Page 97 of Girl Between (Dana Gray FBI Mystery Thriller #5)

“Did you know?” Dana demanded as she stormed into the NOPD break room.

“It’s good to see you, too,” Richter amended.

“I’m not in the mood,” she snapped.

“Clearly,” said Richter, pulling her away from the rest of the agents and officers milling about before Creed’s next briefing.

“What the hell crawled up your ass?” Richter asked when they were out of earshot.

“Jake’s back in D.C.,” Dana hissed.

Richter shrugged. “Yeah. And?”

“Am I the only one he didn’t tell?” She threw her hands in the air. “Great!”

“He didn’t know,” Richter said, practically chasing her down the hall as she stomped away from him. “Look, Creed was the only one privy to Nowak’s plan. He enjoyed springing it on Shepard, too. From the look on Shep’s face, he was blindsided.”

“He wasn’t the only one,” Dana muttered.

“From where I stand, Shepard was pretty upfront with his plans to be back in D.C. for the trial.”

“I know, but it hasn’t started yet, and … ”

“And?” Richter pried.

I asked him to stay. But Dana was too hurt to admit that. Instead, she said, “He could’ve told me before disappearing.”

Richter’s silver eyebrows rose. “Shame isn’t the easiest thing to share, kid.”

“There’s no shame in this. It’s not Jake’s fault. It’s the job. I know that. But I’m his partner. He should’ve told me.”

“Like you told him you were taking this grant in New Orleans?”

Dana’s nostrils flared. “He told you that?”

“He told me what he woke up to.”

Her cheeks burned. “You two gossip worse than a pair of old women!”

Richter shook his head. “We don’t. Shep only calls me for the hard shit. The stuff that wrecks him.”

Dana let Richter’s words sink in. She swallowed thickly, unable to hold onto her anger. Shoulders sagging, she implored him. “Tell me what to do.”

“That’s up to you.”

“I told George I’d stay on and help with the case.”

“Then do it.”

“What about Jake?”

Richter put a big, fatherly hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Kid, that’s a question only you can answer.”