Bea glanced around the office, letting her big smile drop. She pulled out the chair that was in front of the desk and made herself comfortable.
“You know, I came down here once,” Bea said. "Two months before you did."
“I didn't know that.”
"We were trying to decide if having you buy this place was a good idea, or if it would be better having you do something else."
"Like what?" Juniper asked.
"Work for Decker Brown's Development company, but that was gonna be a hard placement. There's the marina, but there was a bigger risk of you being let go. There were jobs here, but nothing that could be permanent. So, this was the best fit, and it suits you.”
“I hated it at first," Juniper admitted. "It wasn't the lying or even the eavesdropping on conversations. It was the dealing with people all day long. But a month into it, I started to love it."
“I told you attachments were bad,” Bea said.
"Funny thing about that," Juniper began. She’d been thinking long and hard about all the ways in which Bea had been playing both sides. Don't get attached. Become part of the community. Become their friends, but don't get too close. Get to know him. Be in his circle, but be careful. But oh, Juniper, honey, you need something to ground yourself. Dive into your work. How's the pub? Do you like it? Is it fulfilling? "You wanted me to get attached to this place. To the town. To the pub. You wanted me to care. And now, you're telling me I care too much. You've been contradicting yourself."
"You've been misinterpreting my words," Bea said. "You've needed to have your mind busy with something other than conspiracy theories." She arched a brow. "But we’re getting you out of here.”
“I'm not going anywhere.”
“This assignment has been compromised.”
“I said no.”
“You don’t get to refuse,” Bea said.
Juniper leaned forward, resting her arms on the desk, lacing her fingers together. “Watch me.”
“You’ve lost perspective—again.”
“It's not me that's done that.”
“I've seen you like this before," Bea said. That wasn't a true statement. Bea had seen "Junie" fall apart after her husband died. But that person no longer existed. Juniper had replaced her with a better version of herself. One that was focused. One that could see clearly when she was being manipulated. When she'd become a pawn.
“You can’t make me leave,” Juniper said.
“I’m your superior officer.”
“I don't believe you are. At least, not in this moment."
"Oh, honey. You've become delusional."
“Don't honey me. You don’t get to come into my bar and tell me we’re leaving like I’m a bad asset you can shove in a trunk.”
“You’re proving my point.”
“Am I?” Juniper pressed her hands on the desk and stood. “Because from where I’m standing, you’re not here to extract me. You’re here to make sure I look incompetent enough to discredit anything I say, and to make sure you get what's in Sterling's head."
"You have really lost it," Bea said.
“I know you’re playing both sides,” Juniper said. “I know Pike is dirty. I know Doyle is dirty. And I know Shrike didn’t send me here to protect Sterling. They sent me here to watch him and there's a big difference between the two.”
“You have no idea what you’re standing in.”
“I know enough.”
"I suppose you do." Bea reached into her handbag and pulled out a gun.
