Chapter Sixteen
They entered the fragrant flower shop, which even Sam had to admit was flat-out adorable, with colorful displays and a wide assortment of gifts in addition to the main attraction. The woman working behind the counter had her back to them. “Be right with you.”
“Lieutenant Holland and Detective Cruz, Metro PD. We’re sorry for the loss of your friend.”
The woman who turned to face them was tall, blond, pretty in a patrician sort of way with fine features and blue eyes. “I’m devastated, sick to my stomach.”
On a closer look, Sam noticed deep, dark circles under her eyes. “We’re hoping you can help us figure out who might’ve wanted her dead.”
“Other than the president?” The woman did nothing to hide her fury. “Why haven’t you arrested him?”
“Well, it’d be awfully difficult for a man surrounded by world-class security to commit murder.”
“That doesn’t mean he couldn’t hire it done. He probably asked his degenerate son to recommend one of his disgusting friends to get rid of her before she ruined everything for him.”
“Did you know about the affair with Nelson?”
“No.” Carly sighed and her shoulders sagged. “I found out when everyone else did. I knew she enjoyed working with Nelson and thought he was an impressive person. But an affair? I had no clue.”
“And normally you’d be in the know on something like that?”
“Always. That’s how we rolled.”
“We talked to Bryce.”
Carly’s eyes hardened at the mention of his name. “And what did he have to say?”
“That he loved her and hoped we find whoever did this to her.”
She scoffed. “He loved her so much he dumped her and broke her heart.”
“We’re looking for someone who would’ve wanted her dead. Does he fit that bill?”
“I can’t imagine that. I don’t like the guy, but he did love her. Or at least he acted like he did until he dumped her.”
“Can you think of anyone else who might want her dead?”
“Not really. For a while after they broke up, she went a little crazy on that DateMe app that everyone’s so in love with, but that stopped when she joined the campaign.
And then, after she left the Nelson administration, she was pregnant but wouldn’t tell us who the baby’s father was, so we assumed he was probably married.
But we never could’ve imagined that the president was the father. ”
“That hasn’t been confirmed.”
“But it’s assumed by everyone after the news of her affair broke.”
“Who would’ve known about her affair with the president?”
“If she didn’t tell Suzanne and me, she didn’t tell anyone. We weren’t able to reach her after the story broke, which was worrisome.”
So, had the leak come from Nelson’s camp, then? The thought of having to pursue that angle gave her heartburn. “What about the ex-business partner? Paige Thompson?”
“They weren’t in touch as far as I know. They went their separate ways after Paige left the business.”
“Do you know why Paige left?”
“I never did hear the details about why Paige left when she did. Tara was bummed because the business was taking off around that time, and it was a lot for her to handle on her own. She promoted Delany from part-time to full-time, and that worked out well as far as I could tell.”
“Can you think of anyone else who would’ve had insight into the affair with Nelson or any of the other men she dated recently?”
“Check the app if you want to know who she was spending time with.”
“We’re still trying to locate her phone.”
Carly gasped. “Hang on. I was tracking her. I insisted on it because she was dating so much.” She went into the back room and returned with her phone, tapping the screen and then frowning. “It’s not on, so I can’t get a location.”
It would’ve been too easy for the phone’s location to show up. They never got that lucky.
“I’ll keep checking to see if it shows up,” Carly said.
Sam handed her a business card. “Call me if it does or if you think of anything else we should know.”
“I will. Ever since she broke up with Bryce, she’d been kind of lost. Her career was booming, but her personal life was messy. I had no idea how messy until the news about Nelson came out.”
“What did you think when you heard that?”
“Like everyone else, I was stunned. Tara dated a lot of men, but she had rules about married guys. It would’ve been wildly out of character for her to have an affair with a married man.”
“That’s very helpful to know. Thank you for your time and the insight.”
“I hope you can find the person who did this. It’s so sad that she finally had the child she’d craved and was taken from us right when she had finally gotten the one thing she wanted the most. I’m heartbroken over it.”
“We’re so sorry for your loss. Please call me if you get a bead on her phone.”
“I will.”
When they left the flower shop, Sam took a deep cleansing breath of the cold air outside. Approaching the car, Sam noticed a well-dressed man on a cell phone, pacing the sidewalk near where she’d parked.
“Some asshole blocked me in. I’ve called the police, but they’re taking their own sweet time, as usual.”
