Page 2 of Seizing Mack
“Gail, please. We’re on a first name basis around here.”
“Gail,” he corrected.
“Good.” Gail handed him a small flexible binder. “Here’s all the legal stuff — employment contract, benefits, insurance info. Where are you staying?”
“The Twin Pines motel.”
“Oh, the Twin Pines is nice! Won’t do for long term, though. My sister is a realtor with a real gift for finding people their perfect space. I can give you her number.”
For years he’d been living a transitory existence, moving from one city to another, and that had worked for him. Now that he’d come home, he wanted something more permanent, a place that he could call his own. That would take some time, though. He had specific ideas of what he wanted — something cozy yet spacious, earthy yet modern. In the meantime, he needed a place to live, and his requisites for temporary housing were more flexible.
“Does she do leases?”
“She does.”
“Great. Thank you, Gail. I appreciate that.”
She beamed. “You’re very welcome. Now, go on up. Third floor. Sam’s expecting you. Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“How do you like your coffee?”
“Coffee?”
“Yep. We’ve got a nice thing going with Ground Zero. They deliver fresh at the beginning of every shift. You won’t find better.”
“Black. And strong.”
“Typical.” She laughed again. “Got it.”
Nick bypassed the elevator, preferring to take the stairs to the third floor. As he mounted the steps, he couldn’t help but be pleasantly surprised with his initial welcome. He’d feared it would be awkward; that each time someone looked at him it would be with curiosity, associating him with what had happened long ago, but so far, no one had given any indication that they either knew or cared.
He tempered those thoughts with cautious optimism. Small town folks had long memories. Gail was only the first person he’d talked to who might know something of his background. The real test would come in the ensuing days and weeks.
The top floor of the station was as nice as the ground floor. Natural light spilled in from big, open windows across cool, neutral tones. The carpet looked fairly new, as did the furnishings. Half of the space contained L-shaped, open workspaces, three of which were presently occupied. The other half held a conference room and the chief’s office.
“Nick Benning.”
Nick turned to face the guy closest to him, immediately creating a profile out of habit. Early thirties, like him, perhaps a few years younger. Athletic build, blonde hair, blue eyes. The ID badge he wore identified him as Detective Kent Emerson.
The guy held out his hand. “Welcome. The chief said you were coming in today.”
Nick accepted his hand, returning Emerson’s firm grip with one of his own. “So much for a quiet entrance.”
Kent laughed, a little too loudly. “Forewarned is forearmed, as they say. Coming in from Chicago, huh? That’s quite a change.”
Unlike Gail, Kent’s friendliness was less sincere and more calculating. Kent was sizing him up, no doubt assessing where Nick would fall in the unspoken department hierarchy. Every place had one. Nick’s first impression was that Kent placed himself pretty high on that chart. His second impression: he and Kent were not going to be best friends.
Nick wasn’t interested in getting into a discussion about his previous job or his motivation for transfer, not at this point. No doubt the team had already been briefed on his arrival and probably provided some pertinent details. That was enough for now. He was a proponent of the ‘need to know’ philosophy, and at that moment, Kent did not need to know.
“Yes, it is,” he answered politely. “Nice to meet you, Kent. If you’ll excuse me, I don’t want to keep the chief waiting.”
Walking toward the office at the back, Nick nodded acknowledgements to the other two occupants who, unlike Kent, appeared to be busy and didn’t feel the need for an immediate intro. That worked for him.
The chief’s door was open, so Nick knocked lightly on the frame. The big guy behind the desk looked up from the report he was reading, his mouth forming a wide smile when he saw Nick. “Nick Benning! About time you got your ass back here! Come on in, son, and close the door behind you.”
Nick turned to close the door. As he did, he saw Kent watching the exchange with undisguised interest.
