could use the extra
money.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jenny’s muscles turned to Jello. She felt the
quiver and knew her arms were about to give out. She struggled to
hold, but knew there was no way she was going to push her weight up
one more time. Damn. I was so close.
Steve stood on the other side of the mat but
didn’t say anything when her arms collapsed and she fell flat on
her face. He threw her a towel. “Come on.”
Wiping the sweat off her face, Jenny followed
him out of the gym. “Twenty-two was pretty good, wasn’t it?”
He didn’t answer. What’s this? I flunked so
I’m given the bum’s rush? She headed toward the locker room and
that’s when he spoke. “Come to the Chief’s office as soon as you’re
changed.”
She waved an acknowledgement before stepping
into the locker room and closing the door. She quickly mopped the
rest of the sweat from her body with the towel, and then pulled her
sweats on over her workout clothes. She wasn’t comfortable using
the big open showers.
After putting her hair in some semblance of
order, Jenny went through the door that led to a long hall back to
the office area of the station. She stopped at the door to
Gonzales’ office and knocked. His distinctive voice told her to
come in, so she pushed the door open and stepped through. Steve was
leaning against the wall beside the desk. Gonzales motioned her to
close the door. “Steve was waiting for you before he gave his
report.”
Jenny nodded, afraid if she opened her mouth
she’d whimper.
Gonzales turned to face Steve.
“She passed.”
Jenny almost fainted. That was not what she
expected to hear. Obviously, Gonzales didn’t either. He looked at
her, dark eyes wide with surprise. “She did?”
Steve stepped over and passed a sheet of
paper to his boss, avoiding eye contact with her as he stepped
near. “Got the results right here.”
Gonzales studied the paper for a moment, then
shook his head. “Now what the hell are we supposed to do?”
Steve stepped back from the desk. “I think we
sign her up.”
“She’s a civilian for Pete’s sake. We can’t
sign her up.”
“A deal’s a deal.”
Gonzales huffed and his face turned an
alarming shade of crimson. He turned to her. “Uh, give us a few
minutes. Tracy can get you coffee.”
Jenny stepped out but stayed by the door. She
could hear Gonzales clearly, “I never dreamed she’d actually do
it.”
Did that mean he was just stringing me along?
That thought made her want to storm back in the room and confront
him, but practicality held her back. Venting her anger would
probably destroy any chance she had - slim as it was. She put her
ear to the door, trying to make out what Steve was saying, but his
response was muffled.
She had to step back when Gonzales shouted
again, “Christ, it’s my ass if she screws up and gets injured. Or
worse.”
Again, she couldn’t hear what Steve said, and
for the next few minutes both voices were muffled. A short, scrawny
officer in blues stepped out of the break room, stopped and stared
at her. “Can I help you?”
She motioned to the door. “Just waiting for
Steve.”
Wariness controlled his expression and he
made no move to leave. “I can show you to his office.”
“No need.” Jenny turned and walked down the
hall, feeling the officer’s eyes on her as she went. The door to
Steve’s office was open and she stepped in, nodding to the officer
who still had not moved.
The perpetual coffee pot on the tall filing
cabinet was half full of what looked like sludge, but it was better
than nothing. She found a Styrofoam cup and poured it half full of
the dark liquid that flowed like two-year-old motor oil. She
doctored it with two creamer packets, and that made it almost
drinkable.
Fifteen minutes later, she was contemplating
another cup of the coffee. Just to keep her hands busy so they
didn’t respond to the temptation to read some of the case files
strewn on Steve’s desk. The
money.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jenny’s muscles turned to Jello. She felt the
quiver and knew her arms were about to give out. She struggled to
hold, but knew there was no way she was going to push her weight up
one more time. Damn. I was so close.
Steve stood on the other side of the mat but
didn’t say anything when her arms collapsed and she fell flat on
her face. He threw her a towel. “Come on.”
Wiping the sweat off her face, Jenny followed
him out of the gym. “Twenty-two was pretty good, wasn’t it?”
He didn’t answer. What’s this? I flunked so
I’m given the bum’s rush? She headed toward the locker room and
that’s when he spoke. “Come to the Chief’s office as soon as you’re
changed.”
She waved an acknowledgement before stepping
into the locker room and closing the door. She quickly mopped the
rest of the sweat from her body with the towel, and then pulled her
sweats on over her workout clothes. She wasn’t comfortable using
the big open showers.
After putting her hair in some semblance of
order, Jenny went through the door that led to a long hall back to
the office area of the station. She stopped at the door to
Gonzales’ office and knocked. His distinctive voice told her to
come in, so she pushed the door open and stepped through. Steve was
leaning against the wall beside the desk. Gonzales motioned her to
close the door. “Steve was waiting for you before he gave his
report.”
Jenny nodded, afraid if she opened her mouth
she’d whimper.
Gonzales turned to face Steve.
“She passed.”
Jenny almost fainted. That was not what she
expected to hear. Obviously, Gonzales didn’t either. He looked at
her, dark eyes wide with surprise. “She did?”
Steve stepped over and passed a sheet of
paper to his boss, avoiding eye contact with her as he stepped
near. “Got the results right here.”
Gonzales studied the paper for a moment, then
shook his head. “Now what the hell are we supposed to do?”
Steve stepped back from the desk. “I think we
sign her up.”
“She’s a civilian for Pete’s sake. We can’t
sign her up.”
“A deal’s a deal.”
Gonzales huffed and his face turned an
alarming shade of crimson. He turned to her. “Uh, give us a few
minutes. Tracy can get you coffee.”
Jenny stepped out but stayed by the door. She
could hear Gonzales clearly, “I never dreamed she’d actually do
it.”
Did that mean he was just stringing me along?
That thought made her want to storm back in the room and confront
him, but practicality held her back. Venting her anger would
probably destroy any chance she had - slim as it was. She put her
ear to the door, trying to make out what Steve was saying, but his
response was muffled.
She had to step back when Gonzales shouted
again, “Christ, it’s my ass if she screws up and gets injured. Or
worse.”
Again, she couldn’t hear what Steve said, and
for the next few minutes both voices were muffled. A short, scrawny
officer in blues stepped out of the break room, stopped and stared
at her. “Can I help you?”
She motioned to the door. “Just waiting for
Steve.”
Wariness controlled his expression and he
made no move to leave. “I can show you to his office.”
“No need.” Jenny turned and walked down the
hall, feeling the officer’s eyes on her as she went. The door to
Steve’s office was open and she stepped in, nodding to the officer
who still had not moved.
The perpetual coffee pot on the tall filing
cabinet was half full of what looked like sludge, but it was better
than nothing. She found a Styrofoam cup and poured it half full of
the dark liquid that flowed like two-year-old motor oil. She
doctored it with two creamer packets, and that made it almost
drinkable.
Fifteen minutes later, she was contemplating
another cup of the coffee. Just to keep her hands busy so they
didn’t respond to the temptation to read some of the case files
strewn on Steve’s desk. The
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