Sadly, wondering what the meeting between Ellington and McGrath was about was the most interesting thing that had happened in the last week or so. It was what occupied her mind as she sat back down in front of her computer, once again feeling like nothing more than another cog in the wheel.
***She heard footsteps fifteen minutes later. This was nothing new; she worked with her office door open and saw people walking back and forth up and down the hallway all day. But this was different. This sounded like several pairs of footsteps all walking in unison. There was also a sense of quiet a hushed tension like the atmosphere just before a violent summer thunderstorm.
Curious, Mackenzie looked up from her laptop. As the footsteps got louder, she saw Ellington. He quickly glanced through the doorway, his face tight with an emotion she couldnt quite place. He was carrying a box in his hands while two security guards followed closely behind him.
What the hell?
Mackenzie jumped up from her desk and ran into the hall. Just as she was coming around the corner, Ellington and the two guards were getting on the elevator. The doors slid closed and once again, Mackenzie just barely caught sight of that tense expression on his face.
Hes been fired, she thought. The idea was absolutely ridiculous as far as she was concerned, but thats what it seemed like.
She ran to the stairwell, pushing the door open quickly and heading down. She took the steps two at a time, hoping to make it out before Ellington and the guards did. She rushed down the three flights of stairs, coming out along the side of the building directly next to the parking garage.
She came out of the door at the same time Ellington and the guards exited the building. Mackenzie rushed across the lawn to cut them off. The guards looked on edge when they saw her coming, one of them stopping for a moment and facing her as if she might actually be a threat.
What is it? she asked over the guard, looking at Ellington.
He shook his head. Not right now, he said. Justlet it go for now.
Whats going on? she asked. The guardsthe boxhave you been fired? What the hell happened?
He shook his head again. There was nothing mean or dismissive about it. She figured it was the best he could do in the situation. Maybe something had occurred that he couldnt talk about. And Ellington, loyal to a fault, would not speak if he had been asked to stay quiet.
She hated to do it, but she didnt press him any farther. If she wanted direct answers, there was only one place to get them. With that in mind, she ran back into the building. This time she took the elevator, taking it back to the third floor and wasting no time marching down the hall toward McGraths office.
She didnt bother checking in with his secretary as she headed for his door. She heard the woman call her name, trying to stop her, but Mackenzie went in. She did not knock, just walked right into the office.
McGrath was at his desk, clearly not at all surprised that she was there. He turned toward her and the calmness on his face infuriated her.
Just remain calm, Agent White, he said.
What happened? she asked. Why did I just see Ellington escorted from the building with a box of his personal belongings?
Because hes been released from duty.
The simplicity of the statement did not make it any easier to hear. Part of her was still wondering if there had been some huge mistake. Or if this was all some huge elaborate joke.
For what?
She then saw something she had never seen before: McGrath looking away, clearly uncomfortable. Its a private matter, he said. I understand the relationship between the two of you, but this is information I can legally not divulge due to the nature of the situation.
In all of her time working under McGrath, she had never heard so much legalistic bullshit come out of his mouth at one time. She managed to quash her anger. After all, this was not about her. There was apparently something going on with Ellington that she knew nothing about.
Is everything okay? she asked. Can you tell me that much?
Thats not for me to answer, Im afraid, McGrath said. Now, if youll excuse me, Im actually pretty busy.
Mackenzie gave a little nod and backed out of the office, closing the door behind her. The secretary behind her own desk gave her a nasty look that Mackenzie ignored completely. She walked back to her office and checked her mail to reconfirm that the remainder of her day was a slow void of nothing.
She then hurried out of the building, doing her best not to look like something was troubling her. The last thing she needed was for half of the building to be aware that Ellington was gone and that she was rushing out behind him. Shed finally managed to overcome the prying eyes and almost legendary rumors of her past within the workplace and shed be damned if shed create another reason for the cycle to start all over.
***She felt confident that Ellington had simply gone back to their apartment. When shed first met him, hed been the kind of man who would maybe go directly to a bar in an attempt to drown his sorrows. But he had changed in the last year or so just as she had. She supposed they owed that to each other. It was a thought she kept in mind as she opened the door to her apartment (their apartment, she reminded herself), hoping to find him inside.
