Paterson, New Jersey, Wednesday & Thursday…

"You could file an age discrimination suit," suggested Lemoine.

"Not with a terrorist accusation hanging over my head. Hale and Rivera vs. US, 2017."

Lemoine looked impressed.

"I'll assume you're right about that. I wasn't much good as a practicing attorney, so I went into politics." He paused a moment, knowing from her frown that she didn't find that amusing. "Anyway, I really don't see how I can help you. I can't buck that Department. Our local police would never get another dime from them."

"Why do they need the Department's money?"

"Because, whether they pay for it or not, we have to provide police presence when they declare a terrorist alert. Or when there's a motorcade. Or whatever. I'd rather have their money than take it from our local coffers which are always stretched to the limit."

"Whatever happened to personal freedom and innocent-to-proven-guilty?"

"We have lost a lot of that since 9/11, haven't we? The war on terrorism is very real."

"Yes, I've seen a lot of it during my life. Still, all of our attention to it and all our trampling on individual liberties doesn't seem to do any good, does it? The terrorists still strike, almost with impunity. And we've fought three wars in the Middle East this century without gaining much ground there, either."

Lemoine drummed on the top of his desk, clearly uncomfortable with her words.