“She certainly is. Your momma is a sight to behold when she’s in full blow.”

It was a good opportunity, so Travis asked the question he’d had on his mind for some time. “How do you handle that?”

His father eased back, elbows on the porch rail, one boot on the boards.

“Well, you don’t ‘handle’ your momma. That’s how she is—that’s why I married her. I mean, look at her. The sparks coming off her.” He gazed through the glass, his face full of pride. “You don’t try to tame the lightning, son. You just give it the respect it deserves.”

Bell didn’t realize he still had that memory of his dad in the bank, but he thinks about it while watching Emma Lewis square up outside Donald Raymond’s office. Cooper’s already given them both instructions on how to behave in this meeting: to speak little, let him handle it, nod and agree, and hopefully they’ll all get out of it unscathed. But Bell can see how Emma wants to bare her teeth, and how Cooper doesn’t know what to do with that.

“Miss Lewis,” Cooper says quietly. “Keep it on a leash.”

Her eyes flash at him. Cooper retreats a step.

“Jesus. Take it easy.” He glances over at Travis. “A little help here? Miss Lewis wants to burn down the world.”

It surprises Bell that he understands Emma because of that old conversation with his father. Until now, he just assumed it was because he’s a reasonable judge of character.

He modulates his voice to a lower register, touches her arm lightly. “Emma. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize.”

It works. She doesn’t relax her hair-trigger watchfulness, but she stops bristling and settles. Cooper gives him a curious look, but Travis doesn’t have time for that bullshit now.

“Come,” Raymond calls from his office.

Raymond has a walnut desk so huge it throws the room proportions out of balance. It confirms Bell’s understanding that the boss is a power man. Raymond regards them from his position of advantage, leaning forward in his chair on the other side of the desk. The bunching of his shoulders sends another signal: Raymond is the kind of guy who likes to scrap.

Bell feels himself making a number of fast calculations. He’s very aware of the hot charge of Emma’s body to his right. On her other side, Cooper stands firm.

“So, here we are.” Raymond’s brow furrows. “Now, you two young people were brought on board to do some research into offenders the bureau has already taken care of, is that right?”

“That’s correct,” Cooper says. “Their perspective has been helpful with—”

Raymond’s glance is a swift cut. “I’d like them to answer the question.”

Bell makes sure to echo Cooper’s language. “Yessir, that’s correct.”

Emma says nothing.

Raymond doesn’t seem to care to hear her response anyway as he plows on. “And these cases you’re looking at are all old cases—prosecuted and put away.”

“Yes, sir,” Bell says. “We just—”