What We're Writing Week: Russ and Hadley and Joy and Harrison

 JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: You know why I love Science Fiction? Because I'm clearly a space case. I had an unusual Friday, and the change of routine was enough to make me completely forget, duh, Saturday is coming, and with it, my turn at What We're Writing Week! With no further ado, a scene set further along during Russ Van Alstyne and Hadley Knox's visit to the state attorney general's building in Albany.

“Did Flynn leave any work hanging at the end of the operation? Anything he might have been coming back to work on?” After the security routine she and the chief had gone through, Hadley knew Flynn's trips to Albany, if he'd been returning to this building, must have been logged.

“Nothing related to his investigation.” Harrison allowed himself a small smile. “We have a baby ADA who was shadowing the domestic terrorism team. Joy Zhào. I think they were a bit of a thing. He may have stopped by the office to pick her up for a date. Or whatever young people are calling it these days.”

Hadley felt frozen to her seat. A date. Some attorney. Oh, God, what if he'd been shacking up here in Albany the whole time, avoiding his large, nosy clan?

The chief was asking if they could talk to her and Harrison was pressing an phone button and talking, but all Hadley could think of was what an idiot she was going to look like if he had been ducking--

Wait. Flynn might, possibly, ghost his family for a while. She knew from experience how overwhelming that scrimmage of Irishmen could be. But when it came to work, Flynn was conscientious to a fault. Could he have taken personal leave if he'd fallen – more ice in the bottom of her stomach – for another girl? Sure. He was insanely romantic. Could she imagine him blowing off the Syracuse PD and going no-contact with his superiors? No. Never.

“Knox?”

The chief had asked her something. She faked a yawn. “Sorry. The kids kept me up late last night.”

He frowned, but whatever he might have said got swallowed by a knock on the door.

“C'mon in,” Harrison said.

“You wanted to see me?” The girl – and that was the word for her, she was at least ten years younger than Hadley – stepped into the office.

“Joy, come on in. These are some folks from where Kevin Flynn used to work, the, um...”

“Millers Kill Police Department.” The chief rose and shook the girls hand. “Russ van Alstyne. This is officer Hadley Knox.”

Joy Zhào was model-gorgeous, even in her 2-for-1 sale JC Penny suit. Flawless skin, shining dark hair, huge brown eyes with lashes that had to be extensions, except she wasn't wearing any makeup, and who paid for fancy fake lashes and didn't glam up the rest of her face? Plus, you know, college and law school, which would make her a much better match for Flynn, a guy who had kept books stacked everywhere in his apartment.

It's an extra-long excerpt because I feel extra guilty making you wait. One of the reasons I made Joy Chinese-American is because the area I write about is pretty darn whitebread, and I try to add diversity to my cast of characters whenever feasible, so they look more like, you know, real life, and less like a 1950s sitcom. 

I hope you like it!