“It wasn’t completely amicable,” she says. “It wasn’t a problem between us, but one of our team members saw Adam and me one afternoon and, well, reported that she thought we were too cozy. It was just how we were sitting. I went to our Ethics Department. I’m not proud of it. But I didn’t see I had a choice.”

I’m confused. “To turn in the complainer for what?”

“No,” she says. “I had to make a preemptive strike against Adam. I couldn’t let our inconsequential liaison ruin my career. I told Ethics that he was being a little too familiar with me and it made me uncomfortable.”

She sees the look on my face. It’s hard to explain what I’m feeling just now. Adam betrayed his wife. His lover betrayed him. Not so nice in the big city.

“I didn’t sandbag him,” she says. “I know people might think that. But those that do don’t understand that being a woman in a position of power makes you a target twenty-four seven. The guys above me want nothing more than to keep me under them on the org chart. Don’t let anyone tell you that things are fair. They aren’t.”

Carrie climbs off her soapbox.

“Things aren’t fair anywhere,” I say, not because I believe it completely. At least, I hope things are fair elsewhere. I got the detective’s position over three men, and I think it was because I was the best candidate and not because someone at the hiring office was trying to make things fair.

“What was the outcome of your report?” I ask.

“It wasn’t that bad,” she says. “I indicated to Ethics that I was only marginally uncomfortable and that I didn’t think Adam was doing anything that should result in any kind of corrective action. They gave him some online sensitivity training.”

“I’ll bet that wasn’t well received by Adam.”

“He was a little mad at me,” she says. “You can’t stay angry very long, or it makes things worse. He got over it.”

“And that’s the sum of the affair? I mean fling.”

Carrie’s phone buzzes, but she ignores it.

“Yes, that part of our relationship. It stopped. Sophie got pregnant with Aubrey, and the ship was righted. All good. For me, it was a time that I didn’t think about.”

“And it was over,” I say.

She thinks a second. “Not really. We did get together one more time. Recently.”

“Just how recently?”

“After he got back from Hood Canal.”

“I see,” I say, while managing to keep my coffee in my mouth. I keep my expression flat. At least I try to.