"Maybe it is," Sloane said. "But I'm the lead investigator on this case. You're technically a consultant. So we're going to do this by the book."
The words landed harder than Kate expected. She straightened up from the cubicle wall, feeling something cold settle in her stomach. Sloane was right. Kate wasn't the lead here. She wasn't even officially back with the Bureau. She was a consultant, brought in as a favor to DeMarco to help mentor a troubled agent who needed guidance.
And now that agent was reminding her of her place. And damn, did it sting.
Kate took a breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "You're right. I apologize. Verify the alibis."
"I'm not trying to step on your toes,” she said with a bit of bitterness. “I just think we need to be thorough."
"I understand." Kate turned to leave the cubicle. "I'm going to make some calls. Let me know what you find."
She walked away before Sloane could respond, heading toward the break room where she could have some space to think. The hallway felt too narrow and the air too stale. Kate pushed through the door to the break room and found it mercifully empty.
She sat down at one of the small tables and pulled out her phone, scrolling through messages without really reading them. The conversation with Sloane had left her feeling off-balance. Kate had agreed to this assignment as a favor, a way to help DeMarco and maybe provide some guidance to a young agent who was struggling. But she hadn't expected to be reminded quite so bluntly that she wasn't in charge anymore. Maybe she wasn’t being as hands-off as she thought.
Her phone rang in the midst of her thoughts; Allen's name appeared on the screen and a small bit of peace flashed through her. Kate answered it immediately, grateful for the distraction.
"Hey," she said.
"Hi. I wanted to let you know that Michael had a little accident in the backyard."
Kate sat up straighter. "What happened? Is he okay?"
"He's fine," Allen said quickly. "He was running around and tripped over one of his toys. He scraped up his arm pretty good but nothing serious. I cleaned it with peroxide and put a bandage on it. He cried for about two minutes and then wanted to go right back outside." He chuckled and said, “He thought the bubbles from the peroxide were funny. He’s a little warrior for sure.”
Kate let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "You're sure he's okay?"
"I'm sure. I just wanted to keep you informed. I know how you worry."
"Thank you." Kate rubbed her forehead. "How bad is the scrape?"
"It looks worse than it is. Lots of blood but not deep. He'll probably have a bruise tomorrow but that's about it." Allen paused. "How are things going with you? Still at the office?"
Kate hesitated. She could tell Allen she was just consulting, just reviewing files and offering advice from the sidelines. But that wasn't true anymore and they both knew it. "I'm activelyworking on a case," Kate admitted. "Working with a young agent who could use some guidance."
"Ah." Allen didn't sound surprised. "So, not just consulting then."
"No. Not just consulting. Sorry"
"Does this young agent have a name?"
"Erica Sloane. She's new to the Bureau, transferred from Chicago after a pretty rough undercover assignment. DeMarco asked me to help mentor her."
"And how's that going?"
Kate thought about the conversation she had just had in Sloane's cubicle, about being reminded that she was a consultant and not the lead investigator. "It's going. We're figuring each other out."
"Translation: she's stubborn and doesn't listen to you."
Kate smiled despite herself. "She listens. She just doesn't always agree. And she's technically the lead on this case, so she's well within her rights to make the calls."
"That must be hard for you," Allen said. His tone was gentle, understanding. "Taking a backseat after being in charge for so long."
"It's an adjustment." Kate stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the parking lot below. "But she's right about some things. I was ready to skip verifying an alibi because I had a feeling the suspect wasn't involved and I didn’t want to waste the time. That's not good procedure."
"But your feelings are usually right."
"Usually. But not always. And Sloane is trying to do things by the book, which is what she should be doing. And as a mentor, I should be aware of that sort of thing."
