I thank him, but in the back of my mind, I know the most difficult part of the assignment has yet to begin, and it has nothing to do with Agent Betancourt.

* * *

An hour later, I’m in the City Building sitting across from Mayor Auggie Brock. He’s a portly man with hound dog jowls and the smile of a born politician. This morning, he looks as if he just lost the election.

“How long are you going to be gone?” he asks.

“I’m not sure, Auggie. I basically have to get inside this community, make contact with the right people, and try to find out what—if anything—is going on.” I shrug. “It could take a week, or a month.”

I cringe inwardly at the thought of the assignment taking that long. Even as I sit here across from the mayor, laying out the digest version of the case, it’s Tomasetti I’m thinking of, not the mayor or the town council or even my position as chief.

He sits back in his chair, looking at me as if I’ve somehow betrayed him. “A month? Seriously? Who’s going to run your department while you’re away?” he asks in exasperation.

“Glock is more than qualified. He’s got the experience. The team respects him. He can handle it.”

He picks up the letter from Betancourt and reads it for a third time, his eyes darting left to right, his mouth twisted into a frown. “You know we can’t pay you if you’re going to be contracting with another agency.”

“The sheriff’s department is going to match my salary.”

The news calms him down a little, but he’s still not happy with me. “You’re going to have to use vacation days. You know that, right?”

I’d been hoping the township would let me take the time off without burning through my precious vacation days. Tomasetti and I had been planning a trip to the Caribbean in the spring. I’ll probably regret it later, but I don’t argue. “That’s fine.”

“If something goes wrong here, will we be able to reach you?”

“I’m going to New York, not Mars. I’ll have my phone with me.”

I’ve known Auggie for nearly five years. While we’ve never been friends, he has been a professional and political ally. He’s been fair and supportive—albeit tight with my budget—even when the town council was not. It’s disheartening to realize that while this assignment will be an inconvenience for him, it could be potentially dangerous for me and he has yet to acknowledge that.

“So is this a dicey gig you’re walking into?” he asks.

I smile. “You know how dangerous those Amish are.…”

His eyes widen.

I laugh. “Auggie, I’m kidding.”

He actually blushes, and I’m reminded why I like him. “Well, it is undercover,” he mutters.

“Sheriff Suggs is concerned about the children,” I tell him. “I’ll need to be on my toes, but I don’t believe the assignment is dangerous.” I offer another smile. “But I’m glad you asked.”