“Sergeant Jenkins, I’ll be in my office all morning. I’m not to be disturbed, do you hear me? No calls. No visitors. No interruptions. No exceptions.”
“Yes, madam,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
Lila shook her head, and he did not say another word. “Fetch me at a quarter to twelve if I’m not gone already. I have a lunch appointment with the chairwoman at Wolf Tower. You know how she hates to be kept waiting.”
“Yes, chief. As you wish.”
Lila stalked passed his desk and entered her office, scrolling through several programs on her palm. She found La Roux’s playlist from the night before and set it on an endless loop, placing it innocently in the cradle of her speakers.
Jazz filtered through the room, this time overshadowed by a husky, crooning singer. Lila snickered at what La Roux would find in the transcription file. Sometimes the programs became confused when sorting through lyrics. It usually turned the file into word soup.
If he did realize what she’d been listening to? He’d think she was besotted.
She closed her office door, returning to Sergeant Jenkins.
“As you were.”
“What in the world was that about, chief? No calls? No visitors? And when have you ever wished me a good morning?”
“I wish you a good morning all the time.”
“No, you don’t. You hate mornings. They’re all bad to you. Good afternoon, yes. Good evening, yes. Good morning? Not on—”
“I’m dangling bait. Don’t go into my office, and don’t let anyone else in, either.”
Jenkins nodded, eyes twinkling with confused mischief.
Gods, if she had to go to Wolf Tower, she’d take Jenkins with her.
“So the bait needs to stay put? If you recall, you were supposed to stay put, too.”
“I’m armed.”
“That’s not going to help if the assassin—”
“I know, but I can’t hide away. Not today.” She jerked her chin at his computer. “Would you mind terribly if I commandeered your workstation for a few moments?”
“I could use a break.”
“How about a mission? I need you to take a sample to the lab. Rush job, my eyes only. Tell the captain that her paperwork will be along shortly. After that, I need a new palm from the tech department, since mine is currently indisposed.”
“Certainly, chief.” Mr. Jenkins took the vial and slipped it into his pocket. Then he backed up his wheelchair and rolled around the desk, propelling himself forward with a quick, practiced shove on his wheels.
With no desk chair available, Lila knelt on the floor and placed a call to Falcon Home, sitting back on her heels, knowing her knees would not be happy when she stood up.
Her father’s face appeared on the screen, VR glasses perched on his nose. A plate of half-eaten scrambled eggs sat before his place at the dinner table. “Lila girl, I saw your name and I just assumed.” He chuckled, taking the glasses off. “Where are you?”
“At Sergeant Jenkins’s desk. I sent him on an errand.”
“You’re at work? Are we playing games this morning?”
“Perhaps.”
“I heard you went home with Senator La Roux last night even before I arrived at the ball.” He leaned back in his chair, elbows propped on both armrests. He cocked his head to the side as he considered her reaction.
“How many told you?”
“All of them. Then more people called me after Marie and I came back to Falcon Home. You picked well, I suppose. Senator La Roux has potential, though he’s a bit old to be stuck in a city senate.”