DUTCH AND GINA: AFTER THE FALL by Mallory Monroe

stiff one.”
    “But it’s still very early.”
    “And?” Crader said with an infec ous smile as he and Christian left.
    Dutch stared at Chandra. “You’re trying my patience, lady,” he admonished her.
    “I’m doing my job, sir.”
    “Like hell you are. Chris an? Seriously? Who are you going after next? Me? Gina? Little Walt?”
    “Look, sir, I know I’m coming on strong, and it’s not pretty.”
    “You think?”
    “But the fact s ll remains that he has a very radical brother who spouts all kinds of conspiracy theories about this administra on and will stop at nothing to make us look like pure fools.”
    “Impossible,” Dutch said, shaking his head. “We do

    “Impossible,” Dutch said, shaking his head. “We do that just fine all by ourselves. Now you listen to me: if you ever ques on one of my staffers again, Chandra, if you ever, I won’t give you a chance to explain. I’ll kick your ass out of my administra on as quickly as I put you in it. Do I make myself clear?”
    Chandra swallowed hard. “Yes, sir,” she said.
    Then Dutch so ened. Exhaled. “I love seeing your pre y face,” he said with a weak smile, “but I don’t know if I wanted to see it today. Why are you here?”
    “I’m here, sir, because there’s been a development in the case.”
    This certainly got Dutch’s attention. “Go on.”
    “We’ve been interroga ng Max Brennan. He claims he knows who masterminded the kidnapping. However, he will only give up the name if he meets with you.”
    “ Then arrest his ass and charge him with conspiracy before the fact or whatever it’s called, until he talks.” Chandra’s heart began to palpitate. She had thought to strong arm Max as the president was now sugges ng, but she felt doing it this way would be a lot faster and cleaner. If it worked.
    “ The thing is, sir,” she said, her nervousness now showing, “he’s outside in my limo now.” Dutch could hardly believe it. He frowned. “What?”
    “I thought--”
    “He’s outside of this house?”
    “Yes, sir,” Chandra said, now regre ng her decision.
    Dutch gave her a look that could chill the sun. The nerve of her.
    Chandra’s only hope now was that Max would cough up the goods. “Will you see him, sir?” she asked him.
    “I don’t see how I have a choice,” he said angrily.
    And then headed for the exit.

    Crader was with them when they walked up to the limo in front of the house, the doors opened by the A orney General’s Chauffeur/Security, and stepped inside.
    Dutch felt a ghtness in his chest as soon as he saw Max si ng there. He and Crader sat across from him.
    Chandra sat beside him. The door shut them in.
    And Dutch could hardly breathe. This man, who had been his best friend for prac cally all of his life; a man he once loved like a brother; a man who sought to tear his rela onship with Gina apart with unsavory lies, was now si ng right in front of him. And it took all he had not to lose it.
    Max tried to smile, but Dutch wasn’t about to cooperate.
    “What is it?” Dutch asked him, with disdain in his voice and disgust in his eyes.
    “What, here?” Max asked, surprised. He wasn’t expec ng a welcome mat, but he certainly expected to meet more formally. “We’re going to meet here? In the car?”
    “That’s right.”
    “But why?”
    “I don’t want you anywhere near my wife. Now what is it? You have one minute.”
    It wasn’t going quite how Max had hoped. He had hoped that they could bury the hatchet and start fresh.
    Now he realized how impossible a dream that was. “I just wanted you to know that I had nothing to do with that kidnapping.”
    “Who masterminded it?”
    “But I need you to understand that I had nothing to do with it.”
    “I’m not asking you again.”
    Max hesitated. “Caroline,” he finally said.
    Dutch frowned. “Caro? Caro was deported back to Dutch frowned. “Caro? Caro was deported back to France.”
    “Well, she apparently didn’t make the flight because