"Yes, sir, but—" She broke off, and decided not to be undignified and complain to her lieutenant's back. "Hell." Prepared to spend an irritating hour or so, Peabody gathered her things and hurried toward Eve's office. She wanted to get there before McNab claimed the desk.
Whitney didn't keep Eve waiting but cleared her straight through. He was at his desk, his hands folded, his eyes neutral. "Lieutenant, you had another altercation with Officer Bowers."
"Yes, sir. On record at the scene this morning." Goddamn it, Eve thought, she hated this. It was like playing tattletale with the school principal. "She became difficult and insubordinate. She laid hands on me and was ordered off scene."
He nodded. "You couldn't have handled it differently?"
Biting back a retort, Eve reached into her bag and pulled out a disc. "Sir, this is a copy of the record from the crime scene. You look at it, then tell me if I could or should have handled it differently."
"Sit down, Dallas."
"Sir, if I'm to be reprimanded for doing my job, I prefer to be reprimanded while I'm on my feet."
"I don't believe I have reprimanded you, Lieutenant." He spoke mildly, but he rose himself. "Bowers had already filed another complaint before this morning's little incident. She claims that you contacted her at home Saturday evening and threatened her with physical harm."
"Commander, I have not contacted Bowers at home or anywhere else." It was difficult, but she kept her eyes flat and her voice cool. "If and when I have threatened her—after provocation—it's been face to face, and on record."
"She's introduced a copy of a 'link log, on which the caller identifies herself as you."
Eve's eyes chilled. "My voice print is on record. I request that it be compared with the print from the 'link log."
"Good. Dallas, sit down. Please."
He watched her struggle, then sit stiffly. "I have no doubt the prints won't match. Just as I have no doubt that Bowers will continue to make trouble for you. I want to assure you that the department will handle this, and her."
"Permission to speak frankly?"
"Of course."
"She shouldn't be on the street, she shouldn't be in uniform. She's dangerous, Commander. That's not a personal jab, it's a professional opinion."
"And one I tend to agree with, but it's not always as simple as it should be. Which brings me to another issue. The mayor contacted me over the weekend. It appears he was contacted by Senator Brian Waylan with a request that the investigations, over which you are primary, be reassigned."
"Who the hell is Waylan?" Eve was on her feet again. "What's some overfed politician have to do with my case?"
"Waylan is a staunch supporter of the American Medical Association. His son is a doctor and on staff at the Nordick Center in Chicago. It's his belief that your investigation, and the resultant media, has impinged the medical community. That it may start a panic. The AMA is concerned and willing to fund its own, private investigation into these matters."
"I'm sure they would, as it's clear it's one of their own who's killing people. This is my case, Commander. I intend to close it."
"It's likely that you'll get little cooperation from the medical community from this point on," Whitney continued. "It's also likely that there will be some political pressure brought to bear against the department to shift the nature of the investigation."
He indulged himself briefly with the faintest of scowls, then his face slipped back into neutral. "I want you to close this case, Dallas, and quickly. I don't want you distracted by a personal…irritant," he decided. "And so I'm asking you to let the department handle the Bowers situation."
"I know my priorities."
"Good. Until further notice, this case, and all related data, are blocked from the media. I want nothing new to leak. Any and all data relating is to be on a need-to-know basis, with full copies encoded to my attention."
"You believe we have a leak in the department?"
"I think East Washington is much too interested in our business. Put together a team, keep it Code Five from this point," he ordered, blocking any unsealed interdepartmental reports and adding a media block. "Put this one to bed."
*** CHAPTER TWELVE ***
"I can run a probability scan back in EDD in half the time it's going to take you to put it through this reject from the ark."
"You're not in EDD, McNab."
"You're telling me. And if you want a full run on the London victim done right, I should be doing it. I'm the E-detective."