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"Thank you, Chief," Fiona responded, a fire igniting behind her eyes. "I won't let you down."
"Are you still training with Agent Tucker?" Whittaker asked.
Fiona's chest sank. She missed the late nights she'd spent here with Jake.
"No, not lately," Fiona admitted. "I've been focusing on my own training.”
"Well, you two make a great team," Whittaker said. "I was surprised to hear you wanted to take a step back from fieldwork."
Fiona's cheeks flushed. After Jake had come to her apartment that night, she'd decided then and there that she needed space. She'd gone into the chief's office the next day and mentioned that she wanted to take a temporary step back from fieldwork only so she could focus on training and lab work. The chief had taken it well and mentioned that they'd just found a new rookie partner for Jake anyway, someone to hold Fiona's place, just for now.
He'd also made it clear that he wanted her and Jake to keep working together. Once Fiona got her badge and gun, he wanted her to be Jake's full-time partner.
Of course, Fiona wanted that. Jake was her friend, first and foremost, and an excellent agent.
But right now, things still felt too messy, and she needed time.
"As I said before, it's not because I don't want to," Fiona said. "Although, sometimes I do feel like a burden since I haven't completed my training."
"Trust me, Ms. Red, you're not a burden," Whittaker said. "You have a great track record so far. It's gonna be even better when you're finished training. Don't worry about it--you'll get there when you're ready. We need more dedicated workers like you. I'd be glad to see you become an agent."
Whittaker gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before continuing down the hallway, leaving Fiona alone with her thoughts. The weight of her mission settled heavily on her shoulders, but she refused to let it crush her spirit.
As Fiona made her way down the hall, she couldn't help but wonder where Jake was and what he was doing. They hadn't spoken much since he told her that he wasn't ready to move forward romantically. Fiona tried not to let it bother her, but it did. She couldn't help but feel like there was something more between them, but she couldn't force Jake to feel the same way. On top of that, after her most recent experience with dating, she knew she had to respect herself.
If Jake was going to be a distraction, then she had no choice but to focus on herself. On her own career.
And on finding Joslyn.
That was why she hadn't given up on her own investigation.
***
Fiona sat on the couch of her apartment, her chest tight with anxiety. The air was thick with the weight of her own thoughts, punctuated by the distant hum of traffic outside.
With shaking hands, she picked up the phone. She had to call him. The man she'd been talking to over the past few weeks since Marissa was found dead...
As she held the receiver to her ear, the anticipation twisted into a knot in her stomach. The steady cadence of the dial tone seemed to mock her, taunting her with the possibilities that lay just beyond her reach. And then, a connection – a voice on the other end of the line.
"Roger?" Fiona asked tentatively.
"Hey, Fiona. It's me," came the gruff response, a hint of weariness noticeable in Roger's tone. His voice was familiar by now, but it did nothing to quell the storm of emotions raging within her.
"Have you... Have you found anything yet?" Fiona desperately tried to keep her voice steady, but the tremble betrayed her anxiety. The thought of Joslyn being held captive by some unknown monster gnawed at her relentlessly, burrowing deep into the darkest recesses of her mind. Even if Joslyn was dead--Fiona needed answers.
She had come too far to give up now.
That was when she'd looked into private investigators and found Roger. He could go places even the FBI couldn't, and he had a solid track record. He even used to be an agent himself.
But so far, no luck.
"Look, Fiona, I'm doing everything I can," Roger replied. "I've been following every lead, tracing every clue... but so far, there's nothing concrete. I can't figure out who that guy was."
Fiona closed her eyes, gripping the phone tighter. Fiona clenched her fist, disappointment and frustration coursing through her veins like poison. She had put all her faith in this private investigator, and yet there was still no progress in the search for her sister. Her shoulders slumped, the weight of her burdens pressing down on her.
"I'm not done looking," Roger said. "I'm not giving up, not yet."
Fiona nodded. "Thank you, Roger. I appreciate what you're doing."
