by Robin Mahle
She roused and sat up, peering at the time. “Shit. How long have I been asleep?”
“Several hours.”
“It’s dark out. I missed the entire day.” She reached for her phone. “I’m so sorry about this. I shouldn’t have just shown up at your doorstep. I hopped on a train and ended up here.”
“Don’t be. You needed sleep and it was no big deal to run home and let you in. How are you doing, anyway?”
“I’ve calmed down. I guess that’s what’s important.” She began to scroll through her messages. “I see Nick’s on top of things. He’s called ten times.”
“Maybe you should go see him? I’m sure with all that’s gone on, he’s still at the office. I can give you a lift.”
“Yeah. Thanks. I should probably go in.” She stood. “I’m just going to go freshen up.”
He nodded.
“Thanks, Dwight.” She kissed his cheek. “You’re a good friend.”
“He loves you, you know.”
“I know.”
“Thanks for the ride.” Kate stepped out of the car. “I’ll call you later. Thanks for everything.”
“No problem, friend. Good luck in there.”
She closed the door and watched Dwight pull away. Behind her was the BAU building and inside awaited God knew what. But she had to face it. “Let the chips fall where they may.” She pressed on and made her way to the floor of her unit’s offices.
The elevator doors parted and she stepped out. No one noticed. Her colleagues were busy working cases and finding criminals and killers. Her little outburst didn’t matter to them. Kate continued through the maze of corridors until reaching her office. She hadn’t told Nick she was coming in. Hadn’t called him back or anything, actually.”
“Hey.”
She spun around. “Figured you’d still be here.”
Nick walked inside. “I called you.”
“I didn’t answer.” She set her things down on her desk. “Where’s Quinn?”
“In with Cole.”
“Really? That was fast.”
“He’s requesting a leave of absence. In light of the situation, we felt it was the best solution, short term.”
“Wait, what? A leave of absence?”
“Yes. He’s going to take some time off, and if he comes back, he comes back.”
“He gets a choice? That’s what you’re telling me? A sociopathic blackmailer gets to choose to keep his job.”
“Mistakes have been made all around. By him. By me. And by you.” Nick drew in a deep breath. “You tailed an agent without cause or permission.”
“He threatened…”
“I know what he threatened. And the thing was, Kate, it wasn’t your responsibility to fix it. It was mine. I should have been made aware of the situation. I would’ve made the call to bring him in to Cole and if it meant my own disciplining or God-forbid, firing, then so be it. But it shouldn’t have been you.”
“What about Dwight? Is he going to…”
“No. His name wasn’t mentioned.”
“So what’s my punishment?” Kate stood firm.
“Cole doesn’t want this to go beyond our team. He won’t open an investigation if you admit wrong-doing. He wants this entire fiasco to be put behind us. What happened in Rio. Here. He wants it all to go away. And because of the work you did in Rio, the risks you took with your life to get to the truth, and the fact that your work will lead to corruption charges for the Brazilian authorities, the worst you’ll receive is a letter of censure.”
“I see. Quinn gets a vacation. I get disciplined. Seems fair.”
“I said Quinn was taking a leave of absence from the Bureau. I didn’t say he was coming back here.”
She lowered her arms and appeared deadpan. “He’s being fired?”
“If he chooses to return, he’ll be transferred from our unit. It’s clear the personnel issue is irreparable, according to Cole.”
Scarborough started to leave. “And as for me, I’m begin demoted.”
“What?” she walked toward him. “What for?”
“For withholding information about myself that could have placed the team in danger. Information that did place the team in danger.”
“Demoted to what?”
“I’m no longer the senior unit agent. You’ll be answering to Cameron Fisher from now on.”
THE END
About the Author
Bestselling author Robin Mahle, lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. Her Kate Reid mysteries have drawn praise for grabbing hold of the reader and refusing to let go. And the intense, fast-paced style of storytelling led her to create another series, the Lacy Merrick thrillers, which readers have called "believable, and ripped from today's headlines." Now with the new Riley Thompson series, Robin looks to capture the imagination with a small-town cop and her unique and sometimes terrifying gift.
With powerful leading ladies and action-packed thrill rides, Robin hopes to continue taking readers on roller-coaster adventures that will leave them breathless.
If you enjoyed Ms. Mahle’s work, please share your experience by leaving a review on Amazon.
Also by Robin Mahle
All the Shiny Things - A Kate Reid Novel (Book 1)
Law of Five – A Kate Reid Novel (Book 2)
Gone Unnoticed – A Kate Reid Novel (Book 3)
Blackwaters – A Kate Reid Novel (Book 4)
Endangered -A Kate Reid Novel (Book 5)
The Pretty Ones - A Kate Reid Novel (Book 6)
The Last Word – A Kate Reid Novel (Book 7)
Deadly Reckoning - A Kate Reid Novel (Book 8)
To the Bone - A Kate Reid Novel (Book 9)
Force of Nature - A Riley Thompson Thriller (Book 0)
Behind Her Eyes - A Riley Thompson Thriller (Book 1)
State of Denial - A Lacy Merrick Thriller (Book 1)
Shadow Rising – A Lacy Merrick Thriller (Book 2)
First Target – A Lacy Merrick Thriller (Book 3)
Ghost Nation - A Lacy Merrick Thriller (Book 4)
Landslide
Beyond the Clearing
**Sign up to receive Robin’s Newsletter so you can stay up to date on her new releases, events, contests and even exclusive new material!
