Free The Marine Next Door by Julie Miller Page B

members of Chief Taylor’s task force this week, but you about got away from me.”
    “I’m off duty now, Mr. Knight.” She opened her truck door and dismissed him. “And I need to get going.”
    “Is everything all right?” He nodded toward the cell phone squeezed in her fist. “You seem upset.”
    She tucked the phone into her bag and tossed it onto the passenger seat. “I’m fine.”
    “Just two minutes of your time, Mrs.? Miss—”
    “It’s Sergeant Wheeler.” She climbed in behind the wheel. Travis needed her. “And I’m sorry, but I don’t have two minutes right now.”
    When she turned to start the engine, he caught her door and held it open. “Do you think KCPD will have any better luck this time catching the Rose Red Rapist?”
    “I hope so. Excuse me.” She tugged at the door handle, but the reporter didn’t budge.
    “You hope so? That doesn’t inspire me with confidence, Sergeant Wheeler.”
    “Well, of course, we’re doing everything we can. KCPD’s best are on this case, I promise you.” She tamped down on the red-haired temper sparking in her blood. No meant no in any situation. What didn’t Danny and this guy understand about that? But the first thing she’d learned when she went to work as a KCPD desk sergeant was that she was the face of KCPD most people saw. And that meant she had to be a friendly, helpful, patient face. So she drummed up a smile for the reporter. “Do you mind?”
    “If this is an example of the department’s bestwork, then what is someone with virtually no investigative experience like you doing on the task force?” Maggie’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel at the low blow to the department and to her. “Is it because your ex-husband served time for rape? Is he a suspect?”
    There went friendly. “Mr. Knight—”
    “I hear you have a real knack for getting the victims of these crimes, like Bailey Austin, to open up and answer questions. Can you tell me why that is? Why did you get results when a dozen other cops before you couldn’t?”
    “How do you know about—?”
    “So you did interview Bailey Austin.”
    Helpful was off the table now, too. “There are confidentiality expectations in place with assault victims, Mr. Knight. Now remove your hand from my door before I arrest you.”
    He let go of the door but didn’t move to give her enough room to close it. “Threatening the press? That ought to make a good headline.”
    And now patience was done. “Headline this—Single Mom Needs to Pick Up Son from Ball Practice. I have to go. You should speak to Dr. Kate Kilpatrick.” She pointed toward the precinct headquarters building across the street. “She’s the task force’s liaison with the press. She can answer your questions better than I can.”
    He finally retreated. “You’ve given me more than enough to work with, Sergeant Wheeler. Have a pleasant evening.”
    Maggie’s response wasn’t nearly so civil. She slammed the door and peeled out of the parking garage, leaving Gabriel Knight and whatever he was texting on his phone behind her.
    She hadn’t expected to be interviewed by a reporter and hadn’t handled it well at all. He’d gotten her while she was distracted with Travis and Danny, and had ferreted out answers she wasn’t sure she was supposed to give. All her thoughts were exploding in a swirling mass of temper, frustration, self-doubts and second-guessing. She hated feeling out of control like this. She was a good mother. A good cop. She’d make a good detective, too.
    But knowing the truth and feeling the truth were two different things. And right now, it was impossible to silence the taunts from the corners of her mind. Taunts that echoed in Danny’s derisive voice.
    Your child is stranded in the rain.
    You just botched that press interview.
    You will never get anything right on your own.
    “Shut up, Danny.” Voice in her head or face-to-face terror, he wasn’t going to undermine her confidence