For a heartbeat, Erin didn’t move. Then she gave the kind of calm, measured nod that usually preceded a careful answer.
“We’re conducting several court-authorized searches related to this investigation,” she said. “This is an active operation, and updates will be provided as appropriate.”
Perfect answer. She could’ve stopped there.
“But yes,” Erin added, “one warrant was executed just after six this morning.”
The effect was instant.
The room erupted. Voices overlapping, cameras pivoting, a dozen questions firing at once. “Where?” “How many arrests?” “Was anyone injured?” A reporter from WBZ shouted to repeat it for the mic. Another tried to push forward for a clearer angle. Someone’s phone alarm went off mid-chaos, a shrill punctuation mark to the frenzy.
Jamie’s pulse spiked. Her stomach dropped. She’d expected a dodge, not confirmation. Not this.
Tilly, across the room, mouthedholy shitas they adjusted focus, catching Erin framed in the chaos. Jamie didn’t need to look to know the headlines were already forming: “BPD Confirms Early-Morning Warrant Execution in Retail Theft Crackdown.” She’d just set the lead story for the day.
Erin straightened, voice raised just enough to cut through the noise. “That’s all I can say right now. We’ll have a formal update later this week. Thank you.” She stepped back from the podium, already signaling to the moderator to wrap it up. A dozen more questions chased her, unanswered.
The noise dulled as she left the room, but the adrenaline didn’t. Reporters clustered near the exit, calling editors, dictating leads, fighting for cell service. Jamie stood in the middle of it all, notebook open, heart hammeringin her throat. The wordsone warrant executed just after sixlooped in her head like a broadcast line.
Tilly sidled up beside her, still rolling the camera. “You realize we just got gold, right?”
Jamie swallowed hard. “Yeah.”
Tilly caught the edge in her voice, giving her a quick look. “You okay?”
“I think so.” She wasn’t. “I’ll meet you at the truck.”
Tilly nodded and headed for the door, already muttering about clean cuts and lead-ins. Jamie lingered just long enough to watch the last few reporters swarm the podium, then slipped out into the hallway.
The quiet hit her all at once. The hum of the vending machine, the distant echo of voices behind the closed door, it was all background. Erin stood a few steps away, leaning slightly against the wall, hands clasped in front of her like she was still holding herself together.
Jamie hesitated, then walked over. “You okay?”
Erin exhaled through her nose, the kind of breath you take when you’re trying not to show you need one. “That could’ve gone smoother.”
Jamie’s guilt twisted sharper. “I shouldn’t have asked that way.”
“You asked exactly how you should have.” Erin’s tone softened, but her eyes were still sharp. “You did your job.”
“It blew up,” Jamie said quietly. “Everyone’s going to run with it. That wasn’t my intent.”
“I know.” Erin pushed a hand through her hair, then let it fall. “I can handle the fallout. It’s part of the gig. I just wish I’d handled it better.”
“You were composed,” Jamie said. “Everyone saw that.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that it was new information for every network in the room.” Erin’s mouth curved faintly, humor creeping in despite herself. “Congratulations on the scoop, by the way.”
Jamie’s throat tightened. “I didn’t want it at your expense.”
“I know you didn’t.” Erin looked at her, eyes softening in that way that made Jamie’s pulse trip. “You were doing what you’re supposed to. I’d be disappointed if you hadn’t.”
Jamie nodded, but the knot in her chest didn’t ease. “Still feels messy.”
“Messy doesn’t mean wrong,” Erin said quietly. Her voice shifted, the professional edge melting into something warmer. “You’ve got integrity, Jamie. You asked a fair question. I just answered like someone who forgot where she was for half a second.”
Jamie’s lips curved, just barely. “You didn’t forget where you were. You just told the truth.”
Erin smiled, the kind that flickered between tired and fond. “Maybe.”
