Chapter Ten #2
Sam lowered her voice so only Amy would hear her. “In the meantime, you might want to help Bob decide what funeral home he’d like to use so he’s ready when the ME releases her.”
“I will.”
As they rode the elevator to the lobby, Sam looked at the list of names Amy had given her. “Let’s start with the friends. If anyone knew what was going on with her, it would be them.”
“Even more than the family?” Freddie asked.
“Some women confide things in their friends that they wouldn’t tell anyone else, even their husbands.”
“You don’t do that.”
“I’m not like most women.”
Freddie snorted out a laugh. “No, you aren’t.”
“I mean I talk to my sisters, and I have friends, but I don’t tell them things that Nick doesn’t know. Does Elin?”
“She has a lot of close friends, but I don’t think she has secrets from me.”
“I suppose it’s not possible to ever fully know everything about someone. Even in the closest of relationships, people still hold parts of themselves back.”
“I don’t,” Freddie said. “There’s nothing about me that Elin doesn’t know.”
“Nothing at all?”
“Nope. I tell her everything. Except for things at work that I’m not allowed to tell anyone. What about you? Do you tell Nick everything?”
“Just about everything. I can’t think of anything he doesn’t know off the top of my head,” Sam said. “The first two friends on the list are in Brentwood, so let’s start there.”
“I’m going to need food soon.”
“It’s only ten.”
“The perfect time for first lunch.”
“After we talk to the friends.”
“Ugh, you’re killing me.”
“Nah, your diet is going to kill you long before I do.”
While they worked their way through downtown traffic on the way to Brentwood, Sam took a call from Nick on the BlackBerry.
“Hey,” she said, “what’s up?”
“We’re looking at Friday for the trip to Des Moines, but I wanted to make sure you can do it before I commit to the date.”
“That’s kind of soon after it happened, isn’t it?”
“The thought is to get there before Christmas, and that’s the only day I can do it. We’ve been assured by local authorities that they’ve consulted with the families, and we’re welcome to come.”
“Ah, okay. I’ll need to clear it with Malone, since we’re in the middle of a case. Can I let you know?”
“Sure, but as soon as you can. As you can imagine, the logistics are daunting.”
“I’ll call him right now.”
“Thanks, babe.”
“What’s the latest from Des Moines?”
“Nothing new since last night. Just a bunch of families waking up to a whole new reality this morning. And some pretty significant pushback on my statement from yesterday about sensible gun control, but that’s to be expected. It’s a hot-button issue.”
“Stay strong. What you said makes sense. You’re not looking to take guns away from responsible owners. You’re looking to get them out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them for whatever reason.”
“Exactly.”
“You might be in the best possible position to get something done on this issue, with no political fucks to give.”
“That’s what Terry said, too. I’ve got a meeting with Gretchen Henderson in ten minutes.”
“Why are you seeing her again?”
“The party wants me to pick her for VP.”
“I thought you’d decided on Senator Sanford, the Chanel No. 5 lady,” Sam said.
Senator Jessica Sanford wore the same perfume his deadbeat mother had worn all her life, which had given Nick an intense aversion to it.
“They want Sanford to take Ruskin’s place at State.”
“Isn’t it up to you?”
“Sanford wants the job at State. She told colleagues that was her dream.”
“Ugh. I thought we didn’t like Henderson.”
“I didn’t dislike her. I just liked Sanford more.”
“I had a weird feeling about Henderson.”
“I know,” he said with a sigh, “and that’s nagging at me. I’ve learned to trust that gut of yours, but you saw her for ten seconds.”
“That’s all it took.”
“We’ve been through every other possible female candidate and eliminated them all for one reason or another. It’s down to her, or I have to move on, and moving on would be to a man. I want a woman in this role. I want to be the first to have a female vice president.”
“And I so admire you for that commitment. I’ll shut my mouth and wish you luck with your new vice president.”
“I never want you to shut your mouth for long, babe.”
“Hahaha, don’t be fresh with young Freddie listening.”
Nick’s laughter made her skin tingle with love and desire and so many emotions that only he could stir in her.
“Have you heard from Roni?” Sam had asked her newly widowed friend to be her communications director and spokesperson at the White House, and while Roni had accepted the position, she’d since decided to take some time away to cope with her painful loss before she started in January.
“Not yet, and I’m starting to get a little worried. I’m going to have Darren get on it.” Roni worked with Darren Tabor, the one reporter Sam could tolerate, at the Washington Star.
“He’ll expect an exclusive in exchange.”
“He can wish, and he can hope.”
“Aw, he adores you. You need to cut him a break.”
“The minute I do that, he’ll become insubordinate like young Freddie has, and he’ll be ruined.”
“I can hear you,” Freddie said.
“How’s the case?” Nick asked.
“Frustrating. A well-liked mother of three is murdered in gruesome fashion, and no one around her can think of a single person who had a beef with her, let alone would do something like what was done to her.”
“I’m sure you guys will figure it out.”
“I hope so. Gotta run. We’re interviewing one of her friends in a few.”
“Good luck with it. See you when you get home.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too, babe.”
“How do you think he’s holding up?” Freddie asked after Sam ended the call.
“Pretty well, all things considered. We’re looking forward to escaping to Camp David after Christmas. I think he’s feeling a little cooped up after a few weeks of not leaving there. At least when he was VP, he got to come home at night.”
“Other presidents have referred to it as the gilded cage.”
“That’s an apt description. It’s beautiful, and the staff is amazing, but being walled off from real life and surrounded by security makes for a confining existence even in the loveliest of buildings.”
“I’d go mad,” Freddie said bluntly.
“I would, too. I’m so thankful I can be out and about every day the way I always have been, even with Vernon and Jimmy trailing me. They’re good about not being overly intrusive.”
“That’s working out better than I expected.”
“Because they respect what I’m trying to do. I’m sure there’re agents who wouldn’t be so accommodating, or who’d be put out by the idea of the first lady pounding the pavement.”
“Agents with that attitude wouldn’t last on your detail. I’m sure Vernon and Jimmy were chosen because the higher-ups thought they’d be a good fit for you.”
“Vernon’s sarcasm is definitely a good fit for me.”
“I never had a sarcastic bone in my body until I started spending all my time with you.”
“And look at you now. I’m so proud of how you’re coming along.”
He looked over at her. “Are you? Really?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course I am. You’re my masterpiece.”
“Means a lot to me that you’re proud of me.”
“Stop being schmoopy.”
“I’m not being schmoopy.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not. It does mean a lot to me that you’re proud of me. That matters to me.”
Sam parked a block away from the address they’d been given for Stella Gregorio and looked over at her young, handsome, earnest partner. “I’m very proud of the man and the detective you’ve grown up to be. I hope you know that.”
“Thank you. And I’m proud of you and Nick and the way you’ve taken on these new roles with such class and dignity. It’s amazing to me that my best friends are the president and first lady.”
“We’re honored to be your best friends and consider you one of ours, too. Now this officially ends the lovefest. Back to normal. Let’s go see what Stella has to say about Pam.”
“Yes, ma’am.”