Chapter Twenty-Four
Sam ended the call with Cameron and updated Freddie on what they’d learned.
“Interesting that Grace referenced being unable to trust anyone,” Freddie said. “I wonder if she meant her father.”
“That’s my guess. Let’s see what Mark says about what his kids knew and when they knew it.” She glanced at the clock to find it was inching closer to two, which gave her four hours before she had to be at the White House for the announcement of Nick’s VP nominee.
“What’re people saying about Nick’s choice of Henderson for VP?” she asked hesitantly. Part of her didn’t want to know what people were saying.
“Women are celebrating the huge milestone of the nation’s first female vice president.”
“I’m very proud of Nick for sticking to that plan, even when it became far more difficult than he expected to find someone who wanted the job.”
“The right is appalled by the choice of someone who’s never held elective office, even though she’s worked in politics her entire adult life.
I read a quote from the minority leader about how we’ll have the most inexperienced president and vice president in history, neither of them elected by anyone, leading our country. ”
Sam swallowed hard, regretting that she’d asked. “Leave it to Stenhouse to piss on our parade.”
“Others are celebrating the youthful vitality of the top leadership, indicating that we’re long overdue for the next generation of leaders to take command.”
“You’re remarkably well informed, young Freddie.”
“One of my two best friends is the new president. I’m devouring every word that’s written about him and his wife.”
“Gulp. What’re they saying about his wife?”
“You really want to know?”
“No. Never mind.”
“It’s not bad,” he said, laughing. “Women are also celebrating the first first lady to hold down a job outside the White House. Editorials have been mostly favorable about the example you’re setting for women and working moms.”
“I don’t want to be a role model for working moms. I don’t spend nearly enough time with my children.
That’s something I want to change in the new year.
I’m not sure how I’m going to do it, but I’m determined to spend more time with them.
Scotty is already fourteen. Fourteen! He’s only going to live at home for four more years.
I refuse to be absent for most of that time. ”
“I think it’s great that you want to spend more time with them, and I’ll do anything I can to help make that possible for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. And I’ll return the favor when you have kids.”
“You’ve got a deal.”
“The time just goes by so bloody fast. Nick and I are together two years this week, which means John O’Connor’s murder was already two years ago.”
“And I met Elin two years ago this week.”
“Oh my God, that’s right! That was quite a week, but how is it already two years ago?”
“Look at everything that’s happened in those two years.”
“The head absolutely spins when I do that. How did I go from dating a chief of staff out of a job because his boss was murdered to living at the White House with the president?”
Freddie laughed. “Imagine the books and movies that’ll be made about your story someday.”
“As long as they get someone sexy to play me, like Scarlett Johansson.”
“She’d be perfect. Who’ll play me?”
“You won’t be in it,” Sam said, holding back the laugh that was trying to bust loose.
He gave her an offended look. “I’m one of the stars of your story.”
“If you say so.”
“Maybe I’ll just write a tell-all instead of starring in your movie.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Get me into the movie, then.”
“That’s blackmail!”
Tutting, he said, “Sam, ‘blackmail’ is such a dirty word.”
“That’s my line, and it’s trademarked!”
“You’d better be thinking of your partner and how much he knows when Hollywood comes calling.”
“You used to be such a nice boy. What happened to you?”
“You happened,” he said, as he always did when she posed that question.
She pulled into the parking lot of Mark Ouellette’s insurance agency and turned to Freddie. “If you see anything written about either of us that you think we need to know, tell me, okay?”
“You’ve got a whole team of people to do that for you.”
“But I’ve only got one you, and you know better than anyone what I need to know—and what I don’t.”
“I got you covered. Don’t worry.”
“Thanks.” Sam paused before getting out of the car. “For this.” She gestured between them to indicate the nonstop banter and nonsense that made up their days. “I think you might be the only thing keeping me sane through all this.”
“I’m here for you always,” he said fiercely.
Moved by his loyalty and support, she said, “That makes all the difference. Let’s go talk to Mark.”
When they walked into the office, Mark seemed startled to see them again. “Did something happen?”
“We need more information.” Sam glanced toward his personal office. “May we speak in private?”
He noticed his employees looking at him and them with naked curiosity. “Sure.”
They followed him into his office.
Freddie closed the door and sat next to Sam while Mark went around to sit behind his desk.
“What’s this about?”
