“How I failed to follow orders during the case?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Okay.”
With her hands folded on the desk, Sam waited for Ruiz to articulate her concerns.
“I understand that you were upset about your nephew being missing.”
“I was extremely upset. He, his siblings and cousins are very important to me. Hearing he was missing was one of the most traumatizing moments of my life.”
“Which is why you were asked to stand down and let others handle the investigation.”
“Right.”
Ruiz tipped her head as she studied Sam intently. “Are you being intentionally obtuse?”
“I’m sorry. What?”
“You keep agreeing with me that you were defying orders, and yet, you understood what you were being told to do.”
“Oh, I figured we agreed that both those things were true. I understood I was being told to stand down, and I defied orders by investigating the case anyway, doing the one thing in this whole world I’m allegedly good at to help find my beloved nephew. Yes, I did that. And you want to know what? I have zero regrets. Not a single one. He’s home safe where he belongs, and everyone who loves him can breathe easier knowing he’s safe. That’s literally all that matters to me.”
“It doesn’t matter to you that your detectives and others within the department witnessed you defying orders and investigating a case that involved your immediate family? Does it matter that when you give them the same order, they may defy you?”
“I’d never expect one of my detectives to sit passively on the sidelines if a member of their family was missing. As the people closest to the missing person, they could be enormously helpful in bringing their loved one home safely. They know better than anyone who the person’s friends are, where they spend time, where they might’ve gone, etcetera.”
“Granted, but you know as well as I do that someone close to the person can become a liability very quickly.”
“That is true, but in this case, I was an asset, not a liability. I was able to facilitate multiple levels of investigation simultaneously while you and your team pursued other avenues. The end result was that two of three children came home safely. The loss of Luna is a tragedy we’re all still processing. My only regret was not putting the pieces together fast enough to save her, too.”
“I feel like we’re talking in circles here.”
“I get that you’re concerned about rules and regulations and the need for subordinate officers to follow the orders of their commanders. I truly get that, and ninety-nine percent of the time, I’m on the same page with you about that. In this one case, there was no way I could sit idly by and do nothing when I have the skills and experience to help bring about a successful conclusion. I apologize that I stepped on your toes and was out of line and for anything I did that I shouldn’t have done in the effort to bring my nephew home.”
“It’s not just this one case, Lieutenant. You’re known for frequently coloring outside the lines.”
“Am I?”
Ruiz’s huff of disbelief almost made Sam laugh. Thankfully, she was able to contain the laughter that would’ve only further infuriated the captain. “Please don’t act like you don’t know exactly what I’m talking about!”
“I get results, Captain. I get convictions. I’m not sure what else you could want from me beyond a ninety-plus-percent case-closure rate and a nearly perfect prosecutorial track record.”
“There’s a right way and a wrong way to achieve those goals.”
“My way works, and I have many, many families who tell me regularly how much they appreciate my efforts to gain justice for their murdered loved ones. It matters to them, Captain, that the person who took the life of someone they love isn’t out there going about their business while their lives are forever changed by violent crime. It matters to them that the person who killed their loved one is locked up for life. That’s what I give them. That’s my entire focus every time I step foot in this place. That’s all I think about until the killer is in custody. If you want me to do the job a different way, then please, by all means, tell me how I should be doing it. Tell me how you’d do it.”
Ruiz stared her down for a long moment. “Clearly, you’re not interested in any kind of self-reflection or constructive criticism, so I’ll leave it at this: Be careful, Lieutenant. Your protectors won’t always be running this place, and someday you may have to actually answer for your lack of discipline.”
“Duly noted.”
When the captain got up to leave, Sam exhaled a deep breath of relief to be done with that mess. Why was it that when some people achieved a certain rank or status, they had to flex their muscles with their subordinates whenever possible? Sam would never understand that kind of leadership. It hadn’t been her dad’s style, and it certainly wasn’t hers. She didn’t need to remind everyone she was in charge. The people who needed to know that understood and respected her authority.
She shook off the unpleasant encounter and went out to the pit to see where they were with the investigation.
“All good with Ruiz?” Freddie asked.
“Who knows? She had an ax to grind, and she grinded it.” Sam shrugged. “I hope she feels better now that she has that off her chest.”
