She smiled at her partner and noted that not only was Jessica up and cheerful, but she looked like she was ready for a dinner date.Faith didn’t really care about being pretty aside from looking nice for David, but being the older partner of her investigative team was sometimes tough to adjust to.
You’re just grumpy.Drink your coffee.
She sipped the brew and admitted—to herself, not to Jessica—that she wasn’t just grumpy.She was worried about David, and she was trying to find something else to be upset about so she didn’t have to think about her husband who was currently in the crosshairs of a fighting force that Faith knew from experience was among the most dangerous in the world.
She checked her phone.Nothing new from Michael.
She sighed and tucked into her breakfast.There was nothing she could do about the situation back home, so she needed to focus on the investigation here.
If only it was that easy.
***
The mood at the animal shelter was one of subdued tension.The staff clustered in groups and whispered to each other, glancing fearfully at the still-empty cage where Sarah Garrett had been murdered the night before.They regarded the FBI agents with similar wariness.Faith was used to that reaction.With the FBI here, they couldn’t turn a blind eye to what had happened.Some freak had come into their workplace and murdered a coworker.None of them were safe.
Turk trotted into the holding facility, glancing morosely at the dogs in their cages as he investigated the room again, looking for signs of the killer.Faith kept an eye on him, noting his reactions to the staff.Nothing so far screamed killer.
“Good morning, agents,” a commanding female voice said.
Faith turned to see a short, heavyset woman approaching.Despite her firm voice and demeanor, her eyes projected grief tinged with fear.She extended a hand toward Faith.“Wilma Pruitt, facility director.”
“Special Agent Faith Bold,” Faith replied.“This is my partner, Special Agent Jessica Torres.My K9 unit, Turk, is currently looking for clues.”
Wilma gave a short, brisk nod.“Thank you for coming down to look at this.I know one murder’s not FBI business, but I also know you’re an expert on dog-related murders, and I wanted the best.”
Ah.So, she was the reason they were on this case.“I’m happy to be here,” Faith replied, which wasn’t entirely true, but it wasn’t Wilma’s problem that David had decided to be the world’s least intelligent hero.“Who would you say was closest with Sarah?”
Wilma looked at a young woman with dark hair and excessive amounts of eyeliner, most of which had streaked across her cheeks.She was sitting in a corner next to a middle-aged man with a bristly mustache who had a fatherly hand laid on her shoulder.“That’s Jenny.Sarah was like an older sister to her.The man standing next to her is my husband, Luke.He’s been helping tutor Jenny at our house after hours.Which I guess doesn’t matter.”She sighed.“God, this sucks.”
“Yeah,” Faith agreed.“You can say that again.Jessica, why don’t you talk with the Pruitts while I talk to Jenny?We’ll touch base after that.”
Jessica nodded.“Works for me.”
Wilma called for her husband, and the three of them headed to Wilma’s office.Faith approached Jenny, a compassionate smile on her face.“Hey.”
Jenny sniffed.“Hey.”
Her voice was as thin as a ghost’s.She lookedveryyoung.“How old are you, sweetheart?”Faith asked.
“Nineteen.”
Christ.Poor kid.“Wow.Thanks for making me feel old.”
The ghost of a smile crossed Jenny’s lips, but it disappeared quickly.Faith sat next to her and said, “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Jenny laughed bitterly.“Thank you.”
“I have to ask you a couple of questions.Is that okay?”
Jenny shrugged.“Sure.”
She wiped a hand across her face, smearing more of her eyeliner.Faith resisted the urge to put a comforting arm around her.She probably wouldn’t welcome that kind of attention from a stranger.“What did Sarah do here?”
Jenny sniffed again.“Um.She was the person in charge of problem dogs.”
“Problem dogs?”
“You know, like, dogs that had a lot of trouble.They were aggressive or resistant to treatment, stuff like that.”
