expressions. But both men wore masks that suggested they were trying to keep the content of their discussion private. Jessie did notice one thing, however: Ryan looked tired.
“Welcome back, Hunt,” Decker said perfunctorily. “I trust your time in Virginia was illuminating?”
“Very much so, sir,” she replied.
“Excellent. While I would love to hear about the particulars, we’ll have to hold off on that for now, Instead, you’re going to put your new skills to the test right away. You’ve got a case.”
“Sir?” she said, slightly surprised. She assumed he’d want to ease her back in and go over her new duties as a full-time non-interim profiler.
“Hernandez will explain the details to you en route,” Decker said. “The case is a bit sensitive and your services were specifically requested.”
“Really?” Jessie asked, regretting her enthusiasm the moment she said it.
“Really, Hunt,” Decker answered, scowling slightly. “Apparently you’ve developed a bit of a reputation as the Suburbia Whisperer. I can’t go into any more now. Suffice to say, the folks upstairs want this case handled delicately. I expect you’ll keep that in mind as you proceed.”
“Yes sir.”
“All right. We’ll catch up later,” he said. Then he turned and walked off without another word.
Ryan, who hadn’t spoken until then, finally did now.
“Welcome home,” he said. “How are you doing?”
“Not too bad,” she said, ignoring the fluttering sensation that had suddenly returned. “Just getting back into the flow of things, you know?”
“Well, diving right back in should help,” he said. “We’ve got to head out right away.”
“Do I have time to pick up the weapon I requisitioned before I left for Quantico?”
“I checked on that for you earlier this morning,” he said as they began walking through the bullpen. “Unfortunately, there was some kind of bureaucratic screw-up and it hadn’t been processed yet. I resolved the paperwork issue but you probably won’t get your gun until next week. Think you can survive just using your brain as a weapon for a few days?”
He smiled at her but she noticed something she hadn’t picked up on earlier. He had shadows under his eyes, which were a little red.
“Sure,” she said, nodding, trying to keep up with his brisk pace. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Why?” he asked, glancing over at her.
“You just look a little…tired.”
“Yeah,” he said, looking straight ahead again as he talked. “I’ve had a bit of trouble sleeping lately. Shelly and I are getting separated.”
CHAPTER NINE
They had been in the car for several minutes before things felt normal again.
Jessie had offered her sympathies back at the station and Ryan had thanked her. But he hadn’t been forthcoming beyond that and she didn’t think that asking any questions was appropriate. And since whatever case they were handling was too sensitive to discuss inside the station, they were reduced to awkward chitchat about her flight back and the perils of supermarket sushi. They were out of rhythm.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
