“No knife?”
“No.”
“No artwork?”
Hirschfeld frowned.“Artwork?”
Kate said nothing.
The Kingsleys exchanged glances.
O’Hare shifted, clearing his throat.“Ma’am, if you’re worried he left something in the house, we’ve swept it.Nothing suspicious.”
Kate forced herself to nod.“Just… making sure.”
Hirschfeld studied her a moment longer.Then her expression softened into something like empathy.
“Actually,” she said, lowering her voice, “I’m supposed to confiscate your gun and badge.”
Kate froze.
“And escort you,” Hirschfeld continued, “directly to the Chicago field office.”
Kate felt the ground tilt.“Orders from who?”
“Your boss in Portland.”A sympathetic shrug.“And mine downtown, SAC Harding.There’s concern you’ve gone rogue.”
Kate swallowed.“I… probably have.”
Hirschfeld smiled—not unkindly.“Well, the thing is… I’m not going to do that.By the time you arrived at this address, we’d already left.If you catch my meaning.”
Kate did.“Why?”
"Because…" Hirschfeld slipped her sunglasses back on top of her head."Whatever your reasons are for coming here, I imagine you gave them a great deal of thought before taking them.And women in this job—women in any branch of law enforcement, frankly—face enough obstacles without us stepping on each other to get ahead.On top of which, I resent the tacit assumption that your actions have to be the result of some kind of hysteria.No one would be implying that if you were a man.They'd probably call you a maverick and give you a commendation."
Kate stared at her.Something clicked.
“You’re the agent trying to set up the women’s union section,” she said.
Hirschfeld’s mouth quirked.“Controversially, yes.”
“I… admire your efforts,” Kate admitted.“I know a lot of agents who feel the same way.”
Hirschfeld’s smile widened, warm and real this time.“Then consider this an informal solidarity measure.You have my discretion.For now.But youaregoing to tell me why you flew across the country without clearance.”
“I will,” Kate promised.
For a moment, something eased between them—an unspoken mutual recognition.
Beside them, the Kingsleys shifted uncertainly.The little girl—Claudette—peered up at Kate with a shy, grave interest.
“Agent Valentine,” Laurence Kingsley said, clutching his daughter’s hand.“They’re saying that the threat is neutralized.That we’re safe now.But I’m not sure if we should stay in the house tonight or decamp to somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else,” his wife said immediately.
Laurence frowned.“It’s an unnecessary disruption.Claudie won’t sleep in a different bed.Youwon’t sleep.And remember what Sorenson said about your blood pressure.”
“And if I lie upstairs all night waiting for another home invasion?”
