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recently come off that detail, and with Mike newly returned that day from medical leave, they were being called in to see the assistant director.
    â€œYou know what this is about?” Craig asked.
    â€œNot a clue. Hey, this is New York,” Mike said. “Could be anything.”
    The New York State office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was the largest in the country, and since New York City had such a massive population, most of the agents were assigned to the city and its environs. The New York office had agents assisting with cases across the country. However, since 9/11, the delegation of duties had changed somewhat. There were now special divisions in the New York office that handled practically everything, from fraud and income-tax evasion to organized crime, gangs, kidnapping, murder, terrorism and more. The units worked together to assess a situation and strategize the best approach. After all, as people often said, Al Capone had been brought down not by a hail of gunfire but by the brilliance of an accountant.
    Within the different divisions, there was a small group of agents who’d earned a place in one of Eagan’s special task forces. Craig and Mike fell into that category, so a trip to Eagan’s office was always intriguing. They never had any idea what the assignment might be, except that it was usually in conjunction with another law enforcement agency.
    The director’s assistant indicated that they should go on in. “He’s waiting for you,” she told them.
    Craig opened the door for Mike. “After you, my friend. I’ve got to watch out for the elderly and the injured.”
    â€œDon’t you mean you should step aside for maturity and experience?” Mike said. “But never mind. You go first.”
    â€œAh, but I don’t want the door catching you in the ass—the back, I mean—if you go in last,” Craig said.
    â€œLow blow!” Mike protested.
    Craig inclined his head. “Okay, we’ll call it maturity and experience.” He held the door and followed Mike in.
    Richard Eagan was looking out his window when they entered. “Take a seat,” he said, turning toward them. “File folders are in front of you.”
    Eagan was a ramrod of a man. Fifty-plus, he was as fit as a teenager—something he worked at with the same discipline he observed in the office. He was a decent man, but he hadn’t kept one of his six wives for more than a year; none of them had truly grasped his overpowering dedication to his work.
    Craig knew that because the last two had cried on his shoulder. Marleen, wife number six, had warned him, “Don’t let this happen to you, Craig. When you find the right woman, find a balance between work and life. I was all for Richard saving the world. What I didn’t realize was that he never meant to save himself.”
    He knew that Marleen had been genuinely worried about him. Too many casual relationships had lasted only until he was working around the clock again. Truth was, he had his own reasons for not pursuing a serious relationship. He’d actually begun to explain, but then he’d stopped.
    They just don’t make them like the one I lost anymore.
    He sat quickly and Mike did the same, and they picked up their folders, scanning the material.
    â€œJewelry store robberies?” Mike said. “I’ve been following this on the news, but—”
    â€œThere’s been a change,” Eagan said. “Two thefts in the past two days. And now, two dead.”
    Craig glanced at him in surprise. The NYPD had been dealing with the rash of jewelry store robberies. Every one of the five thefts that had taken place during the previous weeks had been within the five boroughs of NYC and fallen under the jurisdiction of the city police. Even with the two deaths, it still seemed to be a situation the NYPD should be handling.
    â€œThey’re killing people now?”