“Any questions?” He scanned the room, and then handed the evidence bag to Daniel. “Okay, assignments are done. Now I want to hear what you are thinking. First impressions, ideas?” To keep it orderly, he nodded at Franklin to start the conversation.
Ann managed to get autographs from two pitchers, share a smile and touch of a glove with a catcher. She was revved when she finally found their seats. “It’s going to be a great game.” She set her glove on her aisle seat, hoping she left the stadium with a caught foul ball before it was over.
Lisa handed her a hot dog. “I started without you.”
“Excellent. How’s your world? How’s Quinn?”
“I’m good. He’s wonderful. Yours?”
“I’m great.” They slid past the fact they were both working murder cases, for they were ignoring it to get this day off. Lisa, a forensic pathologist covering small towns out West, was often the only trained crime-scene investigator available when tragedy happened. She had worked in Chicago before marrying and moving west, so this was a homecoming.
Ann grinned at Lisa and nudged the new ball cap her friend was wearing. “Looks cute on you.”
“Team spirit and all.”
Ann flagged down a vendor bringing around soft drinks. “I missed lunch, so thanks for the hot dog. Oh, here’s Kate on the phone. Pull it out of my pocket. She wants to ask you about that picture you just emailed her—some fuzzy animal?”
Lisa grinned and tugged out the phone. “Hey, Kate. Why did you call Ann? Oh, okay. Hold on.” She looked at Ann. “Dave’s birthday—is it okay for Kate to give him a pet when it’s probably going to turn into being her pet? I found her this adorable cat that has a coat so soft it’s like cashmere.”
“Absolutely.” Kate’s old tomboy of a cat had died two months ago and everyone knew she had been secretly attached to the crabby animal, chiefly because it had been a gift from Dave. She needed another cat. She wouldn’t get one for herself, but saying it was a gift to Dave, that would work.
“Ann agrees, Kate.”
“Tell her to buy a nice negligee too, or re-box the one from last year.”
Lisa laughed and passed it on. “Kate says they already have one adorable daughter,” Lisa relayed back to Ann, “and our suggestions are going to insure they have another.”
“Holly deserves a sister.” Ann dug out cash to pay for the drinks.
The stands were almost filled, the weather was beautiful, and talking was going to require something more like shouting once the game began. Ann leaned back in her seat and propped her feet up while she ate and listened to Lisa’s side of the conversation with Kate. This was going to be a perfect day.
Lisa reached over and slid the phone back in Ann’s pocket. “She left the decision late this year—his birthday is Sunday.”
“She was nervous about what to get, so she couldn’t make up her mind. She knew one of us would help out. I was going to suggest a vacation without Holly. I want a chance to baby-sit.”
“I’d love to have her for a week. Quinn is talking about kids. I want to practice first.”
Ann smiled at the idea. “He’ll talk you into it.”
“I’ll let him.” Lisa waved her drink at the stadium. “I’m so glad you said let’s get away and meet up for a ball game. I’m hundreds of miles away, and work can’t find me for this twenty-four-hour block of time. I needed this break.”
“I did too. I’m sitting here remembering the last perfect day we spent together. Beach. Two fine guys. You had Quinn and I had brought Ted. Those icy drinks with the cherries—and I got a sunburn on my nose.” Ann smiled at the memory.
Lisa dug in her pocket and pulled out a small bottle of suntan lotion. “Quinn stuffed it there when I left the hotel room.”
“Are you enjoying being married as much as I think you are?” Ann accepted the bottle, rubbed some on her face, and handed it back.
“More. But life isn’t the same without an occasional girl’s day out thrown into the mix.”
“I’ve got a question for you, about a guy I met,” Ann remarked, pleased at the casual tone of her question, even though there was nothing casual about what she had been mulling over during the cab ride to the stadium.
Lisa looked over, surprised. “Yeah?”
“I think you met him once. Paul Falcon.”
Lisa turned to fully face her and grinned. “I hear story. Come on, give.”
