Meghan liked that Wilcox took the time to pronounce the name of the town.
“I’m sure Duane and Reeve will find someone to fit into the office again.”
“Regarding Trooper Sergeant Reeve, he’s taking a posting in Ketchikan. It’s effective immediately. I don’t know if that matters to you.”
“As long as someone’s not cutting heads on my account,” she said.
“Why not? You think that’s a bad idea?”
“I think I’ve worked here long enough to understand how my community works. I had your people move into my town and take over before I had a chance to figure out what happened.”
“Yet, even after you walked away, you brought a child back from the dead.”
“Chrissy wasn’t dead. She was a victim of a bastard, and her brother is smarter than anyone I know. He arranged everything and set us on a path. He knew she’d eventually come out of hiding. But he wanted to make sure Eugene Tuktu went down for the continued sexual assault against his sister.”
“You make a citizen’s arrest against a suspected pedophile, and you get the guy to admit to fratricide. Who does that?” Wilcox shook his head. “What happened to you, Special Agent Sheppard? You should be section chief somewhere instead of holed up in a tiny village on the top of the world.”
“I’m not in the FBI anymore, Sergio. Don’t try to butter me up about it.” Meghan shook her head. “I don’t know that line of work anymore. After last weekend, I don’t want any part of that anymore.”
“I talked with Garret McKee yesterday. When I heard about you collecting the Tuktu girl, I thought he should know Special Agent Wyatt had a lot more to apologize for than just walking over your business and thinking it’s a good idea.”
“I don’t care about that. I loved the FBI’s immediate response to the Amber Alert. Cecil Tuktu’s ruse worked better as soon as Dana jumped on her high horse and rode it all over this town. She got you here with a bunch of raw cadets. That is the kind of thing people will talk about for ages.”
“No, you don’t get it. They will talk about you. They see you as their savior. You found that little girl. You found that predator. And you found a murderer that no one else knew existed.”
“It makes me sick to my stomach that this place will put someone else in charge that’s just as bad as Chief Herbert Haynes. That is the kind of thing that bothers me the most.” She thought for a second. “Also, Lester found Eugene. He went after him for the bootlegging.” She felt a surge of anger. “It pisses me off that Haynes didn’t follow up with Eugene. He didn’t look into the death. He took it at face value, and as long as it didn’t interfere with his business, he let it go. If he took the time to press Eugene, that poor girl wouldn’t have had years of mental and sexual abuse. He’s lucky we’re not allowed to carry firearms in the line of duty. It was dumb luck I found the drawing pad.”
“You found it because it’s in your blood. You found it because you’re not lazy and you care. It’s the same reason why you didn’t try to walk back everything Agent Wyatt started when she called in the extra troops. You wanted that girl found, and getting help mattered more than your ego.”
“I don’t have an ego.”
“That is why you’re better suited for the Bureau.”
Meghan shook her head. “I can’t go back. I don’t want to go back.”
“If we had more people like you, we’d have fewer negative stories about our misdeeds.”
“You’re spreading that butter on thick again,” she said.
“I’m not trying to recruit you, Meghan. I want to extend an olive branch. I want you to know that your work is important to this community.”
“They deserve as much respect as anyone else. People think anyone living in the bush or above the Arctic Circle is a bunch of inbred idiots. I hate the stereotypes, and I hate the bigotry.”
“I think if you want your job back, you can have it.”
Meghan held her breath. It was something she suspected, but a little piece of pride lodged in her throat and made it hard to ask favors.
“Detective Anderson started Trooper Sergeant Reeve on the right path. This business with Agent Wyatt, it was poorly handled by her and the Bureau. My office came in and took over, and I am responsible for my cadets. This is a learning curve, and we need people like you who know the right way of handling the environment to make us see what works in one place isn’t a fit everywhere. Whatever you and Agent Wyatt have, that isn’t my business. All I can do is see what went wrong and make sure not to repeat it.”
“I don’t think Duane wants me back. I lost my lieutenant and my sergeant.”
“You have people devoted to you. I know if you’re back, they’re back. If that’s what you want.” He finished the coffee. “You have a list of demands. I’d be happy to take them to the people who matter.”
“You have a secret agenda, Sergio?”
“What? Me? No,” he said. It sounded hollow. “I want what’s best for the community. Just like you want what’s best for the community. If I can’t recruit you back in the Bureau, I’d like to make sure Kinguyakkii has someone who cares about the people and this place.”
“You think you’re so smart coming here looking at me face to face,” Meghan said. “You know damned well I want to stay here.
