Chapter Fourteen #2
“You keep saying you’re going to replace it with your Bon Jovi soundtrack.”
“That’s so happening. I’m going to sneak in there and do it.”
“Let me know how that goes.”
Sam heard a click on the line. “Robach.”
“It’s Holland. I was wondering if I could request an assist from you guys on the Gibson investigation.”
“What do you need?”
“I want to know how deep he was into the local gambling scene. I’m picking up some vibes that are leading me in that direction.”
“We’ll look into it for you.”
“Thanks.”
The line went dead.
Sam held the phone away from her ear and looked at it. “Was it something I said?”
“What do you mean?”
“He was kind of…abrupt.”
“Might be busy.”
“I’m sure that’s all it is, because it couldn’t possibly be the other vibe I’m picking up lately that some of my MPD colleagues have had enough of me and the circus that surrounds me since I got married.”
“I haven’t heard a peep about that.”
“You wouldn’t. They’d never say it in front of you because they know we’re tight.”
“We’re tight? Really?”
“Shut up, Freddie, and focus!”
He laughed. “I am focusing, and I would’ve heard if people were beefing. Someone would’ve told me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because they’ve told me other stuff when they felt we needed to know.
Little things here and there. I always pass it on to you.
I swear, I’ve heard nothing of the sort about people being fed up with you.
Other than myself, of course, which makes perfect sense since I’m the one stuck with you most of the time. ”
“You used to be such a nice boy,” Sam said with a sigh. “What happened?”
“You happened. You ruined me.”
A smile lit up her face as she dabbed dramatically at her eyes. “That might be the nicest compliment you’ve ever given me.”
“You’re a mess,” he said with a chuckle.
“I would be if it wasn’t for you and this,” she said, swinging a hand between them to indicate their usual banter. “Thanks for keeping it real today.”
“That’s why I’m here.”
Sam watched the city go by outside the passenger-side window, thinking of Peter and her checkered history with him.
It would be easy to focus exclusively on the bad stuff he’d done—and he’d done plenty of bad stuff.
Her mind wandered to some of the good times they’d had, and there’d been a few of those mixed in with a lot of bad.
In many ways, she blamed herself as much as she blamed him for the disaster their marriage had been.
With her heart yearning for another man, she never should’ve allowed her friendship with Peter to turn romantic, and she certainly never should’ve married him.
That was on her, and he’d always known that she didn’t love him the way a wife should love her husband.
Perhaps that’s why he’d become such a psychotic in his efforts to have her all to himself.
Her phone rang, and she happily took the call from her husband. “Hi there.”
“Hey, babe, good news. Brant told me they’ve arrested LeRoy Nevins. They think he’s good for the threat.”
“They think, but they don’t know for sure?”
“They’re still making the case, but they found quite a lot of stuff in his office and on his computer that indicated his extreme displeasure with the current vice president.”
“But they can’t pin that letter on him?”
“Not yet, but the FBI is liking him for it.”
“Hmm.”
“What does that mean? Hmm?”
“I was hoping for a slam dunk so we could be sure it was him and get on with our lives.”
“You know better than anyone that there’re rarely any slam dunks in situations like these.”
“What’s being done with the prisoners in the bunker?”
“The Secret Service is going to brief everyone, tell them what we know—and what we don’t know—and give them the choice as to whether they want to remain under protection or go back to their lives.”
Sam couldn’t argue with that plan. “And Scotty?”
“We’re going to bring him out, but no more camp until we know more.”
“Ah, damn, he’ll be heartbroken!”
“I know, and I feel terrible, but the Secret Service isn’t bending. They feel he’s too vulnerable out in the open on those fields.”
Sam could hear the agony in Nick’s voice because his job was going to cause that level of heartache for their son. “I’m so sorry, babe. I can only imagine how you must feel.”
“I feel like shit.”
“He’ll understand that his safety is at risk.”
“Will he? Will he really?”
“We’ll talk to him together when I get home. We’ll help him see what’s at stake. Maybe we can set up something cool where he’ll get to go into the dugout to meet the Feds or something.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll ask around about how to make that happen.”
“You’re the vice president, Nick. They’ll bend over backward to make that happen.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I hope it’s enough for him.”
Sam wanted to crawl through the phone and wrap her arms around him. “It’ll be okay. We’ll make it okay for him. I promise. He loves you so much. He’d never hold something like this against you.”
“Not this time, maybe, but what if it keeps happening? How many disappointments will he have to bear because of me and my job?”
“Let’s take them one at a time and figure this one out. Okay?”
“Yeah, okay. What’re you up to?”
“Working the case, following the leads. I’m hearing Peter was into gambling. We’re trying to find out how deep he was in. It’s a thread to pull if nothing else.”
“You’re being extra careful, right?”
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
“You may as well tell me not to breathe, my love.”
Sam’s heart still skipped a beat when he called her that. “I’ll see you at home, okay?”
“I’ll be there. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” Sam ended the call, closed her eyes and put her head back against the seat, trying to figure out what they could say to Scotty to make him understand why he couldn’t go back to camp.
“Tough one,” Freddie said.
“Yeah.”
“He’s a good kid. He’ll understand.”
“Nick’s worried about how he’ll feel if this stuff keeps happening. The disappointments pile up.”
“Knowing Scotty, he’d still choose to live with you guys every day, no matter what disappointments might come with life in the spotlight.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so. He loves you guys—much more than he loves baseball camp.”
“Thanks. That helps.” Sam agreed that Scotty loved them more than he loved camp, but he’d still be terribly disappointed, and that broke her heart. She never wanted him to be unhappy or disappointed about anything. Ever.