High Noon by Nora Roberts Page A

delegate.”
    â€œIf you want your delegate present, you’re free to call him.” Deliberately, she nudged the phone across the desk toward him. “Be my guest.”
    Arnie shrugged. “You got five minutes before I start clocking OT.”
    â€œAt oh-nine-eleven this morning you responded to reports of gunfire at the offices of Jasper C. Hughes, Attorney at Law. Is that correct?”
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œYou responded to this location, running hot, approached the building in question. At that time, an individual inside the premises informed you he was armed, with two hostages. Is this correct?”
    â€œIf you’re going to go through the whole report, we’re wasting time.”
    â€œDid you call for backup or for a negotiation team at that time?”
    â€œNo. I had it handled. Until you got there.”
    â€œYou identified yourself as a police officer, via bullhorn.”
    â€œI took cover, as procedure, and ID’d myself, sure. I told the guy to put down the gun, to come out. He refused.”
    Phoebe sat back. “You’re right. We’re wasting time. The reports are here, including witness statements, statements from both hostages, statements from the officers who arrived on scene subsequently. Which include the fact that you did not follow procedure, did not call for a negotiation team, did not follow any of the guidelines in hostage negotiation and instead threatened and berated the hostage-taker into an agitated state.”
    â€œGuy shoots up an office, he’s already in an agitated state.”
    â€œAnd there, you’re correct. You never tried to talk him down.” Though her eyes flashed fury, her voice stayed flat, cold, utterly calm. “You told him you didn’t care, you told him he was going to jail.”
    He sent her that tight, smirking smile. “Not supposed to lie in negotiations.”
    â€œYou’re going to want to wipe that smirk off your face, Officer. You pushed and you pushed.” She snatched up a page from a report. “‘Officer Meeks then engaged the subject via telephone and advised the subject he’d be better off just putting the gun to his head and pulling the trigger.’”
    â€œReverse psychology. It was under control until you got on the line. Hostages made it out, didn’t they? No loss of life.”
    â€œThere were three people in that office. Only two walked out.”
    â€œOnly two mattered.”
    â€œIn your opinion, yes, which I assume is why you felt entitled to call the hostage-taker a worthless fuck. Although I see nothing in the report that indicates the hostages mattered to you. You never asked for or ascertained their condition, and took actions that endangered their well-being—including telling the armed hostage-taker he didn’t have the balls to shoot the hostages.”
    â€œYou want to blame somebody for your screwup, ma’am —”
    â€œMy actions will hold up, Officer, I promise you. Yours, on the other hand, don’t. You’re suspended for thirty days.”
    He came up out of the chair. “Bullshit.”
    â€œThe incident will be investigated, as will your actions during it. Meanwhile, you are ordered to report to the departmental psychiatrist for an evaluation within the next seventy-two hours.”
    The ugly red spread over his face, as it had in the lecture room. “You’re not running over me this way.”
    â€œYou’re free to protest the suspension, but I can tell you you’ll find Captain Mc Vee, who has copies of all statements, in agreement with my decision.”
    â€œHe’d agree to flap his wings like a chicken seeing as you’re blowing him.”
    She got slowly to her feet. “What did you say to me?”
    â€œYou think it’s some secret you’re sitting here because you let Mc Vee bang you? We’ll see who’s fucking suspended when I’m done with