“Shit. Because I pissed off a couple fibbies years ago they’re going to let a predator like David Chen get a walk?”

“He won’t walk. But...yeah, they’re thinking about a plea and reduced sentence. And if they take the case from us and make it federal, we’re screwed. The DA wants it—he’s fighting for it. You do have friends down here, and DA Dyson is one of your biggest fans. I’ll let you know what happens.”

“I should be there.” Dear God, she was whining now. This wasn’t fair!

“Dyson might call you. You can talk to him, but being a thousand miles away from LA is a good thing.”

“Call me when you know anything,” she said. “Please,” she added. She sounded desperate. She was desperate. She hated being stuck up here when her entire case was falling apart because the fucking federal bureaucrats had their nose out of joint because she embarrassed them years ago.

“You still helping the Liberty Lake PD?”

“Doing their fucking job is more like it,” she muttered.

“You okay?”

She rubbed her eyes. No. “Just tired. Our killer took a second victim in Liberty Lake. A high school principal. If pattern holds, his next victim is supposed to be a cop. But damn, I’m going to help catch him before a cop dies.”

“Sounds messy up there.”

“It is, but there are some competent feds. They seem to all be in Spokane.”

“Good to know, because I haven’t met any that I liked. Be careful.”

“Anything for you, boss.” She hung up.

Damn, damn, damn!

“Honey?” Em said from the doorway. “Is everything okay?”

“Peachy.”

“You can talk to me. You know that, right?”

Kara looked at her sweet grandmother. Emily Dorsey didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She didn’t watch the news because she thought it was sad; she didn’t watch violence on television. She liked the shows where unknown people sang, where stars danced, where there was always a happy ending.

No way was Kara going to introduce her to a dark slice of humanity. Em had enough of that shit from her own daughter.

“Thanks, Em,” Kara said. She got up and hugged her. “I love you.”

Em seemed surprised. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s just—you haven’t said I love you in, well, since you told me you were moving to Los Angeles.”

“That can’t be right.”

“I’m old, not senile.”

“Maybe I don’t tell you enough. But I do.”

“I’ve always known that, pumpkin.” Em smiled and touched her cheek. “Are you going back to Spokane tonight?”

She had been thinking about it. Because if she stayed here, she’d be thinking about what was going on in Los Angeles. If she started thinking about her case against Chen falling apart, then she would get on a plane and confront whichever bastard was screwing with her. And that would probably not help Lex or the DA keep jurisdiction within LAPD.

“Is that okay?”

“Honey, working makes you happy. And all I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy.”