Page 18 of The Fighter
“Yeah.”
“Then you’re coming with me.”
Raven beamed as if I had just told her Christmas would now be celebrated four times a year. “For real?”
“Hurry.” I spun around again and had made it a few steps outside when I heard her running footsteps behind me. “What about a jacket?”
“You told me to hurry, so I just ran.”
“It’s raining.”
“I don’t care.”
“That’s because you have no clue what police work is. We might be standing outside in the rain for hours interviewing people.” I pointed to the door behind us. “Get your jacket, right now.”
“Yes sir, Inspector.” Raven sprinted inside and returned a minute later with a jacket in her hand.
I was already by the drone. “Get in and let’s go.”
Climbing in with eagerness on her face, Raven buckled up. “You know, it’s kind of sweet when you think about it.”
“What is?”
“You telling me to get my jacket. It’s like you care about me or something.”
“I don’t.”
“Not even a little?”
“I’m your mentor. It’s my job to teach you stuff, that’s all.”
“I’m still going to choose to think that you care about me.”
I sighed. “Do you want me to leave you here?”
“No, of course not. I want to come.”
“Then stop talking about me caring about you. It’s a fantasy.”
“What about Mila? Do you care about her?”
“Raven.” There was a warning in my tone.
“All right, all right, I’ll be quiet now.”
“Good.”
It took us twenty-five minutes to get to the crime scene, where a young uniformed officer who couldn’t have been out of the academy for more than a few years came to shake my hand. “Nice to meet you, Inspector, we spoke on the phone.”
“You’re Officer Flannigan.”
“Yes, sir.” His eyes kept going to Raven but for some reason, I didn’t want to introduce him to her. I should have known it wouldn’t matter, because she spoke up anyway.
“I’m Raven. The first female police officer.”
Flannigan smiled. “I’ve heard of you.”
“You’re not an officer, yet,” I reminded her in a dry voice and walked into the house. “Where’s the husband and wife?”