Sam flashed her badge along with a smile. “I’m your asshole. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Uh, I have to go.” The guy ended the call. “You can’t block people in. I’m late for a very important meeting because of you.”
“I’d apologize, but I’m not sorry. Murder trumps whatever you’ve got going on.”
His brows narrowed into an expression he probably practiced in front of the mirror for when he wanted to be fierce and intimidating. It had zero effect on her. “I know who you are.”
“Did you hear that, Detective Cruz? He knows who I am!”
“That never happens.” The dry, acerbic tone made him the best wingman ever.
“You think you’re so special, the second lady running around with a gun and a badge, but you’re not special, and you have no right to break the law.”
“Feel free to report me to my superiors. They love getting complaints about me.” Having better things to do, she headed for the driver’s side of her car and got in. When Freddie was in the passenger seat, she reached for her phone. “This would be a good time to take a call, don’t you think?”
He snorted with laughter. “He’s gonna blow a gasket.”
“I can’t talk and drive. That’s not safe.”
Freddie shook his head as he chuckled. “You’re in rare form today, Lieutenant.”
With an eye toward the guy on the sidewalk, Sam pretended to talk on the phone, and sure enough, the man’s anger level spiked into the nuclear zone. Maybe if he hadn’t been such a dick, she might’ve cut him a break. “I think I might have anger issues.”
“Really? That’s just now occurring to you?”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I. Of course you have anger issues. So do I. With the crap we see on a daily basis, who could blame us?”
Sam “talked” on the phone for a full five minutes before starting the car and pulling away from the curb, waving to her new friend on the curb, who looked like he might be having an actual stroke. “He needs to take a chill pill.”
“You enjoyed that a little too much.”
“I have to find joy where I can.”
“What’s our next move?”
“I want to talk to Archie about getting us into her account on DateMe.”
“That’s not going to be easy.”
“He’ll know how to do it.”
“I hate to mention the elephant in the room, but the one person who has the most significant motive isn’t on our list.”
“No, he isn’t.”
“Why not?”
“What reason would the president have to kill her when the story was already out? The damage was done. What does killing her do for him but add to the shit storm?”
“True. Would he have insight into her life that would be helpful to us?”
“I doubt it, but you know who might?”
“Who?”
“His Secret Service detail.”
“Would they tell us?”
“It’s a Homicide investigation. They’re obligated to tell us if they know anything material to the investigation.” The first opportunity she got, Sam hooked a left and headed toward Pennsylvania Avenue.
“Um, where’re we going?”
“To the White House.”
“Alrighty then.”
There would never come a time when it would be “routine” for Sam to swing by the White House, where her husband worked and where she had her own parking space.
Freddie glanced over his shoulder at the security checkpoint. “That was pretty fresh.”
“What was?”
“The way they waved you through to your own parking space.”
“I know people here.”
He laughed. “Yes, you do.”
“They’ll still need you to bend over and spread `em before they’ll let you in.”
“Ew. Thanks for that visual.”
Inside, the Secret Service examined Freddie’s badge and waved him through with a minimum of fuss, probably because he was with her.
“Damn it. I was looking forward to you getting probed.”
“Sorry you’re disappointed.”
“I’ll get over it.” Sam made her way to Nick’s office, where she intended to ask John Brantley Jr., the head of Nick’s detail, to get her the people she needed to see from the president’s detail. And if she got five minutes with her husband during the workday? Bonus.
An entire team of receptionists were positioned outside of Nick’s office. Thankfully, these receptionists had been trained to suck up to her.
“Mrs. Cappuano,” one of them said. “This is a nice surprise. Does he know you’re coming?”
“No, he doesn’t, but if he’s free, I’d love to see him.”
“Let me check.” She rang Nick’s extension, told him his wife was there to see him and nodded, returning the extension to the unit on the desk. “He said—”
The door to his office swung open, and there he was, tall, handsome, beautiful in a gray suit with a light blue dress shirt and navy tie.
“Samantha.”
“Nicholas.”
He smiled. “Come in.”
To Freddie, she said, “Be right back.”
“No nooners allowed at the White House,” he muttered.
“Bite me.” Aware of several sets of eyes on them, she breezed past Nick into the office.
He shut the door and leaned back against it. “To what do I owe the honor of a midday visit from my gorgeous wife?”