“Morning,” Cheryl said.
“Morning.”
“Mr.Grumpy Pants is already in,” Cheryl said with a smile.
Despite herself, Selena smiled.“That his official title now?”
“Only before nine.”
Selena pulled a little piece of thread from her top.“Any calls from Marlene Schmidt?”
“Not yet.”
Selena nodded toward the back.“I’ll be in the briefing room.”
“Agent Raven.”
Selena stopped.
Cheryl’s expression had softened since the previous evening, though not by much.“Amanda said she talked too much.”
“She gave us information we needed.”
“Is Marlene in trouble?”
“That depends on what Marlene tells us.But I don’t want her warned I’m going over there today once she’s back in town.”
Cheryl absorbed that, then looked down at the logbook.“Right.”
Selena continued to the back.
Connor and Arnold were in the briefing room.Connor stood near the side table pouring coffee into a mug.Arnold leaned against a filing cabinet with one ankle crossed over the other, deep in a speech that seemed to have begun before Selena reached the door.
“I’m just saying,” Arnold said, “if my mom had let me play year-round, things could’ve gone different.I had a decent jump shot.”
Connor took a sip from the mug.“Maybe if you were a foot taller.”
“There are great smaller players out there.”
“I just don’t see you competing.”
Arnold straightened.“That’s hurtful, Chief.”
“Someone has to keep your feet on the ground.”
Selena stepped in.“Hey.”
Both men looked over.
Arnold grinned.“Agent Raven.Tell him there are shorter basketball players.”
“There are shorter basketball players.”
“Thank you.”
Connor sat on the edge of the table, mug in hand.“Would you draft Arnold?”
Selena looked Arnold up and down.“For morale, maybe.”