Page 95 of Last Girls Alive
Their huge burger plates were delivered.
“Wow,” said Katie, staring at the burger with all the trimmings and twice-fried French fries.
The undersheriff goggled too. “WOW.”
Both women laughed and began to figure out how they were going to eat the burgers with the least amount of mess.
They engaged in light conversation as they ate, but Katie still sensed that Dottie had other intentions.
With her burger half eaten, Katie finally said, “I get the sense that you have something specific you wanted to talk to me about.” She watched her superior contemplate how she was going to say whatever she had to say to her. Dottie didn’t make eye contact and seemed to be rehearsing the right words before she confronted Katie.
“You’re very perceptive. I’ve read just about all your reports and you’ve solved every case to date.” As Katie listened she took a small bite of burger and fidgeted with a French fry. “All the outcomes of your cases are fantastic. You couldn’t ask for anything better—case closure, high arrest rates, and families getting the answers they long for.You see, one of the reasons that I was hired is that I’m, what you would say, a cleaner, a good housekeeper, which means I make sure everything is running smoothly and that there aren’t any… rogue or potentially misplaced events or employees. I want, and strive for, a clean and perfect record. To create a police department that can be used as a model for other departments.”
Katie raised an eyebrow as she fought the urge to confront her—but calmly kept her wits.
“I hope that you understand what I’m trying to say.”
“Of course. You make sure that the department runs efficiently and under the guidance of strict rules and regulations. The way it’s supposed to be,” she said. “You run a tight ship.” Katie didn’t hide the slight sarcasm in the last comment.
Dottie smiled and gave Katie a scrutinizing look. “Yes, you could say that.”
Katie decided to put everything on the table. “So where does all this put me?”
“Interesting way of putting it.”
“Look, let me make this easy for you. I do my job. No one has to tell me to do my job. I do it. In fact, I make sure it gets done. It’s not easy and sometimes I have to make decisions on the spot that not everyone agrees with.” Katie watched the undersheriff’s face but saw no reaction, so she continued as she wanted to get everything out and get back to work. “I’ve made mistakes, but I take full responsibility for them and they’re all written up in my file. I don’t ask for special treatment, and I certainly don’t get it. You know that—you were there in the meeting.”
“I understand that, and I commend your passion, but you have to see it from my perspective. I’m here to ensure that this department is exemplary, and by that I mean that everyone obeys the rules, is safe, and is there to assist the public.”
“So you are talking about image?”
“Well, yes and no, but image is important. The public needs to feel comfortable with how we are doing our job and interacting with the community.”
Katie leaned back. She could see that there was no winning this conversation because they were at the department for two totally different reasons: politics and catching criminals.
“Look, I know you’re a very capable detective, but it’s not just you as one person. The department is a team. It’s all about the team.”
“So, what’s the bottom line?”
Dottie didn’t respond at first, but finally said, “You know that the sheriff has you on probation…”
Katie was surprised and angry. “I see,” she said, keeping her anger under wraps.
“I knew you would,” said the undersheriff. “I know that you wouldn’t want to let your department or your uncle down.” She smiled and went back to enjoying her food.
It was easy reading between the lines: if she stepped out of line one more time, Dottie would fire her. Katie couldn’t finish her burger, everything tasted spoiled.
Thirty-Nine
Tuesday 1545 hours
Katie was still fuming but it was becoming less and less intense as she concentrated on the investigation. She just got off the phone with the Pine Valley Medical Center and Dr. Samantha Rajal would be available to meet with them in an hour.
“Okay,” she said. “We have a fifteen-minute window to talk to Mary Rodriguez’s doctor.”
“Sounds good,” McGaven said. “And… if you’re up for it tonight, I was able to get the mystery bookshop owner Mr. Holmes to let us in to view his collection. What do you think about that?”
“We’re on a roll. I hope someone can give us something substantial.” She looked at McGaven; he appeared more tired than usual with a hint of dark around his eyes and his skin a bit sallow. “Are you sure you’re up for it? I can go to both places alone and give you an update before going home.”
