In the office, Nikki was relieved to find that Pasquale was her duty partner today. Of all the men in Phoenix Seven, she preferred her shifts with Pasquale since he did his job well and was good company. Unfortunately, Angelo was also in the office. He summoned her when she arrived.
He stood behind his desk, leaning onto his fists, elbows locked.
“This isn’t like last time,” he said. A vein pulsed in his temple. “You don’t get to take time off the schedule and pretend to be a detective. You work your shift, like everyone else.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Angelo said. “Mario told me you got another by-name request to assist the police investigation yesterday. This has to stop. Your work is here. I can’t have you prancing off anytime you want.”
“I can’t help it if the police ask for me,” Nikki pointed out.
Spots of red were rising in Angelo’s cheeks.
“Romano says you know that Black lady detective. He saw you on Via Toledo together.”
“Detective Inspector Sonia Dieng?”
“Yes. Her. Is she your girlfriend?”
“And by that, you mean?”
“You know what I mean,” he barked. “Don’t pretend with me. Is she your girlfriend? Is that why she keeps requesting you?”
Nikki’s incredulity was matched only by her outrage. But showing her anger to Angelo would only reinforce a perception she didn’t want to feed. She kept her voice flat.
“If you’ll recall, Inspector Dieng and I worked the Markham case together.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
Nikki took a deep breath. “Detective Inspector Dieng is not my girlfriend—but it wouldn’t be your business if she was.”
Angelo was working himself into a froth.
“It would most certainly be my business! Phoenix Seven does not permit conflicts of interest.”
Nikki’s words were ice. “In the past six months, Romano has dated two different carabinieri officers and a US Navy lieutenant. Would you consider these conflicts of interest?”
“I’m not talking about that with you,” Angelo protested.
Nikki continued, raising her voice. “Mario’s running a security consulting business as a side hustle. Would you consider that a conflict of interest?”
“Get out of my office.”
Nikki maintained eye contact for a few beats before leaving Angelo, shutting the door behind her.
—
Not long ago, Nikki had believed she could get along with Angelo.
After the heat of summer had ended, after the admiral was released from hospital and returned to work and Nikki was recovering from the worst injuries she’d sustained in her fight with Durant, her suspension was lifted. Angelo had been courteous—commending her work and welcoming her back to Phoenix Seven. But the civility didn’t last.
On the day Admiral Redford brought Angelo and Nikki to his office to award Nikki a medal, Angelo had bristled with indignation.
“It isn’t appropriate to reward an individual investigator,” he explained earnestly to the admiral. “Phoenix Seven works as a team—so the team should get the award.”
He seemed incensed by Admiral Redford’s refusal to listen to his reasoning, and afterwards became cold and dismissive towards Nikki.
Nikki’s irritation with Angelo gradually transformed into disgust, and a hopelessness that anything she said would sway him. She also felt a sort of heady recklessness in their interactions, and an inability to play along and soothe his wounded ego.
