Murder on the Horizon by M.L. Rowland Page A

Sergeant Gardner to do it.
    *   *   *
    GRACIE AND RALPH faced each other in the Command Post trailer, both with arms crossed, feet apart.
    â€œI got an earful from Whitney,” Ralph said, the heavy black eyebrows merging into a single line.
    â€œI figured.”
    â€œShe quit the team.”
    â€œI figured.”
    â€œBecause of you.”
    â€œI figured. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. I know we need every—”
    â€œShe said you cursed at her.”
    â€œ
What!
” Gracie spluttered. “I did not.” She picked the stale wad of gum out of her mouth and flung it into the wastebasket. “She just . . . made that up.”
    â€œSo she was lying?”
    â€œYes!”
    Ralph studied her for a moment, his face expressionless, revealing nothing.
    â€œAs I tried to tell you earlier,” Gracie said. “She showed up here totally ill prepared. Hell’s bells, she was wearing stupid wedgy-type sandals! She didn’t want to hoof it door-to-door.”
    â€œOkay. I’m going to take you at your word.”
    â€œWell, gee. Thank you,” she said, resisting the temptation to add, “That’s mighty big of you since we’re supposed to be friends” or “I would think so since you’ve known me foryears and I’ve never lied to you before,” or a half-dozen smart-alecky rejoinders designed to bleed off some of the hurt and indignation.
    â€œHowever . . .”
    â€œI knew I wasn’t off the hook yet.”
    â€œYou’re a senior member of this team.”
    â€œI know.”
    â€œYou know better than to go out on your own.”
    â€œYeah. I know. I’m duly chastised.”
    â€œYou think this is a joke?”
    Gracie’s face grew hot. She could feel the flush creeping up her neck. “No. I don’t think this is a joke.”
    â€œWhat do you think would happen if everyone went off hotdogging on their own?”
    â€œI know, Commander Hunter.”
    Ralph ignored her tone and the use of his formal title. “There are any number of reasons why it’s unacceptable.”
    â€œI
know
.”
    â€œIt breaks down chain of command. I could lose track of you in the field. Then we’d have to go searching for you instead. If you got hurt in some way, there might be no way for you to radio in.”
    â€œAll right already.”
    â€œDo you think the rules don’t apply to you?”
    â€œOf course they do. If this really is what you’re mad at me about, then I get it. I’m sorry. It was unprofessional. It won’t happen again.
If
this is really what you’re mad at me about. But if you’re still mad at me because I hurt you, then can we please not pretend it’s about stupid Whitney or the search and just talk about it?”
    Ralph dropped his head so Gracie couldn’t see his eyes.
    â€œI miss you, Ralphie,” she said, her voice cracking. “We’re best friends. Can we please start acting like it?”
    She looked back up at Ralph, who had lifted his head again and was looking at her with something as close to extreme pain as she had ever seen in the blue-gray eyes.
    Then he turned around with his back squarely to her and began rolling up the laminated map. “We’re through here,” he said.
    â€œHey! No, we’re not ‘through here.’”
    â€œYes, we are.” He dropped the rolled-up map into its cardboard tube and pounded the plastic end cap in place with the palm of his hand.
    â€œWhat the hell? You’re . . . dismissing me? Why are you treating me this way?”
    â€œI’m not treating you any way.”
    â€œYes, you are. You’re acting like a jerk.”
    Ralph turned around to face her again, his face mottled red. “Everything, all the time, is not about you.”
    â€œWhat the—”
    The Command Post door was pulled open and Warren stuck his