“Talk to us about your children, Mr. Ouellette,” Sam said.
The question shocked him. “M-my children? What about them?”
“Did any of them know about the affair with Pam Tappen?”
“I, uh, I think Aidan and Grace knew.”
“You think?” Sam’s backbone buzzed with the feeling she got when they were on to something. “You’re not sure?”
“They, ah, they knew.”
“You told us before that no one knew.”
“I didn’t want to bring them into this.”
As a mother, Sam understood that. As a cop, it pissed her off that he’d wasted her time. “How did they find out?”
“Grace followed me one of the times I met Pam and confronted us.”
Yep, this was a major thread. “Confronted you how?”
“She came up to us in the parking lot of a restaurant and started screaming at us that we were liars and cheaters and that she hoped we got what was coming to us.”
“Is that all she said?”
He hesitated.
“Mr. Ouellette, I’d advise you to tell us the full story right now. If we later find out you once again withheld information, you could be charged.”
Mark broke down into sobs. “She’s my daughter. My little girl. She couldn’t have done this.”
“What else did she say?”
It took five whole minutes for him to pull himself together, which only added to Sam’s growing irritation. “She said she’d end us both if we didn’t stop our revolting relationship.”
Sam had to hide her reaction to that bombshell. “How long ago did that happen?”
He thought for a second. “Six weeks or so.”
“Is that how Aidan found out about the affair? Grace told him?”
“Yes. I begged her not to tell anyone. I told her we were going to end it.”
“And did you?”
Mark’s face flushed with color. “Not entirely, but we saw less of each other after that.”
“What were your interactions with Grace like after that night?” Freddie asked.
“She hasn’t spoken to me since.”
Sam nodded to Freddie to continue that line of questioning.
“Has the rest of your family noticed she’s not speaking to you?”
“It’s not unlike Grace to go silent, so no, they don’t think anything of it. But I’ve noticed.”
“Mr. Ouellette, is it possible that your daughter wanted your mistress out of your life badly enough to kill her?”
His mouth flopped open as his eyes bugged. “Absolutely not. Grace would never do something like that. You’d have to be a monster to do what was done to Pam. My Grace couldn’t do that. There’s no way.”
The waver in his voice on those final three words told Sam he wasn’t entirely sure his Grace would be incapable of such a thing. To Freddie, she said, “Have Malone pull a warrant and get Crime Scene to the house. I want her computer, her phone and a full search of her room.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Freddie said, stepping out of the office to see to her orders while Mark looked on in horror.
“Where can we find her?” Sam asked.
“You’re not seriously looking at her.”
“I’m asking where we can find her.”
“She goes to Burke,” he said with a deep sigh. “She’s a senior.”
“Are your other children there, too?”
He nodded and ran a trembling hand through his hair. “Aidan is also a senior. We held him back a year for football.”
Sam stood and turned for the door.
“So that’s it? You’re going to go there and bother her at school?”
She looked back over her shoulder. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do, and if you tip her off that we’re coming, we’ll be back to arrest you. Any other questions?”
His dark scowl spoke for him.
They walked past Ouellette’s shocked staff and stepped out into frigid air that was a welcome relief from the stuffy office.
“How happy am I that Grace Ouellette is eighteen, and I don’t need her parents’ permission or involvement in any of this?”
“We’re both very happy about that. Grace, on the other hand, is not going to be so happy.”
Sam snorted out a laugh at his witty comeback. “What do we know about the school?”
“It’s a really swank place. Some friends of mine from church went there.” He tapped around on his phone. “Like 44K a year per kid.”
Sam blew out a low whistle. “Is there that much money in insurance?”
“I wouldn’t have thought so, but he’s paying nearly two hundred grand a year to send four kids to school. And he’s still got to put them through college.”
“Where do the Tappen kids go?”
A minute later, he said, “Coolidge.”
“Interesting. Ouellettes are private, and Tappens are public. Ask Cam and Matt to do a deep dive on the Ouellettes and their finances.”
“Texted and Cam said okay.”
“Call Archie and ask where we are with the expanded search of the film from the area where Pam lives and where the minivan was found,” Sam said, buzzing from the adrenaline that came with a possible break in a complex, baffling case.
While Freddie put through the call, Sam drove toward the campus of Edmund Burke School on Connecticut Avenue.
“He says nothing yet, but they’re working two miles out from both locations.”
“Tell him thanks and let us know.”