The Congressman's Wife
Chapter 9
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
7:30 pm
As the team wrapped up at the Congressman's house, Sharon left the RACRR room and headed to her office to work on paperwork. She gave a slight wave of goodbye to Dr. Joe and told Mike she would be back when the team returned.
As she left the room, she could hear Dr. Joe asking Mike how Sharon had been and Mike give a simple answer of "good" before the conversation ended.
Sharon had asked a contact she had known for years to come to Major Crimes to give the team the rundown on the state of the Congressman's current election. She wanted to see if there was a reason the Congressman would want Fiona Marquardt dead that could be tied to the election.
When she sat down at her desk to open her desktop, Leo Mason gave a light rap on her door before opening it and stepping in.
"How is the case going?" He asked.
"Good. I am hoping to wrap it up quickly." Sharon answered without expounding.
Leo shrugged his shoulders. "Keep me informed?" He told her. "When the whole of this hits the news, I need to be prepared. Maybe even give some heads up to some of my closest contacts. I am already getting hounded to where I had to silence my phone to get anything done. Pope is literally calling me every five minutes. I am shocked he hasn't been over here or called you over there."
"Actually, me too." Sharon answered after thinking about it. She had been going nonstop since the moment she had first been called about Fiona Marquardt that she realized no one had updated Will Pope about the case. She knew he would be absolutely furious and compare her to Brenda Leigh Johnson. A comparison that the first time it happened made her cringe.
As Mason was turning to leave, Sharon called out to him. "Oh Chief, I almost forgot."
Leo Mason turned and stepped back into her office.
"I wanted to let you know that after this case wraps up, Andy and I will be taking two weeks off to go on our honeymoon. I will be leaving Provenza in charge." Sharon told him.
"To go on your honeymoon?" Mason asked her. "You all have been married almost four years. Isn't it a bit too late to be calling it a honeymoon?" He asked her.
"Andy's words. I am just entertaining him." Sharon responded.
"Who would ever take Andy Flynn as the romantic type?" Mason asked her. "Guess your sense of occasion is rubbing off on him. You are sure you have everything covered, Commander?"
Sharon smiled at the thought of her rubbing off on Andy Flynn. "Yes, look at how great the Lieutenant did when I had my heart attack and that was for a much longer period of time." Sharon responded.
Mason thought back to the arguments he had with Major Crimes second in command but couldn't deny the excellent work Provenza had done and how he held down the fort during the Commander's absence. "OK. Just keep me abreast of your plans, but I see no issues."
"No problem, Sir." Sharon answered and turned back to the computer on her desk.
She pulled up the report demanding her attention, but her mind started to wander to their upcoming trip. Sharon found herself pulling up sites for Irish tourism and hotels making mental notes of places she'd like to visit. She had done this before they got married, but that seemed so long ago. So much had changed in their lives since her near-death experience. Something about it made Sharon sad. She felt gypped by the loss of their honeymoon. She had to wonder if that was why Andy insisted on calling it a honeymoon versus a vacation, but she decided when she looked into his eyes that she wouldn't push it. She couldn't be the one to pop his balloon of excitement.
Sharon lost time as she gazed at the beautiful images of Ireland. She started to make a list that she would hide in their luggage and randomly throw out places to go. No reason to totally wing it she thought to herself.
Just then her phone rang. She saw it was Will Pope's office. She let out a breath and picked up the line.
"Sharon Raydor." She answered
"Commander, this is Sheila Evans, Chief Pope's Assistant." The voice on the other end told her.
Behind the introduction, Sharon could hear Chief Pope yelling about always being the last to know things and wondered if everyone he put in charge of Major Crimes made it their life's work to make him look bad. She could hear Leo Mason trying to calm him down.
Sheila Evans went on. "Chief Pope would like you over here right away."
Sharon took a deep breath in and looked at the image of an Irish cliff on her computer. "I'm on my way." She told the young woman.
After she hung up the phone, she took a deep breath out again and looked at the image wishing she and Andy could already be there.
Forgetting to close the windows she was looking at, Sharon pushed back her chair and walked out of her office wondering what Chief Pope was so upset about and what fresh hell she was in for.