Page 11 of So Normal

“Yeah, hi,” Michael said, “Special Agent Michael Prince, FBI. And you are?”

The woman drew herself up to her full height of right around five feet and looked regally at Michael. “I’m Sita Bhandari,” she said, “I’m the Managing Director of the Twin Cities Terminal. I was just informing your officers—”

“Not my officers,” Michael interrupted, taking a perverse delight in the rage that flashed across her face. “I’m FBI,” he said, “in case you didn’t hear me the first time. That means I don’t care what arrangement you have with PD. You ruined my crime scene, and unless you have a damned good reason why, I’m going to make sure that every news network whose contact information I can find online is going to know your name and that it’s your fault if the killer who struck yesterday kills someone else.”

Sita blinked and took a step back, and Michael once more felt perverse delight at her reaction. “Officer, I—”

“Special Agent,” Michael corrected.

“Special Agent,” Sita began again, “I apologize for the inconvenience posed to you and your investigators. I am under instruction by my superiors to ensure our passengers have a safe, convenient, and enjoyable experience at this terminal, and that precludes roping off a section of our seating area and a concerning police presence.”

“I see,” Michael said, “and how do you propose to keep people safe from the murderer who killed a man and left his body sitting on the bench for a coffee cart worker to find?”

Sita met Michael’s gaze and said, “I’m sure you know as well as me that appearances matter more than reality to upper management.”

Michael’s frustration toward Sita faded instantly when she said that. “Yeah,” he said, running his hands through his hair. “Yeah, I know how that goes.”

“For what it’s worth,” Sita said, “I am sorry for the circumstances. I would allow you to complete your investigation unfettered if the decision was mine, but …” she lifted her hands and let them drop.

“Right,” Michael said. “Who specifically gave the instruction to tear down the cordon?”

“I’m not sure,” Sita said. “It was sent to me as an urgent administrative memo from the Board of Directors. I don’t know which of them specifically enacted the motion. Honestly, though, it wouldn’t have to be a motion. Any one of the board members could have made the executive decision and sent the memo as an order from the entire board.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what,” Michael said, pulling a business card out of his wallet. “Why don’t you email me a list of the members of the board and any senior officers who would have had the authority to make this call, and if you have a card yourself, I’d like to take it. My partner and I may have more questions for you later.”

“I’ll give you my card,” Sita said, reaching into her own wallet, “but you can find all of this information online.”

“I’ll still take the card,” Michael said, handing her his, “and I still want that email. Also, I want access to the security footage from last night.”

“I’ll have the email sent to you later today,” she said. “I need to be on the floor during the first few overnights in case any emergencies arise that need a manager’s presence. The security footage may take a day or two longer. It’s a new system, and we’re still learning the basics.”

“Fine,” Michael said. “Whenever’s convenient for you.”

Sita bristled at Michael’s short tone but nodded and handed him his card. She left to continue her hunt for emergencies that might need a manager’s presence, and Michael turned to the two officers, who looked at him with something akin to worship.

“Notice anything unusual, officers?”

The female officer replied, “I’m afraid not. The scene was pretty well combed through by the time we got here, and we were almost immediately told to stand down.”

“That’s wonderful,” Faith’s voice interjected, full of sarcasm, “because the scene has been ‘combed through’ so well by now that not even Turk can get a read.”

Michael turned to see Faith and Turk approaching with the two officers. “I just talked to the manager,” Michael said, “Apparently, the order to clear the scene came from the Metro Authority’s Board of Directors.”

“I’m not surprised,” Faith said. “I imagine the real order came from the mayor’s office.”

“Probably,” Michael said. “I asked her for the names and contact info for the board of directors anyway.”

“Good call,” Faith said. “Detective Rameses, I’d like to talk to the officers who first responded to the call.”

“Well, that would be Officer Wales,” Rameses said, “and Officer Park. She’s off duty tonight, but I’ll let her know to contact you when she starts in the morning.”

“Thank you,” Faith said. “In the meantime, I’ll let you wrap things up on your end. Can we borrow Officer Wales, or is he your ride?”

“I’ll ride with one of the other officers. He’s all yours.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Officer Wales looked to be fresh out of the Academy, maybe twenty-two or twenty-three or a young-looking twenty-five at the outside. The experience, at least, was confirmed when Michael asked, “How long have you been with the force, Wales?”

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