Douglas Dorow - The Ninth District

“So, why are we stopping to interview her?” Jack asked. “Because she’s cute?”

“Well, that doesn’t hurt,” Ross said. “But like I said, she was pretty broken up by this and I wasn’t able to get much info from her when I interviewed her at the bank. She was too distraught.”

“Any other theories on why The Governor killed the woman at the bank?” Jack asked.

Ross shook his head.

“One thing you don’t want to do is let your theories totally drive your questioning and investigation. Keep the theories flowing, but try to let the evidence and facts point you in the right direction.” Jack looked out the window. “I’ll see what other words of wisdom I can come up with to pay for my lunch.”

Jack looked out the window again while his mind drifted to thoughts of the kids and Julie, wondering what they were doing.

As they drove by the Lake Calhoun boat marina, Jack looked out at the kids learning how to handle the sailboats and the winds. A couple of kids were standing on the side of a boat tipped in the water, struggling to right it. It was apparent they were going to have to recruit a few more bodies to have enough weight to right the boat.

“Hey, Jack. I think that’s her.” Ross signaled to a woman in sunglasses, a sleeveless shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals walking on the sidewalk ahead of them and across the street.

“You’re right, she’s pretty. You know what you’re going to say?” Jack looked at Ross. “Just don’t blubber and drool. You’re a Federal Agent for God’s sake.”

Ross laughed and pulled the car over. “Got it.” He put the car in park. “You coming?”

Jack shook his head. “Too hot. Leave me here in the air-conditioned embrace of La Reina. You go talk to her. We’ll debrief over that lunch you’re going to buy me.”

Ross grabbed the door handle to get out of the car.

“Don’t take too long, Junior. I’m hungry.”

Ross got out of the car. “Ms. Hoffman…” the rest of his words cut off as the car door slammed shut.

Jack watched as Ross trotted over to the young woman. She looked up in surprise, then recognition. Jack saw she was a flirt from the start. She laughed, dug her toe in the dirt, and tilted her head as Ross asked her questions. Jack hoped Junior could concentrate.

After a couple of minutes, Ms. Hoffman glanced at her watch and touched Ross’ arm. Ross nodded, walked her to her car, and opened the door for her before turning to head back to where Jack was waiting.

“It’s nice in here,” Ross said as he got back in the car.

“You get what you wanted?” Jack asked.

“Like I said, she was a temp. Didn’t know many people at the bank except the deceased. Feels bad for her family. She’s been there a couple of months.”

“You got that out of her?” Jack chuckled. “I thought you were coming back to tell me you had a lunch date with her and you were dumping me. If it wasn’t so hot out you’d still need the AC to cool off after that conversation.”

“It wasn’t like that. She had to get going to meet a friend for lunch. She’s can’t believe what happened at the bank and isn’t sure she can go back to work there. She’s going to go talk it through with her friend.”

“It’s a bummer, but she’ll be OK. So, where are you taking me for lunch? Remember we both need someplace cool.”

During lunch, they tried to take a break from the case. Ross asked Jack more questions about his history at the FBI. Jack had been around long enough and in enough different field offices to have more than a few stories to tell. They watched the scenery walk by and Ross joked with Jack that his kids were going to grow up to look like the tattooed and pierced bodies that walked by the window.

The waitress took Ross’ credit card to pay for lunch. Waiting for her to return with the receipt, Ross asked, “Jack, have you ever dated somebody from a case?”

“Don’t even think it, Junior.”

“Not during the case, Jack, but how about after? I meet her at a bar, she asks me to dance? There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?” Ross stuck out his hand to take the bill from the waitress as she returned. “I mean, she was coming on pretty strong, Jack. And she was gorgeous.”

“Sir?”

Jack and Ross both looked up at the waitress. She wasn’t handing the bill over to Ross.

“Do you have another credit card, sir? There seems to be an issue with this one.”

“What do you mean, an issue? Must be something wrong with the system.”

“We tried it a couple of times.”

Ross dug another card out of his wallet. “Can you try this one?”

“Sure, I’ll be right back. Won’t take a minute.”

Ross held the card and looked at it. “Wonder what’s happened?” he asked. “I just got this card.” Ross looked back at Jack. “So, theoretically speaking, could I ask her out?”

“Theoretically speaking, if the case was all wrapped up and she approached you…I’d call her a groupie, but I think you could go out with her.”

“Sir?” The waitress was back at the table.

“That one worked, didn’t it?” Ross hoped.

“This one has exceeded its limit.”

“That’s impossible.” Ross took the card from the waitress. He turned the card over and looked at both sides. “Exceeded its limit?”

Jack took some cash out and handed it to the waitress. “Keep the change. Sorry for the problem. Thanks for the birthday lunch, Junior.”

“I don’t understand what’s going on, I haven’t used this card,” Ross said.

“Let’s go. I have to go pick up my kids and you can call your bank.”

“Hey, where are you? I’m right here.”

The Governor snapped from his daydream to the hand waving in front of his face. He grabbed the hand and held it gently in his, stroking it with his thumb. “I’m sorry, babe.” He smiled. “There’s no excuse. How could I be thinking about something else with a beautiful woman sitting across from me?” He looked at Sandy Hoffman, his gaze moving from the designer sunglasses covering her eyes, down a long, tan arm, to the hand with the manicured nails, held in his hand.

“I don’t know, but you were a long way from here. What were you thinking about?”

“It’s nothing. Just the morning. But that’s taken care of and behind me now.” The Governor reached out to hold her other hand, his fingers playing with the silver ring on her finger. “I’m all yours now. Please forgive me.” He looked at her eyes, hiding behind the dark sunglasses and smiled. “What were you saying?”

She waited for a bus to rumble by. They sat on the sidewalk outside of the New French Bakery on busy Lyndale Avenue. “I was saying all sorts of things.” She pulled her hands back from his grasp and crossed her arms. “I was saying it was hot. I was saying that after lunch I’d like to go for a drive out to Lake Minnetonka and take your boat out, maybe go for a swim. I was saying last night was great.”

“OK, now I’m listening. Go on.” The Governor took another drink of his iced coffee and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

Sandy leaned forward to meet him and quietly said, “I was going to ask why you killed her.”

The Governor looked over her shoulder and then glanced over his own. Then he put a finger to her lips to keep her from saying anything else. “We’ll talk about that later when we’re alone. What else do you want to talk about?”

She grabbed her iced tea and settled back into her chair. “I thought we could go away for a weekend. Relax. Spend some time alone. Talk.”

“That sounds great. I’d love to spend an uninterrupted weekend with you. Have any ideas?”

Sandy crossed her legs, one bronze leg swinging as she talked. “I was thinking the North Shore, north of Duluth. A resort on the lake. Some hiking, walks along the shore, camp fires at night.”