Page 37 of Deadly Scandals

“Hello, sir. This is Ashley Pierce. I’ve been trying to reach my partner Craig since last night, but he hasn’t been answering his phone. Do you know where he is?”

“Craig has been transferred. You will be assigned a new partner.”

Wait—why? “Why, sir? Craig is a great agent. Where did he go?”

“He was reassigned to Virginia Beach.” Virginia Beach was where another SEAL base was. Was this a coincidence? But I had no right to question his transfer. I had to stay cool.

“Okay. With regard to the Paul Thompson case, I’m following up on several leads. I don’t think it was a suicide, sir. I request permission to keep investigating it as a possible homicide.”

“Knock it off, Pierce. You will not turn this into a conspiracy theory and invite bad press. You’re lucky to still have a job after your handling of the Cruz case. It was a suicide. Plain and simple. I forbid you from pursuing this. Case closed.”

Dammit. Why was he stonewalling me?

I had to come up with a plan. And fast. I was on my own. No agency to back me up.

But I didn’t need an agency. I was standing in the backyard of a woman who had overdosed after being involved with the very SEAL who had supposedly killed himself. Last night, I had slept with her ex-husband. I was knee-deep in an investigation.

And I never took no for an answer.

“I understand, sir. I’m wondering, since Craig was transferred and the Thompson case is closed, if I could take a week off? I have over sixty days of leave I haven’t used.”

“Sure, Pierce. Actually, that’s a good idea. You can meet your new partner when you get back.”

“Thank you, sir.”

I hung up the phone and walked back into the house. Mitch was now on the floor playing Barbies with Sienna. I felt a sharp pang in my stomach. Clearly, my ovaries couldn’t handle the cuteness.

I knelt down beside Mitch. “I’d love to go to Disneyland with you.”

Mitch leaned in and kissed me in front of his kids. Was that normal? Would he do that if he only saw me as a fling?

“Thanks, babe. You’re the best.”