spent the morning reading reports, filling out forms,
updating the duty rosters, and earmarking things that
Bo needed to see.
Time to get a little more aggressive about filling the
empty slots in the department, too, he thought. Even
if Dalton’s provisional promotion were made perma-
nent, they were still going to be short two detectives if
Jamison really did leave. Three officers were needed in
the patrol division and they could really stand to beef
up Narcotics. Maybe he and Bo ought to go talk to
the criminal justice classes out at Colleton Community.
214
HARD ROW
Hell, maybe they should even start trolling in the high
schools.
By midday, the most pressing chores were behind him
and when Deborah called around 12:30, he agreed to
splash over and join her at a nearby soup and sandwich
place where she was already having lunch.
This close to the courthouse, the cafe was always
busy. The sky had begun to lighten, but there was still
enough rain to make courthouse personnel reluctant to
walk very far. The place was jammed today with every
seat taken and a long line waiting at the counter. As
soon as he reached the table where Deborah and an-
other judge were seated, he sensed her barely concealed
excitement.
“Here, Dwight,” said Judge Parker, setting his dishes
and utensils back on his tray. “Take my seat. I’m fin-
ished.”
“You sure?”
“Just holding it for you, son.”
“Thanks, Luther,” said Deborah, as the older man
rose. “And I really appreciate it.”
He laughed and white teeth flashed in his chocolate
brown face. “Just remember that you owe me one.”
“Owe him one for what?” Dwight asked, sliding into
the chair on the other side of the narrow table. She was
wearing the cropped blue wool jacket that echoed her
clear blue eyes. Around her neck, gleaming against her
white sweater, was the thin gold chain with the outline
of a small heart encrusted with diamond chips that she
had worn almost every day since the night he gave it
to her.
“He’s going to ask Ellis Glover to assign Ally Mycroft
215
MARGARET MARON
to him for the rest of the week. Get her out of my court-
room.”
Dwight grinned, knowing how that particular clerk
