Chapter 7

• Jacinda sat in the chair, making sure her hands didn’t touch any part of it, and watched the two detectives in the glass office arguing with another man. If she were to guess, she would have to say the other man was their superior. She didn’t need to guess why Merritt was clearly ranting to the other man. She knew she was the reason. Neither of them wanted an unofficial nobody to be included in a police investigation. She noted that Detective Merritt was objecting much more loudly than Detective Jordan. Although to stand back and observe the two officers, they were nothing alike.
• Detective Jordan, while almost as large as his partner, had dark rusty, red hair and a pale freckled complexion. His personality was much brighter than his partner’s. As if he heard her thoughts, he glanced out the office window and winked at her. She smirked.
• Detective Merritt, on the other hand, had nothing close the sunny disposition of his partner. He was obviously a moody, internal, thinking type of man. She wondered if he’d always been that way or if what he was subjected to in his job had changed him over time. He had messy, brown hair that went just past his collar, and a tanned complexion, which only led her to believe he must do something in the outdoors when he wasn’t slithering though a crime scene. She put her hand over her mouth to cover her grin. He wasn’t a snake you silly woman, well, it was too early to tell if he was.
• “Miss Brown.”
• She looked up to see the older man calling her from his office doorway. “Yes?”
• He smiled. “Could you join us please?”
• She quickly got up and walked into the office. The older man smiled at her as she walked in.
• “Sorry to keep you sitting out there.” He extended his hand. “I’m Captain Reely.”
• She hesitated a quick moment before taking his hand. Oh, he was a very compassionate man. “Jacinda Brown.” She put her hands into her pockets and stood there. Detective Jordan was perched on the edge of his Captain’s desk, looking like he had not a care in the world. Detective Merritt on the other hand stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, staring out the window.
• The Captain sat down and smiled at her. “It seems you’re going to be helping out, at the very insistent request of the Chief, who happens to be good friends with Mr. Azaire.” He clasped his hands on the desk. “I don’t have to tell you how rare this is, and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to not overstep any boundaries.”
• Jac nodded and smiled at him. “I truly don’t know if I’ll be of any help at all, but I can assure you I won’t get in the way.” She ignored the hiss that came from the man leaning against the wall and focused on the man in charge. “I can do most of the research from my own office…”
• Detective Merritt snapped his head up and looked at her. “Our files don’t leave here.”
• She looked calmly at him for a moment. “Then I guess I’ll have to stay here.” She smiled sweetly at the Captain. “Is there a computer I can use?”
• The Captain nodded. “Just ask if you need anything and my men…” He glared at the scowling man for a second, “will be happy to help.”
• She nodded. “Okay.”
• The Captain looked at Detective Jordan, who was smirking. “Take her downstairs and show her what you guys have.”
• He nodded and stepped over to the door, motioning for her to come with him.
• She smiled at the Captain. “Thank you.” Detective Merritt hadn’t even moved from his brooding stance. She pursed her lips and walked over to him. Standing with her hands on her hips she waited until his green eyes focused on her. “Just to set the record straight, detective, I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me to be here.” With that she turned and walked through the door. She tried not to giggle at the big grin on Detective Jordan’s face as she passed him.