“What’s up?” Dwight asked. He gestured to the chair
Reid Stephenson had vacated, but Jamison continued
to stand.
“I need to tell you that I’m resigning, sir.”
“
“Yes, sir. Effective the end of next week, if that’s okay
with you.”
“What the hell’s this about? And for God’s sake, sit
down.”
The detective sat, but he looked even more uncom-
fortable and was having trouble meeting Dwight’s
eyes.
Dwight studied him a long moment. “What’s going
on, Jack? If it’s a better offer from another department,
you’re about due a raise. I don’t know that we can
match Raleigh, but—”
“It’s not Raleigh, Major. It’s Iraq.”
Dwight frowned. “I didn’t realize you’re in the
Guard.”
“I’m not. It’s DynCorp. They’re a private security
company that—”
“I know what DynCorp is.” He realized that he should
have seen this coming. Police departments all over the area
had lost good men to private security companies. First war
America’s ever had to contract out, he thought sourly.
“They’ve accepted me into their training program. If
I qualify, I’ll be helping to train Iraqi police officers.”
180
HARD ROW
“And that’s what you want to do?”
“Not really but the pay’s too good to pass up, Major.
We’re just not making it on thirty-seven thousand a year.
Cindy wants things for our son and I want them, too.
Over there, I can start at around a hundred-thirty.”
Dwight leaned back in his chair, feeling older and
more tired than he had in a long time. “No, we cer-
tainly can’t match that. But you say you want things for
your son. What about a father? Civilian personnel are
getting killed over there.”
Jamison nodded. “I know. But like Cindy says, police
officers are getting shot at over here, too.”
“You ever been shot at?”
“Well, no sir, but it does happen, doesn’t it? A couple
or three inches more and Mayleen could have died back
in January. Anyhow, I figure two years and we’ll be out
of debt with enough saved up to put a good down pay-
ment on a real house. It’s worth the risk.” He took a
deep breath. “And if I do get killed, she’ll get a quarter
million in insurance. That should be enough to get Jay