Sure enough, she found him in the small second bedroom they used as an office. He was unpacking the things hed had in his box, tossing them haphazardly onto the desk they shared. He looked up when he saw her but then quickly looked away.
Sorry, he said with his head turned. Youre not exactly catching me on my best day.
She approached him but resisted placing a hand on his shoulder or an arm around his back. She had never seen him so out of sorts. It alarmed her a bit but, more than anything, made her want to see what she could do to help.
What happened? she asked.
Seems pretty obvious, doesnt it? he asked. Ive been suspended indefinitely.
What the hell for? She again thought of McGrath and how uncomfortable he had looked when she had posed this same question to him.
He finally turned to her again and when he did, she could see embarrassment on his face. When he answered her, his voice was trembling.
Sexual harassment.
For a moment, the words didnt make much sense. She waited for him to smile at her and tell her that he was just kidding, but that never happened. Instead, his eyes locked on hers, waiting for her reaction.
What? she asked. When was this?
About three years ago, he said. But the woman just came forward with the allegations three days ago.
And is the allegation a valid one? she asked.
He nodded, taking a seat at the desk. Mackenzie, Im sorry. I was a different guy back then, you know?
She was angry for a moment, but she wasnt sure at who: Ellington or the woman. What sort of harassment? she asked.
I was training this younger agent three years ago, he said. She was doing really well so one night, a few agents took her out to celebrate. We all had a few drinks and she and I were the last ones left. At the time, the thought of hitting on her had never crossed my mind. But I went to the restroom and when I came out, she was right there waiting for me. She kissed me and it got heated. She pulled away maybe realizing it was a mistake. And then I tried to go back in. Id like to think that had I not been drinking, her pulling away would have been the end of it. But I didnt stop. I tried to kiss her again and didnt realize she wasnt returning it until she pushed me away. She pushed me off of her and just stared me down. I told her I was sorry and I meant it but she just stormed out. And that was it. A sad little encounter between bathrooms. No one forced themselves on anyone else and there was no groping or other misconduct. The next day when I got to work, she had asked to be transferred to another agent. Within two months, she was gone, transferred to Seattle, I think.
And why is she bringing this up now? Mackenzie asked.
Because its the popular thing to do these days, Ellington snapped. He then shook his head and sighed. Sorry. That was a shitty thing to say.
Yes, it was. Are you telling me the whole story? Is that all that happened?
Thats it, he said. I swear it.
You were married, right? When it happened?
He nodded. Its not one of my prouder moments.
Mackenzie thought of the first time shed spent any significant time with Ellington. It had been during the Scarecrow Killer case in Nebraska. She had basically thrown herself at him while she had been in the midst of her own personal dramas. She could tell that he had been interested but in the end, he had declined her advances.
She wondered how heavily the encounter with this woman had been weighing on his mind during that night when shed offered herself to him.
How long is the suspension? she asked.
He shrugged. It depends. If she decides not to make too big of a stink about it, it could be as little as a month. But if it goes big, it could be much longer. In the end, it could lead to a total termination.
Mackenzie turned away this time. She couldnt help but feel a little selfish. Sure, she was upset that a man she cared very deeply about was going through something like this, but at the root of it all, she was more concerned with losing her partner. She hated that her priorities were so skewed, but thats the way she felt in that moment. That and an intense jealousy that she loathed. She was not the jealous typeso why was she so jealous of the woman who had reported the so-called harassment? Shed never thought of Ellingtons wife with any hints of jealousy, so why this woman?
Because shes causing everything to change, she thought. That boring little routine I was falling into and growing comfortable with is starting to crumble.
What are you thinking? Ellington asked.
Mackenzie shook her head and looked at her watch. It was only one in the afternoon. Pretty soon, her absence would be noticed at work.
Im thinking I need to get back to work, she said. And with that, she turned away from him again and walked out of the room.
Mackenzie, Ellington called out. Hold on.
