funding.’ After its director was shot to death outside the center’s front door. ‘I’d been thinking of moving on anyway and, well, it seemed time, so I resigned.’ She’d quit because she didn’t want anyone else at the center to be hit by a bullet meant for her, but her dad didn’t need to know that. ‘I didn’t have any real ties to Miami.’
‘Because that snake of a husband of yours turned all your friends against you,’ her father growled. ‘If I could, I’d kick his ass up his throat and through his teeth.’
The thought nearly made her smile. But though her ex had committed a multitude of sins, that hadn’t been one of them. ‘They weren’t really my friends, Dad. They were Charlie’s friends from the force, from before we got married. He didn’t turn them against me. If they’d been my friends, they would have stuck with me.’
‘Well, I’d still like to kick his ass,’ her father grumbled. ‘For the things I know he did do.’
Like divorcing her to marry his pregnant girlfriend. But that was done and over now. Faith had moved on, mostly. Her father, not so much.
‘So, about this move to Ohio,’ Lily said, changing the subject before Faith’s father started in on a well-worn anti-Charlie rant. ‘What do you plan to do with yourself?’
‘I’ve got a new job, a really great one with HR at one of the banks up here. And I’ll fix up the house. Make some friends. What normal people do.’
‘Do you need money, Faith?’ her father asked. ‘We can spare a little.’
Faith swallowed hard. He and Lily were living on his GI pension. They had nothing to spare. But that he’d offer was no surprise. That was the kind of man he’d always been and just one of the reasons why she loved him.
‘No, Dad. I’m okay. My new job pays great. And I’ll probably sell most of the land. I don’t need fifty acres. Once that money comes in, I’ll be sittin’ pretty.’ She’d even be able to send some home to them, but she’d never say that to her father. Richard Sullivan had a huge heart – and a sense of pride to match. Faith would quietly address the checks to Lily, who’d bank them just as quietly. Her father would never know.
‘But . . .’ Her father’s voice trailed off. ‘You worked so hard to become a psychologist. And now you’re going to count money ?’
‘No, Dad, I’m not a teller. I’m working in the HR department. That’s Human Resources.’
‘Doing what?’ Lily asked.
‘Evaluating the employees, especially those who are on the list for advancement to management. The bank wants to identify employees with sociopathic tendencies.’ Identifying sociopaths was one of Faith’s specialties. It was vaguely ironic that she’d be searching for them at the same time she was hiding from them. Or at least from one in particular. ‘It’s a new approach to preventing embezzlement.’
‘But honey . . .’ He sounded disappointed. ‘For as long as I can remember you wanted to help people. Make a difference.’
She’d prepared for his concern, not his disapproval, and it stung. She had made a difference. For years she’d made a difference and it had almost gotten her killed. It had gotten Gordon killed. Which he totally did not need to know. Faith opened her mouth, then closed it.
Lily intervened in a soft murmur. ‘Richard. She’s helped so many victims already.’
‘But—’
‘Richard,’ Lily said more firmly. ‘It’s her life. Let her live it.’
‘But a bank , Lily?’ he whispered, as though he’d forgotten Faith could hear them. ‘Since when has she been concerned with money ?’
Ah. It was the money that bothered him the most. Her father had once studied for the priesthood and had been prepared to take a vow of poverty. Money had been one of the few things she could remember her parents arguing about. The O’Bannions had had wealth and Margaret O’Bannion Sullivan had wanted her share of it, but Faith’s father would have walked over
‘Because that snake of a husband of yours turned all your friends against you,’ her father growled. ‘If I could, I’d kick his ass up his throat and through his teeth.’
The thought nearly made her smile. But though her ex had committed a multitude of sins, that hadn’t been one of them. ‘They weren’t really my friends, Dad. They were Charlie’s friends from the force, from before we got married. He didn’t turn them against me. If they’d been my friends, they would have stuck with me.’
‘Well, I’d still like to kick his ass,’ her father grumbled. ‘For the things I know he did do.’
Like divorcing her to marry his pregnant girlfriend. But that was done and over now. Faith had moved on, mostly. Her father, not so much.
‘So, about this move to Ohio,’ Lily said, changing the subject before Faith’s father started in on a well-worn anti-Charlie rant. ‘What do you plan to do with yourself?’
‘I’ve got a new job, a really great one with HR at one of the banks up here. And I’ll fix up the house. Make some friends. What normal people do.’
‘Do you need money, Faith?’ her father asked. ‘We can spare a little.’
Faith swallowed hard. He and Lily were living on his GI pension. They had nothing to spare. But that he’d offer was no surprise. That was the kind of man he’d always been and just one of the reasons why she loved him.
‘No, Dad. I’m okay. My new job pays great. And I’ll probably sell most of the land. I don’t need fifty acres. Once that money comes in, I’ll be sittin’ pretty.’ She’d even be able to send some home to them, but she’d never say that to her father. Richard Sullivan had a huge heart – and a sense of pride to match. Faith would quietly address the checks to Lily, who’d bank them just as quietly. Her father would never know.
‘But . . .’ Her father’s voice trailed off. ‘You worked so hard to become a psychologist. And now you’re going to count money ?’
‘No, Dad, I’m not a teller. I’m working in the HR department. That’s Human Resources.’
‘Doing what?’ Lily asked.
‘Evaluating the employees, especially those who are on the list for advancement to management. The bank wants to identify employees with sociopathic tendencies.’ Identifying sociopaths was one of Faith’s specialties. It was vaguely ironic that she’d be searching for them at the same time she was hiding from them. Or at least from one in particular. ‘It’s a new approach to preventing embezzlement.’
‘But honey . . .’ He sounded disappointed. ‘For as long as I can remember you wanted to help people. Make a difference.’
She’d prepared for his concern, not his disapproval, and it stung. She had made a difference. For years she’d made a difference and it had almost gotten her killed. It had gotten Gordon killed. Which he totally did not need to know. Faith opened her mouth, then closed it.
Lily intervened in a soft murmur. ‘Richard. She’s helped so many victims already.’
‘But—’
‘Richard,’ Lily said more firmly. ‘It’s her life. Let her live it.’
‘But a bank , Lily?’ he whispered, as though he’d forgotten Faith could hear them. ‘Since when has she been concerned with money ?’
Ah. It was the money that bothered him the most. Her father had once studied for the priesthood and had been prepared to take a vow of poverty. Money had been one of the few things she could remember her parents arguing about. The O’Bannions had had wealth and Margaret O’Bannion Sullivan had wanted her share of it, but Faith’s father would have walked over
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