his ear. “Need you in my office, now.”
“I brought more donuts,” she said inanely, trying not to clasp her hands together.
Not because of the lieutenant. She could handle him. It was the unknown. Who had he summoned? One of the officers she’d just been talking to? Had to be, because Jeremy hadn’t been around, and there was no way Kroeger would’ve ordered Jeremy to come in from a call.
Nah.
Elle blew out a breath and relaxed. It had to be someone from the other room. So when a knock sounded on the door a half minute later, she rose to her feet, excitement actually increasing her pulse to see who the lieutenant had paired her with this time.
But the instant the door opened, awareness crept into her body and zapped her positivity meter.
