Cuff Me by Bellerose Cate

Author:Bellerose, Cate
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-04-19T16:00:00+00:00

12

Emily

Well, last night was a mess and a half. I'm so distracted, I don't even say hi to Ramirez and Kent until they call me on it.

“Hey, too good for us all of a sudden?” The comment from Ramirez is pointed, but he laughs to take the sting out of it.

“I'm sorry, guys. Just a lot on my mind today.” I do a little wave. “Hi.”

“You okay, Em?”

Seems like everyone's asking me that these days. I need to work on my not helpless act. “Yeah, I'm fine. Just have to talk to Paul.”

“The Cannon?” Ken grins. “Trouble in paradise?”

I roll my eyes at them. “I'll let you know when I get there. Isn't it time for you guys to head out or something?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Ramirez mock salutes without getting out of his chair. “Just waiting for Kent to get his ass out of his chair.”

“What? I'm sitting here waiting for you, pokey,” Kent responds indignantly.

Despite my crappy mood, I can't help smiling weakly. “You guys are a couple of clowns. The only reason you do so well is because the perps take themselves down by laughing so hard when you show up.”

Ramirez pushes his chair back and gets up, pulling his cap from a hook on the wall behind him and putting it on his head. “Those are harsh words, officer Fairburn. Harsh.”

“Yeah? I'm sure you guys will survive. Stay safe out there.”

They nod and take off, leaving me alone in the office. Everyone else is out too, it seems. Just me and Paul in his office. Probably for the best.

After putting my purse down on my desk, I make a beeline for his office, hurrying before I chicken out. I knock and open the door in one motion. Well, I try to. The door's locked. He's not here? Maybe he's late today, though that's not like him at all.

Is it about yesterday?

Just then someone new enters the office behind me, and I turn, putting on a hopeful smile. I try to not let it slip when I see it's not Paul.

Captain Fowler is a square-built woman with a severe haircut and a neatly pressed uniform, who usually prowls the fourth floor rather than spend her time with us lowly street cops unless she has business with Paul. Maybe she knows where he’s at.

She nods when she spots me. “Fairburn.”

“Captain Fowler.” We're not required to, but her straight-backed posture and sharp eyes give me the urge to salute. “Have you seen Sergeant Cannon?”

“He's on personal leave. Called it in this morning, leaving me to figure out how to make sense of his team's poor excuse for a schedule.”

Leave? Is he… oh God, it's about us, isn't it? This is ridiculous. How much blame can a single man heap on himself? And I bet he's freaking convinced that he's doing this all for me.

“Officer Fairburn?” Fowler’s voice snaps me out of my own thoughts, and I realize that she's talking and I'm not listening at all. Good thing there are no ranks below mine to get busted down to.

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