Badge Of Honor. Carol Steward

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СКАЧАТЬ figured every officer in the room was thinking the same thing he was—that Nick Matthews had a new watchdog.

      Despite the annoyance, he nodded as Officer Roberts’s glance met his. It can’t be the same Sarah Roberts who went to Fossil Creek High, could it? As she took her seat, Nick struggled to focus on taking notes for the night’s shift, BOLOs, outstanding warrants and cases to be mindful of—mainly the assault case from the night before. He struggled to keep his mind from drifting to the cute twin sister of his old basketball teammate.

      He refused to look again. He forced himself to focus on the briefing as Captain Thomas went into detail on the BOLO.

      “Be on the lookout for any suspicious activity near the campus,” the captain explained as Nick struggled to link Sarah’s assignment to the assault case.

      “…second assault in the vicinity of the university last night. Suspect is described as five-ten, Caucasian, brown hair and medium build. It occurred between nine and ten last night near the fine arts building off Pine Street and Gateway Place. The university police have asked us to provide assistance with additional patrols of the area. This assault has several similarities to the rape that occurred last April. All units in that area double your patrols on the university perimeter until further notice.”

      Nick’s mind wandered again, and he found himself wishing he was the detective on the case. Sitting on the fringes had never been his strength. But there was never a dull moment in a city of almost a hundred twenty thousand—thirty thousand more when the university was in session. Patrolling the streets had its perks, he realized—more action, fewer dead ends than in investigations. And it would be a lot more difficult to find out if someone still had it in for him.

      After the briefing, he waited at the door to meet Officer Roberts. The majority of their colleagues used the opposite door, thus avoiding the need to address Nick.

      “Nick Matthews,” Sarah said confidently, as she stopped next to him and looked up. Her brown eyes, framed with long, dark lashes and high arched eyebrows, were filled with intrigue and intelligence, he noted as he offered his hand.

      She was even shorter than she’d looked earlier and even prettier than she had been in high school. He’d guess she was just over five feet tall, the bulkiness of the Kevlar vest and boxy uniform slacks hiding any semblance of a womanly figure. Her face was a dead giveaway, however. Totally feminine. Her full lips would have been too much on most faces, but fit perfectly with her square jaw. He imagined she wore her hair in a thick braid because of the job. She probably didn’t remember him—he’d been two years younger.

      She looked him over once and nodded. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

      “You, too.” He didn’t want to think about what she meant by “finally.”

      How long were people going to question his word? His actions? His honor? And how was he supposed to erase that shadow of doubt two crooked officers had placed on his badge, when his superiors assigned a former FBI agent to be his new partner? Heavenly Father, help me put the past behind me and move forward.

      TWO

      Sarah saw the look of doubt in Nick’s eyes. Whether it was skepticism that anyone so petite could be counted on as backup, or her experience with the FBI that he was upset about, she wasn’t sure. She’d been in Fossil Creek for little over a month, and not one person yet seemed to believe she’d willingly left the Federal Bureau of Investigations to become a street officer. Sarah was growing tired of trying to prove herself.

      “I’m sorry to ask to keep you waiting, but I really need to talk to the captain. I wasn’t able to catch him earlier,” she said, looking Nick in the eye. “It should only take a few minutes. Do you mind?”

      He shrugged. “Be my guest.”

      She walked into their superior’s office and closed the door. “Captain Thomas, do you have a minute?”

      “Of course, my door’s always open. I got your message on my way into the courtroom this morning. I can’t tell you how sorry I am about your sister’s attack last night. Is she okay?”

      Sarah nodded. “She’s pretty shaken up, but thankfully, the group of students came along and startled the suspect before he did anything more than scare her.”

      The captain frowned. “You don’t have to stay and work tonight, if she wants you with her.”

      Sarah thanked him, but declined the offer. “She already had plans with a group of friends…. She thinks if she just goes on as usual, she’ll be able to forget it happened. She doesn’t want me hovering over her as a reminder.”

      “Well, if she does need you, call me personally. I’ll make sure it’s kept quiet,” he stated.

      “I wanted to thank you for not revealing that last night’s victim was my sister.”

      “I wouldn’t have, anyway,” Thomas assured her. “But if at any point it becomes necessary to the investigation, you need to be prepared to talk to the detectives.”

      “Of course. I don’t want anyone to think the case is getting preferential treatment because of me, but more than that, I want this guy caught and the charges to stick. If there’s anything I can do to help the detectives catch him, just let me know.” Sarah wasn’t certain exactly how she was going to overcome the urge to take charge, but somehow she needed to stay out of it.

      Captain Thomas nodded. “Right now, I think it’s best to keep details as quiet as possible. The detectives are still trying to figure out if there is any connection between the rape last spring and your sister’s attack. I’m curious about something, though. Didn’t Detective Wang recognize you at the hospital?”

      “He didn’t seem to, sir.”

      Thomas looked at her, clearly puzzled. “Well, since he hasn’t, we may as well let it play out naturally. I’m trusting you to stay out of the investigation, Roberts.”

      Sarah nodded. Somehow, she’d do it. “Definitely. In the investigator’s defense, I’d like to say I make every effort to not look like a police officer when I’m off duty.” She forced a smile that she didn’t feel.

      The captain laughed. “I’m going to have to push their observation skills a bit then. Maybe I could enlist your assistance, after the investigation is over.”

      Sarah studied her superior officer, not sure if he was serious or joking. “I have one more concern. It seems that my experience with the Bureau is a source of contention. It’s not my imagination, is it?”

      He shook his head. “Given time, the other officers will realize we’re lucky to have you as one of us. I’m afraid the drug ring has set lots of imaginations running wild. No matter what we say, half the department is convinced we’re still looking for another player in it.”

      “Time heals all wounds.” She put her hand on the doorknob and paused. “Thank you for giving me a chance, Captain Thomas. Most places I applied threw out my application on the FBI merit alone. It’s nice to be here in a smaller department.”

      “Their loss is Fossil Creek’s gain. We need some new blood here. The drug ring made that very apparent. Now get out there and kick some life into Matthews, would you?”

      Sarah СКАЧАТЬ