Page 96 of Last Seen Alive
Amanda’s heart was thumping. She had nothing to say to that.
“If you’d followed correct protocol, we could have this guy in an interview room right now. Instead, who knows where he is?”
She bit back the urge to say something smart and remained quiet. So did Trent. It was best to just take the heat when a superior lashed out. And Graves’s mind certainly wasn’t open to much. Amanda didn’t hold out much hope that Buchanan’s was either. Not given the way his arms were crossed, and his mouth was fixed in a grimace.
“And you got that note the other day.” Graves nudged her head toward Trent, then turned to Amanda. “And you have this guy show up at your home tonight, and you don’t call it in.” She flailed her arms in the air. “I just don’t understand either of you. It was a complete freaking circus out there tonight. And no one even came away with a license plate.”
“You got a note?” Buchanan directed this at Trent, as if he were catching up on all that had been said.
Trent flicked his gaze to Amanda.
“Actually, I did, Chief,” Amanda said, drawing herself up.
“You?” Graves hissed.
“I asked Trent to say it was him.”
“Why on earth?” Graves clasped her hands on her desk. Her eyebrows were corkscrewed like she had a migraine.
“I thought you’d take me off the case if you knewIgot it.”
“Damn right I would have.”
“Then I made the right decision.” She laid it out there calm, cool, and respectfully. She didn’t make eye contact with the sergeant or the chief.
Piercing quiet.
“Huh.” Graves about sixty seconds later. “I would have removed you from the case, but now I want your badge. There’s only one thing stopping me. I think you’re close to getting this guy. You bring him in, Steele, then we’ll talk. But if I hear about any more road rage being carried out by my detectives, you’re both on the street. Hear me?” She dragged her pointed finger between Amanda and Trent, pursed her lips like it was something she was born doing.
“I hear you,” Amanda and Trent said in unison.
Amanda dared to look at the chief. He was watching her. His cheeks were flushed, and she could tell she’d disappointed him. He certainly hadn’t jumped in to her or Trent’s defense.
“That all, ma’am?” she said to Graves.
“For now. Go home. I don’t want to hear any more about this case tonight.”
“But—” Amanda shut her mouth at Graves holding her hand up, silencing her.
“Go. Before I decide to have that discussion about your badges now.” She pointed to her office door.
Amanda and Trent got up and left. They walked to the parking lot without a word.
“Want a ride home?” Trent’s question intruded her thoughts. How she just wanted to get that mystery man in the Camry.
“Might be nice. Or I could call a taxi.”
“Ridiculous. Hop in.” Trent patted the hood of his Jeep as he circled it to the driver’s side.
They went to her house, not speaking a word. He pulled into her driveway. Her eyes went first to the broken window but quickly landed on the trampled rosebush. She pointed it out and said, “Think it’s dead.”
“Plants can be resilient.”
“I never gathered you were much of a gardener.”
“I’m not, but I think I’ve heard that said.” He laughed.
Neither of them seemed in a hurry to go anywhere.
