Chapter One
“Bitch stole that promotion.”
“Should have been you, Sarge.”
“Yeah. Affirmative action bit you in the ass. We all know
you’d have made a better lieutenant than Isa-Bitch Buchanan.”
“At least she’ll be working in administration and not here.
I don’t know about anybody else, but I’d have a big problem working under a
lieutenant who has no business being one.”
“Let’s talk to the union rep. Gotta be something he can do.”
Sergeant RJ Ramsey scanned the angry faces of his officers
in the shift briefing room of the county jail. “Nobody’s going to call in the
union rep on this.” Sure, he was angry Isabel was promoted rather than him, but
there was nothing he could do about it. Didn’t matter that he had twice as many
years on the job as she did. The woman had a college degree and that mattered
to the chief. She was also damn intelligent. He’d discovered that when they’d
gone out few times two years ago. Intelligent and sexy. But he’d been in the
midst of his divorce then and his ex had soured him on women in general.
He’d run into her at a party a few months later and she’d
given him the cold shoulder. Of course, Belle had a reputation for giving every
man—at least those she worked with—the cold shoulder. Forcing an image of the
petite brunette from his head, he set his hands on his waist, stepped out from
behind the lectern and made eye contact with every officer in the room. “None of
you should have a problem working under any supervisor. You get an
order, you follow it. That’s the way this job works. Are we clear?”
A few grumbles circulated among the mostly male group of
about sixty officers. He made eye contact with each of the men who’d had a
comment about the promotion.
“I heard the chief plans to shuffle the managers around
again. There’s always a chance she’ll end up here,” Officer Giles said. “Not
only as our boss, but as yours too, Sarge. If she gets the job, that is.”
He doubted that. Belle had been an administrative sergeant
for most of her career at the jail. The chief wouldn’t put a paper-pusher in a
hands-on operational position, particularly not for the graveyard shift.
Wouldn’t make sense.
The door opened and all the heads in the room turned to see
who was there. Damn if Sergeant… Lieutenant Isabelle Buchanan didn’t walk
in. A hush fell over the crowd.
What the hell was she doing here? The ugly green
uniform made most female officers look like men, but not Isabel. Her curvy form
couldn’t be camouflaged that easily. Nor were those amber eyes behind her
glasses. She gave him a half wave as she took a seat in the back of the room.
“Sorry to interrupt, Sergeant. Please, go on.”
He stepped behind the podium and glanced at the index card
where he’d jotted his notes for the day’s briefing. “Okay, we have a new
max-one inmate. Name is Hawkins. He’ll be staying with us for the duration of
his murder trial. Day shift sergeant advised me he didn’t give anyone a
problem, yet. But he’s famous for his escape attempts. One was successful a few
months ago. Took the cops two days to recapture him so keep a close eye on
him.” A flutter of movement drew his attention to the back of the room.
Isabel’s hand shot up in the air.
“Yes, Lieutenant?”
She stood up and clasped her hands in front of her. A single
chestnut curl had escaped her tight bun and she tucked it behind her ear. “Do
we know Hawkins’s MO for those escape attempts? It would be helpful if you
could tell the officers exactly what they were supposed to be watching for. If
you refer to page ninety-six of the policy and procedures manual, you’ll find a
reference to protocol for briefing the staff in a situation such as this.”
Hushed whispers circulated amongst the officers.
He resisted rolling his eyes. “His methods varied each time.
He tried to dig a tunnel around the plumbing lines once. Got a good ten feet
hollowed out before it
“Bitch stole that promotion.”
“Should have been you, Sarge.”
“Yeah. Affirmative action bit you in the ass. We all know
you’d have made a better lieutenant than Isa-Bitch Buchanan.”
“At least she’ll be working in administration and not here.
I don’t know about anybody else, but I’d have a big problem working under a
lieutenant who has no business being one.”
“Let’s talk to the union rep. Gotta be something he can do.”
Sergeant RJ Ramsey scanned the angry faces of his officers
in the shift briefing room of the county jail. “Nobody’s going to call in the
union rep on this.” Sure, he was angry Isabel was promoted rather than him, but
there was nothing he could do about it. Didn’t matter that he had twice as many
years on the job as she did. The woman had a college degree and that mattered
to the chief. She was also damn intelligent. He’d discovered that when they’d
gone out few times two years ago. Intelligent and sexy. But he’d been in the
midst of his divorce then and his ex had soured him on women in general.
He’d run into her at a party a few months later and she’d
given him the cold shoulder. Of course, Belle had a reputation for giving every
man—at least those she worked with—the cold shoulder. Forcing an image of the
petite brunette from his head, he set his hands on his waist, stepped out from
behind the lectern and made eye contact with every officer in the room. “None of
you should have a problem working under any supervisor. You get an
order, you follow it. That’s the way this job works. Are we clear?”
A few grumbles circulated among the mostly male group of
about sixty officers. He made eye contact with each of the men who’d had a
comment about the promotion.
“I heard the chief plans to shuffle the managers around
again. There’s always a chance she’ll end up here,” Officer Giles said. “Not
only as our boss, but as yours too, Sarge. If she gets the job, that is.”
He doubted that. Belle had been an administrative sergeant
for most of her career at the jail. The chief wouldn’t put a paper-pusher in a
hands-on operational position, particularly not for the graveyard shift.
Wouldn’t make sense.
The door opened and all the heads in the room turned to see
who was there. Damn if Sergeant… Lieutenant Isabelle Buchanan didn’t walk
in. A hush fell over the crowd.
What the hell was she doing here? The ugly green
uniform made most female officers look like men, but not Isabel. Her curvy form
couldn’t be camouflaged that easily. Nor were those amber eyes behind her
glasses. She gave him a half wave as she took a seat in the back of the room.
“Sorry to interrupt, Sergeant. Please, go on.”
He stepped behind the podium and glanced at the index card
where he’d jotted his notes for the day’s briefing. “Okay, we have a new
max-one inmate. Name is Hawkins. He’ll be staying with us for the duration of
his murder trial. Day shift sergeant advised me he didn’t give anyone a
problem, yet. But he’s famous for his escape attempts. One was successful a few
months ago. Took the cops two days to recapture him so keep a close eye on
him.” A flutter of movement drew his attention to the back of the room.
Isabel’s hand shot up in the air.
“Yes, Lieutenant?”
She stood up and clasped her hands in front of her. A single
chestnut curl had escaped her tight bun and she tucked it behind her ear. “Do
we know Hawkins’s MO for those escape attempts? It would be helpful if you
could tell the officers exactly what they were supposed to be watching for. If
you refer to page ninety-six of the policy and procedures manual, you’ll find a
reference to protocol for briefing the staff in a situation such as this.”
Hushed whispers circulated amongst the officers.
He resisted rolling his eyes. “His methods varied each time.
He tried to dig a tunnel around the plumbing lines once. Got a good ten feet
hollowed out before it
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