asked for on other cases.
He sorted them out, prioritizing, making notes of requested details and happily deleting the one from the prosecutor freeing him. For once, the clerk didn’t come by to gripe at him for not giving everyone he dealt with his cell number. He was pondering that miracle when that cell phone rang.
He recognized the number immediately. Stared at the small screen for a moment. Glanced around to see if anyone was within earshot, then grimaced at himself for doing it.
Finally, he answered.
“I’m sorry to bother you again,” she said without preamble. “And I’m probably being horribly presumptuous, but...”
Her voice trailed off, and a dozen ways she might be presumptuous shot through his mind, most of which kicked his pulse up into territory it rarely visited unless he was running.
And running was just what he should do. Far away from Mrs. Sloan Burke.
“What is it?” He knew he sounded clipped, and with an effort, he added more evenly, “Do you need me to call Rick again after all?”
“That’s just it. He isn’t there.”
He frowned. “He’s not always. He has to visit sites sometimes. You might have to call him back later.”
“No, I mean he’s gone. As in no longer working there.”
Brett went still. “What?”
“That’s why I called you back. It didn’t seem like you knew that.”
“No, I didn’t. Did they say why?”
“No. But they very pointedly didn’t say why, with that tone people get when there’s an unpleasant story behind it. You know what I mean?”
“Yes.” He fought a sinking feeling. Rick had had that job for a long time, and he couldn’t imagine why he would leave it. Not when he was working so hard to help his daughter stay straight. “I can’t believe he’d just quit. He’s got a daughter in college, and he’s trying hard to keep her there, out of trouble.”
“She was in trouble?”
“A few years ago,” he said. “It was one of my cases.”
It had been quite a mess Caro had gotten herself into, following some less-than-well-chosen friends into drugs and then into a small crime ring, stealing phones and tablets they would wipe and resell. He’d seen immediately she was in way over her head, scared, and had known there was a chance to save her. She’d just been reeling after the death of her mother. The girl had, with a little help, pulled herself free and turned her life around, he’d thought for good.
He hoped some major problem with her wasn’t the reason Rick had left.
“You helped her, didn’t you?” Sloan asked when he didn’t go on. “That’s why her father thinks he owes you.”
She didn’t miss much, he thought. And he shouldn’t have said that about Caro getting into trouble. It wasn’t anybody else’s business. Not to mention she’d been a juvenile, not the kind of case he should be discussing with a civilian.
“She helped herself,” he said. “I just gave her a little direction. That’s all they said, no hint as to why?” he asked, fending off any other questions he couldn’t or shouldn’t answer.
“Nothing. But I’m a stranger. They’d probably tell you.”
“I’ll call.” And after a moment’s hesitation, he added, “Thank you, Sloan.”
“Of course.”
“I’ll ask about your permit, too.”
“That’s all right. You need to deal with your friend’s situation. I think we’ll just forget it and start over. We’ll go in this afternoon when the visiting caretaker is here for Uncle Chuck.”
“That’s generous of you.”
“I’ve calmed down a bit,” she said, her tone wry. “Sometimes you just have to cut your losses. And in the grand scheme of things, a lost application isn’t much.”
“I suppose not,” he said. Not compared to what she’d been through before, he thought as they disconnected. Maybe he should just show them who they were dealing with. Perhaps a clip of that video from DC would help them realize they did not want this woman coming after them.
He
He sorted them out, prioritizing, making notes of requested details and happily deleting the one from the prosecutor freeing him. For once, the clerk didn’t come by to gripe at him for not giving everyone he dealt with his cell number. He was pondering that miracle when that cell phone rang.
He recognized the number immediately. Stared at the small screen for a moment. Glanced around to see if anyone was within earshot, then grimaced at himself for doing it.
Finally, he answered.
“I’m sorry to bother you again,” she said without preamble. “And I’m probably being horribly presumptuous, but...”
Her voice trailed off, and a dozen ways she might be presumptuous shot through his mind, most of which kicked his pulse up into territory it rarely visited unless he was running.
And running was just what he should do. Far away from Mrs. Sloan Burke.
“What is it?” He knew he sounded clipped, and with an effort, he added more evenly, “Do you need me to call Rick again after all?”
“That’s just it. He isn’t there.”
He frowned. “He’s not always. He has to visit sites sometimes. You might have to call him back later.”
“No, I mean he’s gone. As in no longer working there.”
Brett went still. “What?”
“That’s why I called you back. It didn’t seem like you knew that.”
“No, I didn’t. Did they say why?”
“No. But they very pointedly didn’t say why, with that tone people get when there’s an unpleasant story behind it. You know what I mean?”
“Yes.” He fought a sinking feeling. Rick had had that job for a long time, and he couldn’t imagine why he would leave it. Not when he was working so hard to help his daughter stay straight. “I can’t believe he’d just quit. He’s got a daughter in college, and he’s trying hard to keep her there, out of trouble.”
“She was in trouble?”
“A few years ago,” he said. “It was one of my cases.”
It had been quite a mess Caro had gotten herself into, following some less-than-well-chosen friends into drugs and then into a small crime ring, stealing phones and tablets they would wipe and resell. He’d seen immediately she was in way over her head, scared, and had known there was a chance to save her. She’d just been reeling after the death of her mother. The girl had, with a little help, pulled herself free and turned her life around, he’d thought for good.
He hoped some major problem with her wasn’t the reason Rick had left.
“You helped her, didn’t you?” Sloan asked when he didn’t go on. “That’s why her father thinks he owes you.”
She didn’t miss much, he thought. And he shouldn’t have said that about Caro getting into trouble. It wasn’t anybody else’s business. Not to mention she’d been a juvenile, not the kind of case he should be discussing with a civilian.
“She helped herself,” he said. “I just gave her a little direction. That’s all they said, no hint as to why?” he asked, fending off any other questions he couldn’t or shouldn’t answer.
“Nothing. But I’m a stranger. They’d probably tell you.”
“I’ll call.” And after a moment’s hesitation, he added, “Thank you, Sloan.”
“Of course.”
“I’ll ask about your permit, too.”
“That’s all right. You need to deal with your friend’s situation. I think we’ll just forget it and start over. We’ll go in this afternoon when the visiting caretaker is here for Uncle Chuck.”
“That’s generous of you.”
“I’ve calmed down a bit,” she said, her tone wry. “Sometimes you just have to cut your losses. And in the grand scheme of things, a lost application isn’t much.”
“I suppose not,” he said. Not compared to what she’d been through before, he thought as they disconnected. Maybe he should just show them who they were dealing with. Perhaps a clip of that video from DC would help them realize they did not want this woman coming after them.
He
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