Free Where's Ellen? (Mystery) (MPP A JOE MCFARLAND / GINNY HARRIS MYSTERY Book 1) by Stuart Safft Page B

Steve’s consent, others were federal taps related to the possibility of espionage, and the remainder were allowed by a state warrant based on possible murder or kidnapping.
    As Joe and Ginny turned their attention back to the paperwork for some of their other cases, the chief walked over to their desks.
    “My office! Both of you! Now!”
    The chief turned around and stomped back toward his office. Ginny and Joe exchanged worried glances, stood up and trailed after the chief.
    When they entered the chief’s office, the chief sat down behind his desk and Joe and Ginny stood in front of it.
    “Shut the damn door,” bellowed the chief.
    While Joe was closing the door, Ginny sweetly asked, “Chief, what’s this about? You seem upset.”
    “Very perceptive, Ginny. You must be a detective. What this is about is a phone call that I got from the FBI duo.”
    “And?” asked Joe.
    “Don’t ‘and’ me. You know exactly what. They called all pissed that you two had gone to interview people at Tycon. And they even thought I had told you to do that.”
    “But Chief…,” started Joe before the chief cut him off.
    “Don’t ‘but Chief’ me! It’s you two’s job to protect me from this crap. And if you don’t, you’ll each get a kick in your butts so hard that you won’t be able to sit down for a week.”
    “Chief, we’re sorry if we got you in hot water. We didn’t mean to; we were just…,” said Ginny.
    “Don’t give me any of your great reasons. I will say it only one more time: Stay off this case unless the FBI asks you to do something. This is their case. Is that clear?”
    “Yes, sir,” said Joe and Ginny in unison as they looked at each other and then at the chief.
    “Good. One more incident like this, and I’ll suspend you both for a week without pay. Now get back to work.”
    “OK,” said Ginny as she and Joe hurriedly left the chief’s office and returned to their desks.
    “Wow,” said Joe. “That’s about as mad as I’ve ever seen him.”
    “Yeah. The Feebies must have really ripped him a new one,” replied Ginny. “Wait till he finds out we were back to see Sanders again.”
    “Yeah, I can’t wait. And, I think we should skip our plans to go back to Tycon and talk with Mrs. Sanders’ boss.”
    “No argument with that. We’d be dead meat if we went back there and then the FBI found out and called the chief. Plus, we basically got what we needed from the HR lady.”
    “Full agreement. I think we’ve had enough grief for one day. I’m sorry I dragged you into this, Ginny.”
    “No need to apologize. Some of this was your idea, but you didn’t drag me along. I’m as intrigued with this as you are, and I was a willing participant.”
    “OK. Thanks for easing my conscience.”
    “You’re welcome. And now you owe me one.”
    “I owe you a lot more than one, Ginny.”
    “To show you how much I trust you, Joe, I won’t ask you to put that last statement in writing.”
    Both detectives chuckled as they turned their attention back to the piles of paper on their desks.
    Nothing else of importance happened that day as both the police detectives and the FBI agents worked on other cases while waiting and hoping for something to pop from one of their wire taps.

CHAPTER 13
    A imlessly roaming from room to room, Steve didn’t know what to do with himself. He tried watching television, he tried reading a book, he even tried doing some work from the office, but he was unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes. He took a few short walks, but by the time he returned home he couldn’t remember the route he had taken nor what or whom he had seen. His mind kept analyzing and reanalyzing what might have happened to Ellen, but he failed to come up with any new thoughts. Checking his watch every five minutes did nothing to help. Rather than sitting at home going crazy and just waiting for who knew what, Steve decided to go into work the next morning, just to keep busy and