From the back of the room, Murph spoke up.

“That seems unwise.”

Jessie was happy to hear that. Nothing rankled Decker more than department outsiders offering their unsolicited two cents. Having him view the marshal as an interloper could only help her case. As she watched her boss frown, she stayed quiet, letting the dynamic percolate.

“What exactly did you have in mind?” Decker asked her through gritted teeth.

Jessie didn’t wait for him to change his mind.

“I could look at violent attacks and murders in the last few weeks to see if any of them have the hallmarks of either killer. If any of them are a match, I can pursue the most promising leads.”

Decker sat silently, apparently contemplating the idea. Murph, however, did not stay quiet.

“You can’t seriously be entertaining this after all the effort the Marshals Service went to in order to secure a safe house for her.”

Please keep arguing. You’re only digging your own grave.

Decker seemed to be fighting an internal war with himself. It was clear that, despite his annoyance with Murph, he felt the man made a good point. But she could also tell that something else was at play in his head, something Jessie apparently wasn’t aware of.

“Here’s the thing,” he eventually said. “As I mentioned, we have lots of leads—maybe too many of them. Just trying to cull through them has been challenging. We’ve enlisted the sheriff’s department and other neighboring police departments. Even the local FBI has pitched in, offering a few agents on cases they deem relevant. We’re just spread so damn thin right now. It’s not like all the other criminals have taken a vacation just because we’ve got five additional psychos on the loose. There was a gang hit two days ago. Someone is leaving hypodermic needles on local playgrounds. Your old pal Detective Hernandez is tied up with a triple homicide that has him in Topanga Canyon today. And, oh by the way, we’re in the second week of a massive measles outbreak.”

“What are you saying, Captain?” Murph asked. For the first time, Jessie thought she sensed a hint of resignation in his voice.

Decker finally spilled the secret he’d been keeping up to this point.

“There is actually a case that came in overnight that I think you could be helpful on, Hunt. It happened in Studio City so North Hollywood Station is handling it. But the FBI has taken an interest and assigned an agent to look into it. I was thinking of pairing you with him.”

“What’s the case?” Jessie asked, keeping her voice even despite the excitement rising in her belly.

“A stabbing—pretty gruesome. No motive or suspects yet. But both your boys are big knife fans, right?”

“That’s true,” she agreed.

“It could be totally unrelated,” he conceded. “But it’s the first attack I’ve come across that seems to fit the profile.”

“So you plan to let her go into the field?” Murph asked, though he knew the answer.