“What’s on your mind, Fred?” I wonder what’s got my little redneck so excited?

“Chief, I just wanted you to know that if anything important happens in the next few days…well, you can depend on me.”

The creepy little ass kisser. “Ah…thank you very much, Detective Sheets. That certainly is a relief to hear that.”

Sheets preened like a peacock and rose to the toes of his platform shoes, “I got your back, Chief.”

Yeah, right, all the better to stab it. “Thank you, detective.”

Sheets left as quickly as he came. Dahlquist watched him as he strutted off. He knows, and I know Elly didn’t tell him. The leak’s got to be in Hank’s office. That pretty much clinches it. I’m going to recommend Detective James be promoted to Chief. She’s female, smart, black, caring, married to a Hispanic lawyer—that’s as politically correct as it gets, plus she’s the best qualified for the job. God, Sheets is going to go absolutely ballistic. Maybe he’ll even retire—I hope!

Chapter 7

Conflicts and Resolutions

Tom and Samantha Hobson-Borden were filthy. The heat of the Kansas summer day coupled with the dust from their paint scrapers combined to coat them with a layer of mud cut with rivulets of sweaty streams. After their wedding in June, they had sold Tom’s home and bought this Queen Anne mansion, which was badly in need of TLC (tender loving care). They had also discovered it was a good thing that Samantha was now a talking head for the Fox TV channel in Kansas City. Her rather high starting salary was definitely needed to buy the materials needed to restore the gracious old manse over looking the Missouri River from South Esplanade Street..