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national database was ten
years old. It showed a sullen eighteen-year-old staring down the lens of a camera. Her
hair was short, sticking up in dark spiky tufts as if someone had
gone mad with a pair of scissors. But it was her attitude that
shone through. He’d seen it too many times, tough kids who thought they knew better than everyone
else.
    Her list of life skills was impressive.
Burglary, disorderly conduct, assault. Nothing that would land her
in prison, but enough to get her noticed.
    A judge must have seen some redeeming
qualities in her behavior. She’d been put into a rehabilitation
program in San Diego. There were a few case notes, mostly positive.
She’d finished high school and earned good grades in the other
courses she’d completed.
    The psych evaluation made him frown. A lack
of trust, anger issues, inability to empathize with people….shit,
he could have been looking at his own report.
    “You’ve got visitors.” Colin O’Grady, Patrol
Sergeant and royal pain in the
butt, stood in his office with a smirk on his face. “Your weekly
dinner rations have arrived. You’d think Anna might have gotten the
hint by now and started adding something in there for me.”
    He minimized Kate’s record on his desktop.
“She’s my sister. You’ve got your own.”
    “Except my sister lives on the other side of
the world. Huckleberry pie and venison steak wouldn’t last the
journey.”
    “I’ve met Laura and she lives in Jersey. It’s
not exactly the other side of the world.”
    Colin shook his head. “It is when she doesn’t
believe in food parcels.”
    Anna appeared from behind Colin’s wide
shoulders. “If you’ve finished trading sister stories I’d suggest
you let us through. I’m sure you’ve got more important Police
business to do.” She poked Colin in the ribs and handed him a foil
wrapped dish. “I made lasagna. I seem to recall you mentioning how
good it smelled last time I dropped some off.”
    Dan remembered too. Colin must have slipped
his favorite dish into the short conversation they’d had about ten
times.
    Colin looked incredibly pleased. “You
shouldn’t have, but I’m glad you did. Next time you need anything, all you have to do is ask.” He
took the dish and headed toward their small staff room, holding it
in front of him like the crown
jewels.
    Dan looked at his second visitor. Kathleen
Elizabeth Jennings looked about as comfortable as a wasp in a
beehive. Given her past history, it didn’t come as a surprise.
    He glanced at his sister. “You need to stop
dropping food off. I can manage on my own.” His sister raised her
eyebrows. He didn’t mean to sound peeved, but having Kate in his
office annoyed him. Especially when her police record was sitting on his computer.
    Anna sent him one of her superior stares . “I wouldn’t be here at all if you’d
been home. Why are you back in the office? I thought you started
early today?”
    “I’ve got work to do.”
    Kate’s gaze landed on the certificates and
commendations on his wall. He didn’t react when her eyes shot back
to him. He hadn’t wanted to put them up, but his boss had insisted.
He thought they added weight to the position Dan held. All it did
was remind him of things he’d sooner forget.
    Dan stared at the plastic container Anna left
on his desk. If it contained chocolate chip cookies, he’d have to hide them from the rest of his
squad.
    Anna rearranged her bag on her shoulder and
gave him one of her ‘I know best’ stares. “You work all hours, then
go home to an apartment the size of a shoe box. Someone has to look
after you.”
    He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I
don’t need babying.”
    Anna wasn’t listening. “How was Kaylee this
afternoon?”
    “She’s doing okay. Talked non-stop about
Kate.” Anyone would think Kaylee’s sister was her fairy godmother
and Santa Claus all rolled into one. He’d convinced himself that
his niece was tired of the same company. Kate was new.