Tunnel Vision by Brenda Adcock Read Free Book Online

Brodie,” he said. “Got a big day planned?”
    “Just running down some leads, Cap, but I needed to ask you a question.”
    “Shoot.”
    Stepping toward his desk, she placed Maggie Weston’s personnel folder in front of him. He glanced at the folder and back at her.
    “Did you read it?” he asked.
    “Yes. Her qualifications seem above average.”
    “So what’s your question?”
    “Does Detective Weston know I’ll be her training officer?”
    Donaldson leaned back in his chair. “Yes, she does. She told me there had been a problem between you and her old man a few years back, but didn’t go into any details.”
    “It could be a problem, Fred.” As much as she hated having her personal life become a part of her work, she knew she owed it to the man who had taken a chance by hiring her to be honest. Clearing her throat, she couldn’t think of a way to make what she was going to say less potentially damaging. “The problems I had with Commander Weston were
    because of her. She and I, we were…um…personally involved at the time.” Looking down at her hands she didn’t know what else she could say that wouldn’t make it worse. “You took a chance on me, Fred. I thought I owed you the truth.”
    Donaldson leaned farther back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head, staring at the ceiling for a few moments before dropping his eyes to her.“I appreciate your honesty, Brodie. I know that wasn’t easy for you. But I also know you’re the best I have in this department. Can you put whatever happened eight years ago behind you and train Weston effectively?”
    “I think so.”
    “Then I’m leaving you as her FTO for now. If you feel, later, that it isn’t working out, for whatever reason, I want you to come to me. Understand?”
    She nodded and stood to leave the office. “Thank you, Captain.”
    “And Brodie,” Donaldson said.
    She turned her head toward Donaldson with a questioning look.
    “I made the coffee this morning, so you better grab a cup before it’s all gone,” he grinned.
    “MORNING,” NICHOLLS SAID as Brodie picked
    up her coffee cup. “Your trainee’s here.”
    Suddenly the promise of decent coffee lost its appeal. “Where?”
    “I left her back in booking. I guess Levinson’s giving her the grand tour of our state-of-the-art facilities,” he shrugged.
    “What’s your first impression?” she asked as she leaned a hip against her desk.
    “I wouldn’t kick her out of bed.”
    Brodie was pouring coffee into her cup when she saw Maggie Weston walk into the squad room accompanied by the jailer, Sergeant Levinson. He was bending her ear about something and she was struggling to look interested in whatever he was telling her. Her five-six body looked exactly the way Brodie remembered, although her auburn hair was now shoulder length and brushed behind her ears. Most regrettably for her, she found the older, more mature Maggie even more annoyingly attractive than the woman she had known eight years before. She was wearing a white Oxford shirt tucked neatly into khaki slacks that rested easily on her hips. Brodie could see her service revolver under her brown tweed jacket as she crossed her arms in front of her and nodded to Levinson. Her smile seemed to waver perceptively as she glanced around the squad room and saw Royce Brodie watching her. Unfolding her arms, she touched Levinson on the shoulder, giving him a dazzling smile as she spoke to him briefly before walking toward Brodie’s desk. She was wearing very little make-up and Brodie noticed there was no polish on her fingernails and no jewelry adorned her fingers. MAGGIE HAD SPENT the last three days getting settled into her new home in Cedar Springs, emotionally fluctuating between excitement over beginning the next step in her career and more than a little trepidation over the idea of facing the glare she knew she would see in Royce Brodie’s eyes. It had been years since Maggie had last seen her, but she had no