“Just wondering what you know about him. Single? Divorced? Bad table manners?” Ann asked tongue-in-cheek, for she already knew some of the answers.
Lisa laughed. “I have indeed met Paul Falcon. He was one of the first to brave a dinner I fixed as a new wife entertaining company. Quinn invited him over—they were working on a case together. Paul survived the meal. I admit I probed, for I was nervous, he was in my line of sight, and I kept him talking. He’s single, East Coast educated, bureau straight out of college, and won points from me by asking about the kittens that kept appearing in the dining room without implying they should be elsewhere, and more points from Quinn for being sincerely interested in the art collection around our home. I remember thinking smooth, relaxed, polished, sincere, and something really solid and nice under the good manners and expensive suit. Quinn introduced him as Paul Falcon, a good cop. That told me a lot even before the man ever said a word.”
Ann thought that over. “I got the impression of authority, expensive suit, nice smile, and good at listening. The last point being what caught my attention. I told a really good story today, and he didn’t interrupt me once.”
Lisa beamed. “He’s a keeper.”
The stadium came to life as the game was called to order, with introduction of the teams and the playing of the national anthem. Ann added an expert whistle to the crowd’s roar of approval as her favorite players were named.
“Going to see him again?” Lisa asked, leaning close to Ann to be heard.
“Doubt it. I handed off the case. But I like knowing who I’m dealing with if I do.”
Ann clapped and whistled again as the Cubs’ pitcher took a few practice throws and the umpire took his stance behind home plate. She settled into her seat for a memorable afternoon.
The first pitch was tipped foul, and Ann scrambled up and darted onto the stairs along with two hundred equally enthusiastic fans, all hoping to snatch the first possible ball. She saw a young man snag it fifteen rows farther back. She slid back into her seat and put down the glove to reach for her drink. “This is going to be a great game, Lisa!”
Lisa laughed and thought there was no better entertainment than Ann at a ball game. The next pitch, and Lisa saved the drink Ann was going to spill as she signaled her disagreement with the umpire. Seats behind the first-base line had cost Quinn a pretty penny, and Lisa wished she could capture this priceless moment to share with her husband later. When she whispered her thanks tonight and followed it with a kiss, Quinn would smile as a husband would, glad their afternoon had been a good time. He’d be genuinely happy she was happy. And he wouldn’t truly understand. This was Ann. This was her friend. And this was another memory of a perfect day together.
Lisa spotted a vendor with popcorn and caught his attention, then dug cash out of her pocket. She was going to make sure that by the time this game was over, Ann was well fed, tired, smiling, and hoarse. It’s what friends did for each other. She grinned as she stuffed a bag of popcorn into Ann’s hand. “I could invite Paul Falcon to dinner, and just happen to invite you too,” Lisa offered. It was another thing friends did. They meddled.
Ann smiled but shook her head. “Ask me again in about six months, and I might take you up on it. There’s too much on my desk right now.” The first hit of the game streaked down the first-base line, and bodies in a ballet of motion sprinted for the ball and raced to cover the base. Safe. Ann absorbed the joy of it, leaned over and with one arm hugged her friend. “Tell Quinn thanks from me too.”
In the midst of launching his determined hunt for the middleman, Pau
l hadn’t forgotten the other more personal question today had raised. When he saw Dave’s office light still on at seven p.m., Paul backtracked. Dave had his feet up on the second chair and a report open in his lap. Paul leaned against the doorpost. “Tell me about Ann Silver.”
Startled, Dave looked up and blinked twice, mentally shifting gears. “A good friend. She worked eighty-three murders last year, and she needs a vacation. If she passed something off to us, I hope you took it.”
“I did. I didn’t place her as being a homicide cop.”
“She’s the MHI.”
“Ann?”
Dave smiled. “Top flight cop. Easy to hang out with. Knows more about murder than anyone I’ve ever worked with outside of you. And not an ambitious bone in her body, which is why everyone keeps voting her into the role.”
