The Last Word by Kathy Herman

Author:Kathy Herman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: David C. Cook
Published: 2011-08-18T04:00:00+00:00

An anonymous source inside the Sophie Trace Police Department told Mayor Lewis Roswell that, while everyone is sympathetic to the threat on Chief Jessup’s life, a number of officers have expressed serious doubts that the chief can effectively lead in the wake of Detective Sean O’Toole’s murder and the questions surrounding it.

The firestorm of controversy has continued to build since Fountain, posing as a nurse, was able to breach police security outside O’Toole’s hospital room and successfully poison the recovering detective with a capsule of peanut oil, to which he was highly allergic.

The city council has called a special meeting to discuss the growing fear among police officers that Chief Jessup is not able to handle police business while these relentless attacks continue to threaten her and her officers—

“Stop!” Brill could almost hear her collar sizzling. “I don’t want to hear any more.”

“Okay. That’s essentially the end of it.”

“How dare he!” She gripped the wheel and squeezed it. “The mayor is lying about this anonymous source in my department because he wants to create doubt about my ability to lead. He’s too big a coward to tell my officers and the people of this community that the city council wants me out.”

“Are you sure? It wouldn’t be the first time there was mutiny within the ranks of a police department.”

Brill turned and glared at David. “There’s no mutiny! We are as rock solid as we were during the disappearances—even more so. We’re handling the day-to-day business just fine. The mayor’s a liar.”

“Or a puppet. Doesn’t he answer to the city council?”

Brill nodded. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The mayor and I already had a run in over what happened to O’Toole.”

Brill told David about her unpleasant encounter with Mayor Roswell on Memorial Day and her concerns about her job.

“I’m really sorry, Brill. If you think it’s a gender issue, you should file a claim—”

“I’m not filing a claim! This isn’t about gender. Or if it is, it’s not coming from the people in my department. I’m telling you, there’s no mutiny here. I read people better than that. This is nothing more than a cheap ploy to make the public question my ability to lead under fire. It’s the only way the city council can get rid of me without half the department quitting in protest.”

David folded the newspaper. “Why do they want to get rid of you? For crying out loud, a few months ago, you cracked the biggest case in the town’s history.”

“Yes, but I also drew a lot of very bad press. Most of what people associate with Police Chief Jessup is negative, and it started with the disappearances. Thanks to the cable networks, the entire world sat back and misjudged this community and my department because of the red shadows legend. Face it, outsiders tend to remember rumors, not resolution.”

“Unfortunately.”

“And now my name’s being plastered all over the news again. It’s a colossal media circus—the very kind of press this town doesn’t need.”

David picked up the newspaper and tapped her on the shoulder with it.

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