Page 74 of Need You
“Executive assistant,” Colt corrected. “How do you know Mayor Pond, Brian?”
“Brian used to work off duty doing security for my startup before I sold it.”
Interesting, Colt thought. Captains didn’t usually take off-duty jobs, but maybe Brian hadn’t been that high up in the ranks back then.
“It was nice meeting you,” Colt lied. “Enjoy your stay in Glory Junction.”
“Maybe I’ll stop by your family’s company. I do a little motorcycle racing; you got anything like that?”
“No. Most of our stuff is for the seasoned adventurer. BASE jumping, cave diving, hang gliding, ice climbing, extreme skiing. Probably nothing you’d be interested in.” Colt walked away.
“What’s going on?” Carrie Jo whispered as he passed her desk.
“Not now.” He went inside his office, shut the door, and called his old partner at SFPD.
Even though Colt had been gone a while, he was still tight with the friends he’d made on the force in San Francisco. Still regularly went on ski and camping trips with them and had them up to Glory Junction for GA’s special events.
“Yo, Garner, what up?”
“You know a Brian Dooney? He’s a captain at Fremont PD.”
“Not off the top of my head. Why?”
“He’s looking to get hired here and I wanted to know what the off-the-record rap on him is.”
“I could ask around. How soon you need the information?”
“Soon.”
“Let me see what I can do.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
As soon as Colt got off the phone Carrie Jo and Jack rushed into his office, their expressions panicked. If Colt’s job was at risk so was Jack’s. Whoever became chief would want to bring in his own command staff. People loyal to him, not his predecessor. That’s just the way it was in any department.
“They’re gone,” Carrie Jo said. “What the hell, Colt?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“No way is he getting rid of you.” Jack plopped down on the couch. “The city council won’t stand for it.”
“Look at the city charter. The mayor has the ultimate say in these situations. If he wants to dump me, he can.”
“He doesn’t have the balls. The whole town will turn against him.”
“I don’t know about that. Have you looked around lately? This isn’t the same Glory Junction it was ten, fifteen years ago. Lots of new residents. Remember, Pond won by a landslide. People have faith in him.”
“That Brian guy gave me the willies.” Carrie Jo sat next to Jack. “He thinks he’s Thomas Magnum, PI, with that mustache.”
“I agree with Carrie Jo,” Jack said. “The dude made my skin crawl.”
Colt didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want his people to be unhappy but he had no power over the situation. “Let me talk to Ben, see if Pond has a contractual obligation to keep me on. But, guys, I’m pretty sure I’m an at-will employee.” Meaning he could be terminated at any time. “I’m meeting my brothers at Old Glory. You two in?”
“Let me get my purse and lock up.”
Jack said he’d meet them at the bar. Since he was on call tonight, he needed to brief the watch commander. Colt and Carrie Jo walked over together. The place was packed, as it usually was on a Friday night. He spotted TJ and Josh at their regular table and went to the bar to get a pitcher of beer.
“Missed you at the press conference,” Boden said. “It looked like the Carter Pond hour on my TV.”
