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Joseph. He was even a good Catholic boy, something that would have pleased her mother to no end if she and her mother were still on speaking terms.
    That ever-­strained relationship had been terminated after her mother suggested her memories of the kidnapping were clouded by stress and the Alabama heat. If she’d simply leave the bureau and get married, there’d be none of this kidnapping nonsense. As if a wedding band could miraculously change the world.
    Certainly, there’d be fewer ­people shooting at her if she gave up her Commonwealth citizenship and moved to Madrid.
    She could deal with ­people shooting at her, though. She’d rather deal with homicidal maniacs than become a trophy wife for her mother’s cronies.
    Frustrated, she sent the standard “I’ll look into the matter” e-­mail to all the complaints and shut off her computer. Grabbing her purse and the case file, she headed for the door.
    Agent Edwin looked up from his desk as she walked out. “Do you need something, Senior Agent?”
    â€œNope, not unless you can schedule Petrilli for a little trip to the vet. That boy needs to be snipped.” Her junior agent whimpered in sympathy. “I’m kidding. Mostly.”
    â€œI . . . I can, um . . .” Panic suffused his face as he tried to find a way to obey the order.
    â€œDon’t worry about it.” Sam smiled. “I’m going to talk with the ME. If it runs long, I’ll leave from the morgue for my meeting with Director Loren. Do you think you can handle everything while I’m out?”
    â€œCertainly, Agent Rose. Um . . .” His bushy red eyebrows furrowed. “Agent Rose? Do you know where Agent MacKenzie is staying? I don’t have his hotel address, so I can’t arrange for his rental car.”
    â€œOh.” She fervently hoped she wasn’t blushing. Technically, there was nothing unprofessional about Mac’s staying at her house. They weren’t breaking any rules, and they weren’t in a relationship, but it still felt wrong. Or right. Whichever, it wasn’t the bureau’s business. “I believe he’s staying with a friend. Why don’t you have the car dropped off here before lunch?”
    Her junior agent beamed happily. “Excellent advice, ma’am. I’ll have it ready within the hour. I’m glad Agent MacKenzie knows someone in the area. I was worried that pulling him into the case was going to cause problems.”
    â€œHe hasn’t registered any complaints with me.” Not unless barely breathing between mouthfuls and telling Sam that he missed her cooking counted as a complaint.
    â€œI know he doesn’t have a wife or family,” Agent Edwin said. “I checked before I pulled him onto the case, but I thought he might have a girlfriend.”
    â€œNot that he’s mentioned to me.” To her own ears, her tone was noticeably cooler, but Edwin missed the change. It wasn’t that she was opposed to the idea of Mac’s dating, of course, she just figured he’d have mentioned if there was anyone significant in his life. That’s the sort of things friends talked about over dinner.
    Because that’s what we are . . . friends.
    â€œI’m sure he wouldn’t, ma’am. You have a professional relationship, after all,” he said with another ingratiating smile.
    Whether he meant she was married to her work or that being an agent would keep her from stripping Mac naked, she wasn’t sure. And she didn’t bother to ask . . . mostly because she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. “I’ve got to run, Edwin. Call if you run into trouble.”
    â€œYes, ma’am.”
    Some agents insisted on staying single because the future was too uncertain, and they didn’t want to leave someone they loved burying them young. Her situation was quite the opposite. She knew