"Come on, Jeff!" Gavin barked at the Sheriff as he entered the small police department. "You arrest my client and you don't call me?"

"Gavin, calm down." Jeff put his hands up as he stood.

"And don't even act like you don't have my number because you call me at least three times a week."

"She didn't ask for a lawyer, she didn't ask for you, she didn't ask for her phone call and she hasn't talked at all since she's been here. In fact…" Jeff cast his eyes in the direction of the interview room. "She sat right down and fell asleep… I haven't really had the heart to wake her. You can if you'd like."

"Oh, thanks. Make me the bad guy." Gavin took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, "what's your case, Jeff?"

Jeff picked up the bullet from his desk. "Her husband had a bullet in his brain. M.E. says that whoever shot him was a very good shot. Not only does Captain Sharon Raydor have a medal for marksmanship but the striations on the bullet were a match to her service weapon."

"Gunshot residue on her hands?"

Jeff sighed and shook his head, "no, she was clean but that's not conclusive. She's a cop, she'd know how to clean herself up."

"There's more here than we're seeing." Gavin insisted.

"Has she talked to you?" Jeff asked, "'cause she ain't talkin' to us. All I've got is the evidence. I don't like the feeling of locking up another cop but everything I got is telling me she's guilty as sin."

Gavin let himself into the interview room. Sharon was slumped over the table, breathing in and out with deceptive contentment. Gavin let his briefcase slam down onto the surface and Sharon startled awake.

"I want you to keep your mouth shut, you're not going to say anything to anyone other than me. You're going to sit tight right here while I get you out and as soon as we're alone you're going to tell me what really happened."

Sharon squared her jaw and leaned back in her seat. Gavin could do nothing but accept it either as her consent or a challenge. Either way he was getting her out.


Sharon and Terry were sitting on opposite sides of the coffee table, Sharon with Jesse in her lap and Terry with Faith. In front of each pair was their half of the game Battleship.

"See the ones I'm pointing at?" She asked Jesse, pointing at a number and a letter. He nodded. "Do you want to say it?"

"E7, dad!" Jesse called.

"Oh! No! You sank our battleship!"

Faith frowned and Jesse stuck out his tongue at her. Faith grabbed one of the pegs and threw it at him. "Mom!"

"Hey, kids," Sharon took the peg and handed it back to Terry. "Faith, you don't be a sore loser. Jesse you don't be a sore winner. And absolutely no throwing things. Capishe?"

"Ca-/iwhati?" Faith giggled.

Sharon's phone rang and she reached for it, earning a very aggrieved sigh from Terry. "Shar, don't answer that, come on."

"It's work, Terry." She picked Jesse up and deposited him on the floor next to her and got up to grab her cell from her purse. She accepted the call and walked into the other room.

"Here we go, sweetie." Terry hoisted Faith up and set her on the floor. "Why don't you and your brother go play upstairs."

Faith cast a look at Sharon and Jesse took her hand, "let's go play with my legos."

Terry walked up behind Sharon. Sharon stepped a few paces away from him, "okay, yeah, I know where that is. I'll meet you there in fifteen."

"Oh goddamnit, Sharon." Terry sighed heavily as she ended the call.

"The only way I could take the day off is if I stayed on call." She pocketed the phone and started for the door to get her shoes on. "We've got a really big bust about to go down. I thought it was going to be tomorrow but they forced our hand and it's going down now. I really have to go."

"I was so stupid, I was so fucking stupid." Terry rolled his eyes. "Here I thought you could put your family first but you obviously can't."

"I took an oath, Terry." She grabbed her holster and strapped it around her waist. Her gun remained locked up in the trunk of her car but always brought in her holster. "I was a cop before I was a wife and mother. I was on the promotion track when we met. /iyou knew this going ini."

"Excuses." He shook his head.

"I should be the one bitching at you for being such an asshole about this whole thing."

"I just want you to spend time with the family and /iI'mi an asshole?" Terry demanded.

"I don't want to fight with you, Terry." Sharon snapped, "we had a great day, I loved hanging out with you and the kids but now I have to go arrest a ring of dirty cops."

"Stop running away from me," He grabbed her by the upper arm.

She yanked her arm away from him, "I am not running! I have a fucking job to do, Terry!" She opened the door, "and now I'm going to be late."

Before Terry could respond she slammed the door in his face.

"Daddy?" Faith called from the top of the stairs.

"Go play with your brother, sweetie." Terry said softly, rubbing his tired eyes. "Daddy needs a minute…"


"I couldn't get you a bail hearing until tomorrow." Gavin announced, walking back into the interview room and sitting down at the table.

Sharon stood up from the table and walked over to the door and knocked. A uniformed officer opened the door, "ma'am."

"I'd like to go a cell, please."

"Sharon!" Gavin snapped, "what is your problem? I'm trying to help you."

"I never asked for your help." She said softly as the guard led her away.

Gavin walked out of the room again in confusion and frustration and up to Jeff's desk. "Ooh, that woman!"

"No shit, right?" Jeff laughed a little, "I'd love to get her into the department poker game."

"I have a feeling she'd take you for everything you've got."

"Yeah, probably… face and figure like that though? Not sure I'd mind."

Gavin crossed his arms across his chest, "always thinking with the wrong head." Gavin teased.

"Hey, I'm not the one who gave up my career because I got broken up with."

"Let's not get into this." Gavin sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Can I go back and see her?"

Jeff shook his head, "nope. She asked to be alone."

"Did she ask for her phone call?"

"Nope."

"Alright. If she asks for her phone call buzz me. I want to know."

"You got it." Jeff nodded, "but I think we both know she's not going to ask for her call. Where are you going to be?"

"I'm going home. I'm going to prepare for her bail hearing."

"What are you going to lead with?"

"Decorated officer, spotless record, mother of three." Gavin shrugged, "that has to count for something."

"Alright, good luck."