Its okay, she called out to him. Ill see you in a little bit.
She left without a goodbye, a kiss, or a hug. Because even though she had said it, things were not okay.
If things were okay, she wouldnt be fighting back tears that seemed to have come out of nowhere. If things were okay, she wouldnt still be trying to push away an anger that kept trying to claw its way up, telling her that she was a fool to think that life would be okay now, that she was finally due a normal life where the haunts of her past didnt influence everything.
By the time she reached her car, she had managed to bring the tears to a stop. Her cell phone rang, Ellingtons name popping up. She ignored it, started the car, and headed back to work.
CHAPTER THREE
Work only provided distance for a few more hours. Even when Mackenzie checked in with Harrison to make sure he didnt need assistance on the small wiring fraud case he was working on, she was out of the building by six. When she arrived back at the apartment at 6:20, she found Ellington behind the stove. He didnt cook often and when he did, it was usually because he had idle hands and nothing better to do.
Hey, he said, looking up from a pot of what looked like some sort of stir-fry.
Hey, she said in return, setting her laptop bag down on the couch and walking into the kitchen. Sorry I left the way I did earlier.
No need to apologize, he said.
Of course there is. It was immature. And if Im being honest, I dont know why it upsets me so much. Im more worried about losing you as a partner than I am about what this might do to your professional record. How messed up is that?
He shrugged. It makes sense.
It should but it doesnt, she said. I cant think about you kissing another woman, especially not in a way like that. Even if you were drunk and even if she did initiate things, I cant see you like that. And it makes me want to kill that woman, you know?
Im sorry as hell, he said. Its one of those things in life I wish I could take back. One of those things I thought was in the past and I was done with.
Mackenzie walked up behind him and hesitantly wrapped her arms around his waist. Are you okay? she asked.
Just mad. And embarrassed.
Part of Mackenzie feared that he was being dishonest with her. There was something in his posture, something about the way he couldnt quite look at her when he talked about it. She wanted to think it was simply because it was not easy to be accused of something like this, to be reminded of something stupid youd done in your past.
Honestly, she wasnt sure what to believe. Ever since shed seen him walking by her office door with the box in his hands, her thoughts toward him were mixed up and confused.
She was about to offer to help with dinner, hoping some normalcy might help them to get back on track. But before the words could come out of her mouth, her cell phone rang. She was surprised and a little worried to see that it was from McGrath.
Sorry, she said to Ellington, showing him the display. I should probably take this.
He probably wants to ask if youve ever felt sexually harassed by me, he said snidely.
He already had the chance earlier today, she said before stepping away from the sizzling noises of the kitchen to answer the phone.
This is White, she said, speaking directly and almost mechanically, as she tended to do when answering a call from McGrath.
White, he said. Are you home yet?
Yes sir.
I need you to come back out. I need to speak with you in private. Ill be in the parking garage. Level Two, Row D.
Sir, is this about Ellington?
Just meet me there, White. Get there as quickly as you can.
He ended the call with that, leaving Mackenzie holding a dead line in her hand. She pocketed it slowly, looking back toward Ellington. He was removing the pan from the stove, heading to the table in the little dining area.
I have to grab some to go, she said.
Damn. Is it about me?
He wouldnt say, Mackenzie said. But I dont think so. This is something different. Hes being really secretive.
She wasnt sure why, but she left out the instructions to meet him in the parking garage. If she was being honest with herself, something about that didnt sit well with her. Still, she grabbed a bowl from the cabinets, spooned some of Ellingtons dinner into it, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Both of them could tell that it felt mechanical and forced.
Keep me posted, Ellington said. And let me know if you need anything.
Of course, she said.
Realizing she hadnt even yet removed her holster and Glock, she headed directly for the door. And it wasnt until she was back out into the hallway and heading for her car that she realized that she was actually quite relieved to have been called away.
***She had to admit that it felt a little cliché to be slowly creeping along Level 2 of the parking garage across from headquarters. Meeting in parking garages was the stuff of bad TV cop dramas. And in those dramas, shady parking garage meetings usually led to drama of some kind or another.