wasn't hard to come up with a few things herself. She cleared her throat.
“Come on,” she motioned for him to follow. “I'll introduce you to the rest of the team so you can then forget their names.”
Marmie looked up as they entered and pushed to her feet. “Mack,” she said holding her arms out. Dani stepped into the hug without hesitation. Marmie was stick thin with no figure to speak of, with black hair pulled back into a low bun and glasses hanging around her neck. Her clothes, always gray or black, hung off her body at least a size too big. But, despite her somber and somewhat stern appearance, she had a heart of gold. And, truth be told, Marmie was the only one capable of keeping her teammates sane—capable of keeping them out the black abyss of helplessness that tempted them with every new mission.
When Ty shifted behind her, Dani remembered she and Marmie were not alone. “Ty, this is Rose Davies, also known as Marmie. Marmie, this is Detective Ty Fuller.” Ty stepped forward and shook hands with Marmie.
“Marmie is our sifter.” Dani took a few seconds to explain what that meant. “She also has a couple of folks downstairs who focus on finding patterns and connections. You might meet them but my guess is they don't come up very often?” She added this last bit with a confirming look at Marmie who nodded her head.
“They're kind of a unique breed,” Marmie shrugged. “There's a kitchen down there, bedrooms and tons of space. When I have my meetings, which is twice a day, you'll see them dragging themselves upstairs. If you need something or have any questions, come to me.” Marmie paused, glanced at Dani, and then nodded to the door behind them. “Or Adam.”
Adam Francey stepped into the room and then smiled when he saw Dani.
“Dani!” he exclaimed stepping forward and giving her an enthusiastic handshake. Dani liked Adam, but he was a little like a puppy dog. He was the new kid on the block and a little over-the-top enthusiastic, but he also showed an incredible ability to absorb and sift through intelligence. Marmie had spotted him early in his training and snatched him up.
“Adam, good to see you again. This is Detective Ty Fuller, Portland Vice. He's our liaison on the case,” she added, indicating the man who had somehow managed to move a little closer to her without her even noticing—which was a bit disconcerting.
“Detective, it's good to meet you,” Adam pumped Ty's hand, sharing his trademark enthusiasm. Dani hadn't noticed the tension in Ty's body until she saw his shoulders relax with Adam's effusiveness. She glanced at his face and wondered if it was tension related to meeting new people, or related to her. She frowned, wondering if it was a mistake to not address the night before. Ty had given her no indication so far that he had any serious issue with her insistence on leaving the personal out of the investigation. But he hadn't said he agreed either.
“How long you been with vice?” Adam asked, still smiling.
“A few years. I was a SEAL before that, though,” Ty answered, much like he would if he were talking to a young boy.
“A SEAL? Really? Wow.” Adam eyed Ty again.
Dani smiled to herself. Ty might think the young man was looking at him in awe. Adam's voice was a pretty good imitation of admiration. But Dani knew the real Adam. The enthusiasm was real, but he was not naïve or easily impressed. Knowing Ty was a SEAL, that he was more than just the average, small city detective would change the filter Adam used when talking to Ty. She had no doubt his brain was sifting through information right now, breaking it down into categories—information he could share and information he could not, or would not, share.
“So, Dani filled you in?” Adam asked, clearing a spot on the desk across from Marmie's and leaning against the edge.
Ty wagged his head, “More or less.”
Adam's eyes sought hers.
A twitch of her brow communicated her answer. Just the bare minimum. Adam's acknowledgment was even smaller. Spanky and Marmie had both done an excellent job of giving Ty information without actually giving him information on the case.
“Good, glad to hear it. If you need any information or have any questions, I'll be happy to help as much as I can.”
Ty's look of mild amusement was becoming very familiar. The last part of that sentence hadn't gone unnoticed.