Page 16 of Special Agent Murphy

Chapter Eleven

Murphy knew he’d be sucking wind before his boss got through with him, but he hadn’t expected this level of venom. He kept his arms crossed and let her rant.

“I paired Agent Edwards with you because you’re the one man I knew could keep her safe. You’ve had years of experience with the agency and excelled during most of them. First night you work together, she ends up in a bar, fighting multiple guys who were trying to kill her, then in a car chase with her driving… Lord above, man?

“I know! Holy Hannah, have you driven with her?”

“Don’t push me, Murph. You’re that close to walking out of here without your badge.”

“Okay, okay. She’s a good detective, just needs more training. Maybe start her again, and make sure she gets driver’s ed.” Murphy heard the threat in Kale’s growl as she strode around the office and finally stopped in front of him… real close.

“She aced her training, came up within the top five highest scores and impressed her instructors with her abilities in all aspects of the academy. I’m thinking it’s you who’s losing it, Agent. What were you doing while she was in there trying to save the Senator’s daughter?”

“Enjoying the quiet…? That girl never shuts up.”

Anger flared in Kale’s narrowed eyes.

“Okay! Look, she went into the bar to use the restroom. We’d been watching for Draper and had been there a few hours.”

Edna nodded tersely.

“Well, then I saw a bunch of customers scurrying from the place. It looked like trouble, so I entered to see Agent Edwards embroiled in a scuffle, which I then proceeded to assist. Until she ordered me to go after some girl who’d been taken against her will. I ran out the back to see a young girl fighting with her abductors. I tried to intervene, but they pushed her into a vehicle and drove off.”

“And…”

“That’s when Agent Edwards drove up in the SUV, picked me up, and we followed. Only to lose them after driving over a Frappuccino bottle and our tire became flattened, which put us in the ditch.”

“How the hell did you know it was a Frappuccino bottle?”

Murph hesitated before he replied. “Because I saw a portion of the label on the scattered glass. I’m trained to take in details like that.”

“Right. So, the glass cut the tire and forced you into the ditch – at high speed.”

“Yep, that’s about it.”

“No brake marks, no gravel scuffs, nothing.”

“She didn’t have time to hit the brakes. It happened too fast. One minute we’d gotten close and the next… ooppss.”

“Right. You’re a liar, but we’ll let that pass. You know I’ve been in your corner, Murphy.”

Murphy lowered his face so she couldn’t see the sneer. This woman had ridden his ass like he’d just started his career rather than a veteran with ten years of experiencing some of the worst jobs the company could pass out.

He’d been involved in more undercover assignments than any other detective, and many had been rough, dangerous and dirty. Then one partner had betrayed his trust, died on the job looking like a hero while Murph wore his treachery so the widow and her children never had to know the extent of their man’s disloyalty.

Would he change roles again? Probably. Being a sucker for hero-worshipping kids who adored their fathers had worked against him. He found himself wearing the crime, being the loser and paying for it by hanging on to his job by a hair. And… having to eat all the shit Kale wanted to pass out.

Edna continued, “I’ve kept your ass out of the sling it was in with the superiors after your recent lapse. Talked them into letting me have you, letting me work with you rather than kicking you out of the Bureau. It was me who pointed out your past, how many times you shone. I wanted your expertise, Murph, knew you hadn’t lost it. And you let me down.”

“Yes, ma’am. Guess it’s time for me to look into getting a PI license.” He started to walk out of the office, sick of being the scapegoat. Tired of feeling like the loser. He’d reached his shit-eating limit.”

Her voice rang with authority. “Get back here. I’m not letting you off the hook that easy. You need to find this young girl, Shane. You’re one of my best men. I’m not letting you go until you do.”

“If I’m so important, why’d you stick me on a crap detail of surveillance with a rookie that any first-year agent could do? And why have you pulled both me and Agent Edwards from the field office to work for you directly from Headquarters?” His arms lowered and his hands slid into his pockets. Somewhere in her speech he sensed a compliment. “Something else is going on.”

Edna settled back against her desk, her slim hip pushing aside the calendar that sat in a position where most people kept family photos.

Through the grapevine, he’d heard she’d previously worked her way up the ladder, ending with a high position in Counter Intelligence.

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