Page 14 of Tough Justice

She gripped the phone tighter. “This is Dr. Sampson. I changed my mind. I’m in.”

Chapter Five

Deck stood outside the SOTF building just south of Aurora, waiting for Dr. Sampson to arrive so he could swipe her into the staff parking lot.

When he’d gotten her call two days ago, hers was the last voice he ever expected to hear. He’d only given her his business card as a Hail Mary, and he still wasn’t sure getting mixed up with a doctor wouldn’t fry every one of his nerve endings.

Thor sat calmly at his side, eying a dark red Subaru as it drove up to the gate. He already knew this was her vehicle. At Deck’s request, Sammie Aikens, the task force’s primary intel specialist, had run a criminal history and DMV query on Dr. Sampson. It wasn’t a complete background check, but it would suffice. As expected, she had no criminal history, not even a parking ticket.

“Right on time, Thor.” Hearing his name, Thor wagged his tail, ears upright and alert. Like him, his dog was always ready to work. In fact, Thor was probably the only other DEA agent in Colorado ready and willing to work more hours than Deck was.

The window lowered and clear green eyes set against a creamy complexion met his. As it had been every other time he’d seen her, her auburn hair was tied high in a ponytail. The thing was pulled back so tightly, he wondered if it gave her headaches. On the other hand, it showed off the tiny gold studs in her cute earlobes.

“Park over there.” He indicated an empty spot in front of the door and waited while she pulled in.

The car door opened, and she grabbed a bag, slinging it over her shoulder before stepping onto the pavement. She wore slim black slacks and a light-green Henley shirt that hugged her body and made her eyes even more green. Thor’s tail thumped faster against Deck’s leg.

“Who is this?” She surprised him by reaching out her hand to Thor without hesitation. Most people were afraid of him.

Deck rested his hand on his dog’s head. “Thor, meet Dr. Sampson. Dr. Sampson, this is my partner, Thor.” When Thor lifted his paw for her to shake, she obliged him. “You seem comfortable with dogs.”

“I had a dog when I was a little girl, but I haven’t had one since.” Her expression turned wistful.

“Why not? You’re good with them.”

“I’d like to get one again, but I don’t have enough time to give a dog what it needs.”

He indicated to the building’s main entrance, holding open the heavy glass door. He followed her inside, inhaling her pretty, flowery scent.

Deck stopped at the desk to pick up a visitor’s pass he’d already had made. He handed it to her, waiting while she clipped it to her shirt. “What made you change your mind?”

Her eyes softened, turning pensive. “If there’s something I can do proactively to stop the rising body count, I want to do it.” Absently, she stroked Thor’s ears, allowing him to lean his head against her thigh. Deck suspected the change of heart had something to do with the dead teenager. “But let’s be clear on something.” Her pretty eyes glittered like shards of green ice. “You have your rules, and I have mine.”

He and Thor led the way to the elevator. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was behind him. “Meaning?” Two seconds into their alliance, and he was already on the verge of regretting it.

“Meaning”—she stared up at him frostily—“you will not skulk around the ER, waiting or searching for overdose victims. You’ll wait until I notify you that a patient is willing to speak with you.”

“Skulk?” Deck held back a snort. Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. “DEA agents don’t skulk.”

She pursed her lips. “I beg to differ. History has shown otherwise.”

He leaned his shoulder against the wall by the elevator bank, tensing. “What history?” He had no idea what she was talking about. Whatever it was, they really needed to clear the air fast or this partnership would sink faster than the Titanic.

“Never mind.” She shook her head and looked away, as if she’d said something unintentional. “There is one other thing, however.”

“What other thing?” Yeah, two minutes into it, and this arrangement was already fixing to be a cluster.

“If a patient changes their mind in the middle of your interrogation and no longer wishes to talk, you’ll leave, no more questions asked.”

“Fine.” Between them, Thor swung his head back and forth, as if watching a tennis match. “And for the record, it’s not an interrogation. It’s an interview. Anything else?”

“Yes. You have to promise never to use a patient’s name in any report.”

Deck pushed from the wall, towering over her, but she stood her ground, craning her neck to look up at him. The elevator door opened, but he ignored it. “No dice, Doc. That’s how I get my PC—probable cause. If an OD victim has information about the source of the opioids and can direct us to the location where they purchased it, I may need to put their name in an affidavit for search and arrest warrants.”

She crossed her arms and jutted her chin up at him. “Then that part of the deal is off.”

What had he gotten himself into? They’d made a deal over the phone, and she was already changing the rules. He should’ve known he couldn’t trust her. Maybe he should find someone else. But they were here, and he didn’t want to waste more time finding another doctor. “Let’s compromise. I’ll do everything in my power to leave names out, but you have to understand that sometimes that’s what it takes to get a dealer off the street. If a judge allows me to refer to victims as ‘confidential sources’ instead of using their real names, then I’ll do it. Deal?”