Falcon wasn’t sure what to do with the information.
The Midwest homicide investigator was voted into the position by the 214 active homicide cops in eight Midwest states. Any of the cops could call and ask the MHI to come in on a case. What made the position unique was the MHI worked for the cop who made the call—and never filed a piece of paper on the case. The MHI just helped out when asked. It was one of the most trusted and under-the-radar positions in the region.
And that person was Ann Silver. She would be carrying credentials from at least eight state police departments as well as have a security clearance level higher than most FBI field agents. And yet she had stayed with small-town cop and no title, beginning with check-in downstairs through leaving the building.
Dave shuffled through the rest of the report and dropped it on his desk. “Surprised?”
“Some.”
“She doesn’t like to advertise. The cops who vote her into the position know who she is. If she had her way, no one else would even know the role exists,” Dave remarked. “Ann’s also the acting sheriff for her grandparents’ hometown this year while they dissolve the township and move policing over to the county. The stories she can tell about candy thefts, drunk drivers, truant teenagers, and lost pets—she’s enjoying it. I frankly was surprised to see she took the time to come north, but I’m glad she did. Her work load is pretty heavy.”
“She flies to relax.”
“I asked one time how many hours in the air she’s logged, and it was over sixteen thousand.”
“She seeing anybody?” Paul asked casually enough he was pleased at the tone, but there was nothing casual about the question he’d carried in the back of his mind for the better part of a day.
Dave studied him. “Why are you asking?”
“Ann Silver dropped into a seat in my office today, wandered around through a good story, and cracked open a case that has given me five thousand hours of grief. She knew what she had, and she gave it away. How many ladies like that cross a guy’s path in a career? I already know she’s special. You just added a deeper layer to it. I’d like an answer to my question if you’ll trust me with the information.”
“I don’t know that I want to answer it. I just don’t know. She’s a good friend, and more than that she’s family to Kate and me.”
Paul could feel the protective wall going up. He’d never seen it happen before. “Dave, give me a break here. Ann Silver caught my interest. She’s your friend. I’m asking.”
“You said you didn’t want to date a cop. You’ve been real clear on that.”
“You know I’m not looking for just a date. You know I have in mind something more and have been for quite a while.”
“You’ve been out with most of the friends Kate and I know, and you’re still looking. I’m not inclined to add Ann to that list.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Are we friends?”
Paul crossed his arms. “You know we are. So why are you raking me over the coals for no crime?”
“Just hear me out. Your father is larger than life. You’re the eldest son, the prince in waiting for the king to die. The Falcon empire and Falcon family responsibilities will fall to you one day soon. And it’s messing up your head. You think you need to be married before you become head of the family. And you’re a cop. You can barely reconcile the two roles. Now you’re looking for a wife who can also bridge the two worlds. I’m not interested in putting Ann in the middle of that tug-of-war.”
“I’m not aiming to get married because of my family.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you want. I’m hoping to get married because I’m tired of being alone when I get home. I’d like a wife to share my life with. I’d like some kids running around. And it’s time. I don’t plan to be the single guy coming to dinner when I’m fifty. I’m also smart enough to consider what being my wife is going to mean for the lady I choose. I want a marriage to survive me becoming head of the Falcon family, not end up scrambled in a mess when she realizes what she got herself into.” A marriage that could survive was at the top of his list. “You want to look me in the eye and tell me Ann Silver couldn’t handle the Falcons?”
Dave thought about it, then laughed. “It’s the Falcons I’d be worried about. You have no idea who you’re asking about, Paul.”
“So trust me and give me an answer. Is she seeing anybody?”
“You said you didn’t want to date a cop,” Dave said again, aggravated. He reached for his office keys and phone. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Paul had known Dave long enough to not break the silence as Dave sorted out what he wanted to say. The night was turning past dusk and the rush hour had ended, leaving the sidewalks half empty. Dave waited until they were walking along Spring Avenue before he broke the silence.
