The Killing Ground: A Foxx Files Thriller Read Free Page A

would make that determination herself, and not based on the candid response of a youthful desk jockey.
    “I’ll see if she’s in yet.” He picked up the phone and dialed slowly. Jordan shot Matt a sideways glance and stifled a chuckle. She stole a glance at his badge and smirked. Officer Jackson was showing his ass. He wanted to let the FBI know who was in charge here. After a short, hushed conversation, he hung up the phone and sighed loudly. “You’ll have to wait, Detective Foxx is tied up. She’s really not sure how long she’ll be.” He nodded at two chairs nearby. You’re free to wait…if you want.”
    Jordan caught Matt’s eye again and nodded silently. They read his signal loud and clear. The CDD was not bowing down to the Feds. That was okay with Jordan. She had an immense reserve of patience when the situation called for it and today, the situation demanded it. If Susan Mitchell wanted their help finding Julie’s attacker, no amount of snubbing from Chicago’s finest was going to deter them. They sat down and waited, eyeing the invisible battle line that was slowly being drawn in the sand.
    “Agent Gray.” Jordan’s head came up, and she focused on the woman who had just called her name. She made a show of checking her watch, letting Detective Foxx know right away that the thirty—five minutes they had waited was unacceptable, but she stopped short of letting the irritation show in her features. “ Special Agent.” Jordan’s emphasis on Special was her way of setting the tone for this meeting.
    Matt stood up beside her and smiled easily. “Special Agent Riley. Thank you for agreeing to see us, Detective Foxx.” He offered his hand and Detective Foxx took it begrudgingly. This was their thing. Jordan played the bad cop to Matt’s good cop. So far it had worked, but one look at Detective Foxx’s face let them know immediately that whatever game they played, they would lose.
    “Against my better judgment.” She led them to her small office. From her glass office, she could see every desk in the house and Jordan could tell from the looks of the officers occupying those desks, Detective Foxx was not well liked. Respected, feared maybe, but not liked, and certainly not a woman that appreciated the FBI stepping over any lines. Jordan liked that about her. She understood that and in the few moments it took them to get settled, she studied Rebecca Foxx. The first thing a person would notice was her red hair, fiery would describe it well. Look away too quickly and they would miss the emerald-green eyes that Jordan thought might be beautiful if they ever smiled. She was thin, slightly shorter than Jordan’s five foot eight frame, but underneath her shapeless jacket, she looked lean and defined. The lines around those green eyes spoke volumes. This was a woman who had lived a lot of years in what Jordan guessed was sandwiched into about thirty years. If she was ever outside of the sallow white lights, and she smiled, Jordan decided she would be a beautiful woman.
    As if sensing she was being watched, Detective Foxx looked up from the pad she was scribbling on and met Jordan’s inquisitive eyes. For a brief moment, a look of understanding passed between them. She leaned back in her chair and regarded the Agents thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t have even allowed you to stay, but when you look in the eyes of someone’s whose whole life has just been shattered, you figure that if ever there were a time to let the Feds come sniffing around in our investigation, this may be the time.”
    Jordan shifted imperceptibly and she saw Matt’s leg jump. Detective Foxx’s statement caught them completely off guard. They had assumed that getting the CDD to give them anything would be a fight. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when a hand was held up.
    “This is still our case, but even I know, the FBI has resources at its disposal that we just don’t have. You would have to live in a cave to not know that