end of the phone and Nicole heard bits of a muffled conversation. She knew that Samuels was talking to Jamie.
“What about lunch on Wednesday?” he finally asked. “At that pizza place you and Jamie like to go to all time? You can bring your friend Jill—” Nicole shook her head as she heard Samuels put the phone down and speak with someone—she assumed Jamie—in the background. “What? Then stop mumbling and speak up, damn it.” He spoke into the phone again. “Not Jill, Julie. You can bring her if that would make you feel more comfortable. Just listen to what Jamie has to say. Take it, leave it, whatever. Just give her a chance to explain before you make your mind up about anything.”
Nicole sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. Damn, she was going to have to reapply her make-up before she headed into work. There was a sudden crash and Nicole turned to see the blinds lying in a heap on the floor and her grandmother standing by the window looking around as if trying to seek out the culprit.
“Fine,” she said, blowing out a breath. “Wednesday at lunch. Say around twelve? I’ll be there.” She disconnected the call before Samuels had the chance to say anything else.
Chapter Fourteen
“Oh my God, doughnuts.”
Jamie smiled as the announcement brought all activity inside the Hamilton County District Attorney’s office to a standstill. She let the glass door swing shut behind her as she stepped into the poorly lit office that took up most of the third floor of the old county courthouse. When Jamie first moved into Investigations from Patrol, Samuels had sat her down and explained that the real power in the District Attorney’s office lay with the secretaries and the assistants. If you wanted to get your case moved through quickly, if you wanted to make sure paperwork made it from the D.A.’s office to the Superior Court clerk’s office in a timely fashion, if you just wanted to get things done—you stayed on the good side of the often overworked and always underappreciated administrative staff.
“Never,” Samuels had said in complete seriousness, “underestimate the power of fresh baked goods.”
Jamie handed off the box of half-chocolate covered, half-jelly filled doughnuts to a tall woman in a dark gray pants suit.
“Jamie, you are freaking awesome,” Natalie Porter gushed as she turned and placed the box of doughnuts on a desk in the center of the room. In a manner of seconds, the box was swarmed by a dozen coffee cup-holding men and women, all smiling and chattering amongst themselves.
“Not a big deal,” Jamie said as she walked past. “I thought you might like a little pick me up this morning.”
“You’re a life saver. I didn’t have time for breakfast this morning. I am starved,” Natalie said, taking a bite out of one of the chocolate doughnuts.
Jamie laughed as she continued on through the office, heading toward a half-closed door beside a row of greenish-gray filing cabinets. She knocked softly on the doorframe.
“Knock, knock,” she said and then realized the office was empty. She turned to leave but was stopped by a muffled voice.
“Hold up, don’t leave,” she heard Megan Riley say and then saw the pixie-like blonde peep her head up from behind the large desk that sat in the center of the room.
“What are you doing on the floor?” Jamie asked, stepping into the room.
Megan stood up, blowing a strand of hair out of her face before straightening her glasses.
“I dropped my one damn working pen and it rolled all the way under the desk,” she answered as she sat the black, ballpoint pen on the desk and looked at Jamie. “So, what is it today? Bagels or doughnuts?”
“Doughnuts,” Jamie answered with a grin. She knew that Megan was keenly aware of her habit and the reason behind it. “But I think you may be too late if you were wanting one, the locusts were already descending on the box before I got half-way across the room.”
“Oh well,” Megan
“What about lunch on Wednesday?” he finally asked. “At that pizza place you and Jamie like to go to all time? You can bring your friend Jill—” Nicole shook her head as she heard Samuels put the phone down and speak with someone—she assumed Jamie—in the background. “What? Then stop mumbling and speak up, damn it.” He spoke into the phone again. “Not Jill, Julie. You can bring her if that would make you feel more comfortable. Just listen to what Jamie has to say. Take it, leave it, whatever. Just give her a chance to explain before you make your mind up about anything.”
Nicole sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. Damn, she was going to have to reapply her make-up before she headed into work. There was a sudden crash and Nicole turned to see the blinds lying in a heap on the floor and her grandmother standing by the window looking around as if trying to seek out the culprit.
“Fine,” she said, blowing out a breath. “Wednesday at lunch. Say around twelve? I’ll be there.” She disconnected the call before Samuels had the chance to say anything else.
Chapter Fourteen
“Oh my God, doughnuts.”
Jamie smiled as the announcement brought all activity inside the Hamilton County District Attorney’s office to a standstill. She let the glass door swing shut behind her as she stepped into the poorly lit office that took up most of the third floor of the old county courthouse. When Jamie first moved into Investigations from Patrol, Samuels had sat her down and explained that the real power in the District Attorney’s office lay with the secretaries and the assistants. If you wanted to get your case moved through quickly, if you wanted to make sure paperwork made it from the D.A.’s office to the Superior Court clerk’s office in a timely fashion, if you just wanted to get things done—you stayed on the good side of the often overworked and always underappreciated administrative staff.
“Never,” Samuels had said in complete seriousness, “underestimate the power of fresh baked goods.”
Jamie handed off the box of half-chocolate covered, half-jelly filled doughnuts to a tall woman in a dark gray pants suit.
“Jamie, you are freaking awesome,” Natalie Porter gushed as she turned and placed the box of doughnuts on a desk in the center of the room. In a manner of seconds, the box was swarmed by a dozen coffee cup-holding men and women, all smiling and chattering amongst themselves.
“Not a big deal,” Jamie said as she walked past. “I thought you might like a little pick me up this morning.”
“You’re a life saver. I didn’t have time for breakfast this morning. I am starved,” Natalie said, taking a bite out of one of the chocolate doughnuts.
Jamie laughed as she continued on through the office, heading toward a half-closed door beside a row of greenish-gray filing cabinets. She knocked softly on the doorframe.
“Knock, knock,” she said and then realized the office was empty. She turned to leave but was stopped by a muffled voice.
“Hold up, don’t leave,” she heard Megan Riley say and then saw the pixie-like blonde peep her head up from behind the large desk that sat in the center of the room.
“What are you doing on the floor?” Jamie asked, stepping into the room.
Megan stood up, blowing a strand of hair out of her face before straightening her glasses.
“I dropped my one damn working pen and it rolled all the way under the desk,” she answered as she sat the black, ballpoint pen on the desk and looked at Jamie. “So, what is it today? Bagels or doughnuts?”
“Doughnuts,” Jamie answered with a grin. She knew that Megan was keenly aware of her habit and the reason behind it. “But I think you may be too late if you were wanting one, the locusts were already descending on the box before I got half-way across the room.”
“Oh well,” Megan
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