“Ann is my wife’s best friend. Ann would say Kate’s best friend is Lisa or Rachel, but that’s Ann. Create a list with someone at the top, and Ann will put someone else in that role. She does it instinctively. She’s comfortable in the background and prefers it,” Dave began, then paused.
“You’d be good together,” Dave said abruptly. “I know you both. You would be good together. So I’ll answer your question, I won’t dissuade the interest, but I’m going to make incredibly sure you don’t blow this up in my face. Ann trusts me, she trusts Kate, and I’m crossing a lot of lines having this conversation. This isn’t one of my other friends. This is Ann.”
Paul heard the sharp edge just under the warning. This was going to cost him a friendship if he didn’t handle this carefully. He found himself oddly relieved to hear it. Ann had a claim here. And he began to glimpse the truth of just how significant a lady he had met today. “I won’t hurt her, Dave.”
“You’ll try not to,” Dave agreed. “If I’m going to expect you to not make a hash of it, there’s a lot you need to know. I can’t unpack Ann Silver in a couple sound bites. She’s . . . where do I even start? There’s a reason I don’t do this, Falcon. Not with Ann.”
“Just tell me about her,” Paul said before Dave could change his mind. “She doesn’t live here. Be a friend and help me out. It would take months for me to learn what you could simply tell me. Be her friend and tell me what I need to know.”
“You’ll need the help,” Dave agreed, “because Ann is the most private person I know. She is like this buried mine shaft with so many passages you don’t realize what’s there until you happen to fall into a new one. I know her well, and I’ll lay money I still don’t know all the turns she’s got tucked away. I’ll tell you enough of her background you won’t have to flounder around trying to figure it out, but I don’t know how you’ll avoid some of the rapids. With Ann, you’re suddenly in a turn you weren’t expecting to be there.
“She’s not seeing anyone. To be fair to the question, Ann’s gone out with lots of guys, and always parts friendly in a month or two. She dated the former VP’s Secret Service guy for a few years, and I thought it would be the one that lasted. He’s a good guy, the kind you’d want a friend to marry. She trusts him—you can see it when they’re together. But even though she still pulls him
along for holidays when he’s at loose ends, it’s another of those relationships she’s closed off and keeps as a friend. She doesn’t let a guy stick. I don’t know why.”
Paul stopped walking. He wanted to make sure he understood what Dave had just said. “She dates for short periods of time, keeps the friendship, but never gets serious?”
“It’s different than that, but yeah, that’s the pattern.” Dave thought about it and then shook his head. “I’m probably getting it wrong.” He started walking again. “The problem is she’s nice. Everyone asks Ann out. She’s good company, Paul. She’s the kind of lady that makes you glad you shifted your calendar to spend the evening with her. She gets asked out a lot. She’s too polite to say no.”
It didn’t explain why she hadn’t settled down. It did suggest she had had plenty of opportunities to get serious about a relationship if she wanted to do so, and hadn’t taken that step. Paul wondered at the reason, or reasons, and wondered if he’d be one of the many with whom she parted friendly in a month or two. “What’s her background?”
“She’ll be forty in June, grew up poor in south Chicago, spent her summers with her grandparents on a farm in central Illinois. No brothers or sisters. Never engaged. Her parents and grandparents have now passed away. She’s been a cop since she was twenty-six. She started out in Chicago in robbery and fraud, moved to major crimes, then to homicide. She worked directly for Howard Benson for eight years. He’d toss Ann into a case or a task force ahead of him and let her sort out what was really there. He put a deep well of experience under her belt, and when he retired, cops started calling her directly. Urban, rural, state, federal—she fits in wherever she finds herself and makes a contribution without stepping on toes. They all like working with her. She was voted in as the MHI five years ago, and they have done that unanimously every year since. I haven’t met a homicide cop in the Midwest who doesn’t have something nice to say about her. She’s made for the job.
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