CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
They arrived back at the field office just before noon. Kate followed Sloane through the building to her cubicle, where Sloane immediately sat down and opened her laptop. The young woman moved almost like a machine when her mind was set to a specific task.
"I'll start verifying Mitchell's alibis," Sloane said, pulling up her notes from the interview.
"I really think can move on from her," Kate said. "She's not our killer. If we had a bigger team to work on alibis, sure. But it’s just the two of us and every minute counts"
Sloane looked up from her screen. "You sound pretty certain about that."
"I am certain." Kate leaned against the cubicle wall. "Everything about her read as innocent. The anger was real but it was directed at Crawford, not at the women who succeeded. And she gave us those alibis without hesitation."
"People can be good liars," Sloane said.
"Yes, but Mitchell wasn't lying. I've been doing this long enough to know when someone's hiding something.
" Kate could hear the defensiveness in her own voice and tried to soften it.
"Look, I understand being thorough. But we're wasting time if we spend the afternoon chasing down alibis for someone who clearly isn't involved. "
Sloane set her phone down and turned in her chair to face Kate directly. "With all due respect, we still need to confirm her alibi. That's basic procedure."
"I know what basic procedure is," Kate said, trying to stamp down a bit of rising anger.
"Then you know we can't just skip steps because you have a feeling about someone.
" Sloane's tone remained professional, but there was an edge to it now.
"Mitchell had motive. She lost money and her business failed.
She tried to sue the program. We need to verify where she was when the murders happened. "
Kate felt irritation flare in her chest. She had been investigating murders for three decades while Sloane was still learning the ropes, and now this rookie was telling her what procedure was?
But even as the thought formed, Kate knew Sloane was technically right.
Alibis needed to be verified regardless of gut instinct.
"Fine," Kate said. "Verify the alibis. But I'm telling you it's a waste of time."
"Maybe it is," Sloane said. "But I'm the lead investigator on this case. You're technically a consultant. So we're going to do this by the book."
The words landed harder than Kate expected.
She straightened up from the cubicle wall, feeling something cold settle in her stomach.
Sloane was right. Kate wasn't the lead here.
She wasn't even officially back with the Bureau.
She was a consultant, brought in as a favor to DeMarco to help mentor a troubled agent who needed guidance.
And now that agent was reminding her of her place. And damn, did it sting.
Kate took a breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "You're right. I apologize. Verify the alibis."
"I'm not trying to step on your toes,” she said with a bit of bitterness. “I just think we need to be thorough."
"I understand." Kate turned to leave the cubicle. "I'm going to make some calls. Let me know what you find."
She walked away before Sloane could respond, heading toward the break room where she could have some space to think. The hallway felt too narrow and the air too stale. Kate pushed through the door to the break room and found it mercifully empty.
She sat down at one of the small tables and pulled out her phone, scrolling through messages without really reading them.
The conversation with Sloane had left her feeling off-balance.
Kate had agreed to this assignment as a favor, a way to help DeMarco and maybe provide some guidance to a young agent who was struggling.
But she hadn't expected to be reminded quite so bluntly that she wasn't in charge anymore. Maybe she wasn’t being as hands-off as she thought.
Her phone rang in the midst of her thoughts; Allen's name appeared on the screen and a small bit of peace flashed through her. Kate answered it immediately, grateful for the distraction.
"Hey," she said.
"Hi. I wanted to let you know that Michael had a little accident in the backyard."
Kate sat up straighter. "What happened? Is he okay?"
"He's fine," Allen said quickly. "He was running around and tripped over one of his toys.
He scraped up his arm pretty good but nothing serious.
I cleaned it with peroxide and put a bandage on it.
He cried for about two minutes and then wanted to go right back outside.
" He chuckled and said, “He thought the bubbles from the peroxide were funny. He’s a little warrior for sure.”
Kate let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "You're sure he's okay?"
"I'm sure. I just wanted to keep you informed. I know how you worry."
"Thank you." Kate rubbed her forehead. "How bad is the scrape?"
"It looks worse than it is. Lots of blood but not deep. He'll probably have a bruise tomorrow but that's about it." Allen paused. "How are things going with you? Still at the office?"
Kate hesitated. She could tell Allen she was just consulting, just reviewing files and offering advice from the sidelines. But that wasn't true anymore and they both knew it. "I'm actively working on a case," Kate admitted. "Working with a young agent who could use some guidance."
"Ah." Allen didn't sound surprised. "So, not just consulting then."
"No. Not just consulting. Sorry"
"Does this young agent have a name?"
"Erica Sloane. She's new to the Bureau, transferred from Chicago after a pretty rough undercover assignment. DeMarco asked me to help mentor her."
"And how's that going?"
Kate thought about the conversation she had just had in Sloane's cubicle, about being reminded that she was a consultant and not the lead investigator. "It's going. We're figuring each other out."
"Translation: she's stubborn and doesn't listen to you."
Kate smiled despite herself. "She listens. She just doesn't always agree. And she's technically the lead on this case, so she's well within her rights to make the calls."
"That must be hard for you," Allen said. His tone was gentle, understanding. "Taking a backseat after being in charge for so long."
"It's an adjustment." Kate stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the parking lot below. "But she's right about some things. I was ready to skip verifying an alibi because I had a feeling the suspect wasn't involved and I didn’t want to waste the time. That's not good procedure."
"But your feelings are usually right."
"Usually. But not always. And Sloane is trying to do things by the book, which is what she should be doing. And as a mentor, I should be aware of that sort of thing."
Allen was quiet for a moment. "Just be careful, okay? I know you're helping out, but you're not as young as you used to be. Don't push yourself too hard."
Kate felt a flash of irritation once again, then let it go. Allen wasn't wrong. She was nearly sixty years old, and the physical demands of fieldwork were harder than they used to be. Her body reminded her of that fact every morning when she got out of bed.
"I don't need the reminder," Kate said, but there was warmth in her voice.
"Yes you do. You never think about your own limitations until you're already past them."
"That's not… entirely true.”
Allen chuckled and said, “Okay, okay. Go solve your case and come home at a reasonable hour. Michael wants to show you his bandage."
"Tell him I'll be home for dinner."
"I will. Love you."
"Love you too."
Kate ended the call and stood at the window for another moment, looking out at the city. Allen knew her too well. He knew she would get pulled into this case deeper than she intended, that she would push herself harder than she should. But he also trusted her to know her own limits.
Most of the time, anyway.
She checked the time on her phone. She had been in the break room for almost fifteen minutes, long enough for Sloane to have started on those alibi verifications.
Kate should get back and help, even if she was convinced Mitchell was innocent.
Sloane was right about procedure, about doing things by the book.
Kate might have decades of experience, but that didn't mean she could skip the fundamentals.
She left the break room and headed back through the building toward Sloane's cubicle.
The irritation from earlier had faded, replaced by something closer to resignation.
This was what she had signed up for when she agreed to help DeMarco.
Working with a younger agent meant sometimes being reminded that she wasn't in charge anymore.
Kate could handle that. She had handled worse.
She turned the corner and saw Sloane's cubicle up ahead, the younger agent visible through the opening as she worked at her laptop. Kate took a breath and headed toward her, ready to help verify alibis she was certain would check out… and to do a better job of letting Sloane lead.