police department and the Mayor’s office to be sure that both city departments are sending the same message to the public.”
Josie said, “What you really mean is that you’re here to make sure that we stay on message.”
Chitwood, who normally would have rebuffed Josie for speaking up, remained silent, staring hard at Amber, waiting for her response.
Amber turned to Josie, her smile never faltering. “No, that’s not my job. I’m not the Mayor’s lackey.”
“She’s here to spin things,” Gretchen said.
Amber said, “I’m sorry. We haven’t been introduced. You are?”
“Detective Gretchen Palmer.”
“Oh yes. Well, Detective Palmer, if I recall, you were personally involved in a case a couple of years back that was heavily covered in the media.”
“That’s none of your business,” Josie snapped.
Gretchen reached over and touched Josie’s arm. “It’s okay, boss.”
Amber’s smile slipped. “I’m not here to make enemies. Far from it. I know it doesn’t seem like it, especially since the Mayor hired me, but I am on your side. The only reason I brought up your history, Detective Palmer, is to make the point that this city has been the home of several high-profile criminal cases over the last five years. Cases that have captured national interest. You really should have had someone like me in place a long time ago. My job is not to get in your way or to make your job harder. In fact, my job is to make yours easier. I deal with the press so that all of you can carry on with your investigative work. Just this morning, Detective Quinn was captured on the news recovering what looked like a dead body from a flood zone. The press are camped outside, and their numbers are growing by the minute. I can help you deal with them. That’s what I do.”
The three of them regarded her warily. When none of them spoke, Amber said, “I can see that the Mayor didn’t exactly pave the way for my arrival. I don’t want us to get off on the wrong foot.” She turned to the Chief. “How about if I set up a meeting with the Mayor? The three of us can discuss this in private. Would that put your mind at ease?”
Chitwood raised a brow. “What would put my mind at ease is if the damn Mayor would stay the hell out of my way and stop screwing around with Emergency Services!”
From inside her briefcase, Amber produced a cell phone. “We can definitely put your concern on the agenda. I’ll give her a call right now.”
Josie and Gretchen stared at Chitwood, braced for an explosion. He had one of the foulest tempers Josie had ever seen on the job. Most people were intimidated by him—or at least annoyed—but Amber was unfazed. They all listened as she spoke with the Mayor, never once breaking from her professional demeanor. She was smooth, Josie would give her that. Unflappable. She pulled the phone away from her ear for a second and asked the Chief, “Today at two? At the restaurant just past the university campus? I think neutral territory would be best.”
The Chief’s pitted cheeks flamed. Haltingly, he said, “Uh, sure, yeah.”
Amber confirmed with the Mayor and ended the call. “Lovely,” she said. She graced them all with another smile and said, “I can see you’ve all got work to do so I won’t make myself a nuisance. Chief, I’ll see you later today.”
He didn’t answer. Amber tilted her head, her voice softening. “The awkwardness of my arrival aside, I really do look forward to working with all of you. Detective Quinn, I’ve been an admirer of yours for some time.”
Josie managed a weak “thank you,” and they watched Amber disappear back into the stairwell. Chitwood patted down the stray hairs on his scalp, letting loose a stream of muttered expletives before addressing Josie. “Quinn, I want you to find that job listing for me, you got that?”
“Of course,” Josie answered, grateful that Amber’s arrival had overshadowed her actions from this morning. She fully expected to be dressed down by the Chief, but he was more worried about the Mayor’s machinations.
“I’m not going into this meeting unprepared,” he said. “I will not be intimidated by this woman. I don’t care if she’s my boss.”
Josie remembered her own experience with the Mayor back when she had served as interim chief of police. They’d had a case where an infant had been abducted, his mother beaten. The Mayor’s husband had briefly been a person of interest. The