had?”
“It still would’ve been nice to know,” Mace said grumpily.
“I’m sorry. It was a judgment call on my part. At least you didn’t end up owing anything on it.”
“Do I have anything left?”
“After we paid off the legal bills for your defense—”
“We?”
“That was the other reason I couldn’t keep paying on the condo. The lawyers always get their money. And you would’ve done the same for me.”
“Like you ever would’ve ended up in a pile of crap like this.”
“Do you want the rest of the bad news?”
“Why not? We’re on a roll.”
“Your personal investment account got wiped out like everybody else’s in the economic freefall. Your police pension was history the moment you were convicted. You have a grand total of one thousand two hundred and fifteen dollars in your checking account. I talked your creditors into knocking your debt down to about six grand and got them to defer payments until you got back on your feet.”
Mace was silent for a long minute as the car rolled along winding roads on the way to the interstate that would eventually carry them into Virginia and then on to D.C. “In all your free time while you were running the tenth largest police force in the country and presiding over the security details for a presidential inauguration. Nobody could’ve done better. I know that. And if it had been me overseeing your finances, you’d probably be in a debtor’s prison in China.” Mace touched her sister’s arm. “Thanks, Beth.”
“I did manage to keep one thing for you.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
CHAPTER 6
THE SUN was starting to come up when the Town Car turned down a quiet residential street that dead-ended in a cul-de-sac. A few seconds later they rolled to a stop in the driveway of a comfortable-looking two-story frame house with a wide front porch that sat at the very end of the road. The only giveaway that this was where the highest-ranking cop in D.C. lived was the security stationed outside and the portable barricades that had been moved out of the way when they’d turned onto the street.
“What the hell is this for, Beth?” Mace asked. “You never had a security detail at your house before. You usually don’t even have a driver.”
“Different world and the mayor insisted.”
“Has there been a threat?”
“I get threats every day. Stalkers at HQ, here at home.”
“I know, so what’s changed?”
“Not for you to worry about.”
The car slowed and Beth Perry rolled down her window and exchanged a few words with the officers on duty, and then she and Mace headed into the house. Mace dropped the duffel bag containing everything she’d brought to prison with her and looked around. “You’re not going to tell me the truth about all the new security?”
“There’s nothing to tell. I don’t particularly like it, but like I said, the mayor insisted.”
“But why did he—”
“Drop it, Mace!”
The sisters did a staredown and Mace finally backed off.
“So where’s Blind Man?”
As if on cue, an old fifty-pound mutt with gray, black, and tan markings came into the room. As it sniffed the air, it gave a yelp and bounded toward Mace. She knelt and scratched Blind Man behind the ears and then gave the dog a lingering hug, pushing her nose into its smooth fur as Blind Man happily licked her ear.
“I think I missed this guy almost as much as I missed you.”
“He’s been pining for you.”
“Hey, Blind Man, you missed me, man, you missed me?”
“I still can’t believe they were going to put him down just because he can’t see. That dog’s nose is so keen it’s better than having two pairs of twenty-twenties.”
Mace rose but continued to stroke Blind Man’s head. “You always have been one to bring in strays with special cases. The deaf cat, and three-legged Bill the boxer.”
“Everybody and everything deserves a chance.”
“Including little sisters?”
“You’ve lost weight, but otherwise you look to be in great shape.”
“Worked out every day. Only thing that kept me going.”
Beth looked at her strangely. It took Mace a few moments to interpret. “I’m clean, Beth. I was clean when I went in and I didn’t touch anything while I was in there, although let me tell you there were more drugs in that place than at Pfizer’s world headquarters. I exchanged meth for endorphins. I’ll take a pee test if you want.”
“I don’t, but your probation officer will as a post-release condition.”
Mace took a deep breath. She’d forgotten that she was now officially on probation for