Chapter Seven
“Iwant to see Aaron,” Sam said to Freddie and Gonzo when she arrived in the pit. Aaron Peterson was one of Congressman Bryant’s security guards who’d been charged in the murder of Zachery Calder, another of Bryant’s guys. They’d made it look like Zachery was Bryant’s son Randy. The scheme—and their stupidity—boggled the mind. “Is he still downstairs?”
“Let me check.” Gonzo went to his computer. “He couldn’t make bail, so he’s due to be moved to Laurel later today to await trial.”
“Bring him up.”
“I’ll go,” Freddie said.
“What’re you thinking?” Gonzo asked Sam.
“That someone charged in a murder plot might be willing to deal on what he knows about the congressman, the U.S. Attorney and possibly the AG.”
“True. Should we include Faith as the USA assigned to Aaron’s case?”
“Yes, let’s get her over here.”
“On it. What else can I do today?”
“Get the three detectives they assigned to us up to speed and give them assignments?”
“Will do. We’ve got tons of data from the phones and computers to review. I’ll put them on that.”
When Faith arrived twenty minutes later, they briefed her on their plan to speak to Aaron.
“He may want something in return for info,” Sam said. “How do you feel about dealing with him?”
“If the information he gives us leads to an arrest in Tom’s case, I’d be inclined to give him something in exchange. But only if the info is good.”
“Let’s see what he has to say.”
“He’s in interview one,” Freddie said.
“You want to come in with me?” Sam asked Faith.
“I think I should observe for now. I’m walking a fine line between personal and professional with this case.”
“I get it.” Tom had been a friend as well as her boss, and his case presented a variety of complicated concerns for her and others on their team. Sam left her at the door to observation and went with Freddie into the room where Aaron awaited them.
He had the muscular build of an ex-linebacker, or some other football position that required a lot of bulk. His blond hair was cut short, and he registered no reaction when they entered the room.
“I’m Lieutenant Holland. I believe you’ve met my partner, Detective Cruz.”
“I have.” He looked from her to Freddie and then back to her. “I thought I was getting transferred today.”
“You are, but we wanted to talk to you first.”
“What about?”
“Tom Forrester.”
“I already told Cruz and the other cop, Gonzales, that I didn’t know him. I babysat the family at the hotel, but I didn’t have anything to do with him.”
“Did you ever hear Congressman Bryant talk about him?”
“I heard Bryant railing about the campaign finance investigation a few times. Why do you care about him anyway? He got his family back, right?”
“Yes, but he was murdered.”
That seemed to surprise Aaron, who sat up straighter. “What? When?”
“Early yesterday morning.”
“I was in here then.”
“I’m aware.”
His gaze darted between her and Freddie. “Are you looking at Bryant for that?”
“Among others.”
“Bryant doesn’t have the balls to kill anyone, especially someone like Forrester. Besides, wasn’t he locked up, too?”
“Would he order it done?”
“Possibly, but that wouldn’t stop the investigation. Cox would just assign someone else to it.”
Sam’s antenna perked at the casual mention of Cox. “Do you know the AG?”
“I met him a couple of times. The congressman was friendly with him.”
Isn’t that interesting?“Friendly in what way?”
“The AG came to his weekly poker game, and they caught a few Feds games over the summer. That kind of thing.”
A tingle attacked Sam’s backbone, which happened any time she started to feel like she was on to something major in an investigation. “Did Tom Forrester ever come to the poker nights or baseball games?”
“A few times, here and there. Not as often as Cox, though. He and Bryant are tight.”
Sam was outraged that Cox hadn’t mentioned any of this to her and anxious over what she might have to do about it. How was it possible that her husband’s AG might figure prominently in a murder investigation? What a freaking nightmare that could turn out to be.
“If Cox was so tight with Bryant, why do you suppose he asked Forrester to investigate Bryant’s campaign finance irregularities?”
“I have no idea.”
“How long had Bryant and Cox been tight?”
“As long as I worked for Bryant, so for more than five years.”
“Had they become closer recently?”
Aaron thought about that for a second. “Yeah, I guess they had. Cox was definitely around more. I remember thinking that for someone with such a big job, he sure had a lot of free time to chill with Bryant.”
Sam was detecting something rotten. “Is there anything else you can tell us about Bryant, Cox and Forrester?”
“Just that there was a big argument among the three of them right before shit got real with Forrester’s family and all that.”
“Did you overhear the argument?”
“Not the specifics. Just the raised voices. Forrester and Cox left together and were visibly pissed.”
“Did you see them together again after that?”
“No. The next day, Bryant told us to pick up Forrester’s family and make them comfortable in a hotel. We were told to make it look like the order had come from Forrester because he was concerned for their safety.”
Son of a bitch,Sam thought. Cox is in this up to his eyeballs and totally obstructed their investigation. “This has been enormously helpful, Aaron.”
“I can’t help but wonder what might be in it for me.”
“I’ll confer with the AUSA, who’s observing, and see what we can do.”
“I’d appreciate that. I’m resigned to doing some time for Zach’s murder, but less is more.”
“I get it. Detective Cruz, please take Mr. Peterson downstairs.”
Freddie cuffed Aaron and escorted him out of the room.
Faith came out of observation.
“So,” Sam said. “What do I do about my husband’s AG being knee-deep in this?”
“That was going to be my first question.”
“This is way above my pay grade. I’m taking it to the chief.”
“Good call. Let me know what he has to say.”
“How’re you holding up, Faith?”
“I’m just… I’m in shock. You know what it’s like to lose a close colleague suddenly.”
“It’s a gut punch.” Sam recalled how the shocking loss of Detective Arnold had rocked her squad to its core, especially his partner, Gonzo.
“Yes, that’s it exactly.”
“What are you thinking for Peterson?”
“I’ll put in a word for him at sentencing, but that’s all I can really do since he’s facing first-degree murder charges.”
“Any word on who they’re bringing in?” Sam didn’t want to use the word replace in reference to Tom, and she hoped it wasn’t too soon to ask such a thing.
“Haven’t heard. I’ll let you know when I do.”
Sam gave her friend a spontaneous hug. “I’m here for you guys as a friend if there’s anything I can do.”
Faith returned the embrace. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re speaking at the funeral. Tom would love that.”
“You think so? I always suspected he thought of me as a headache more than anything.”
“That was only when you pushed one of your fellow officers down the stairs and Tom had to deal with it.”
“Ramsey totally deserved it.” The disgusting SVU detective had said Sam had gotten what she deserved after Stahl wrapped her in razor wire and threatened to set her on fire. She had zero regrets about pushing him down the stairs, even if she’d come perilously close to losing her career over it.
Faith pulled back, smiling. “Yes, he did, and Tom thought the world of you. We all do. We think it’s amazing you’re still pounding the pavement when you could be doing anything you wanted.”
“I’m doing what I want right here and trying to keep the other gig going at the same time.” She wrinkled her nose. “I have to host a tea for the Canadian prime minister’s wife tomorrow.”
Faith made a visible effort not to laugh.
“If you laugh, I’ll throat-punch you, grief or no grief.”
Despite Sam’s empty threat, Faith’s lips quivered from her effort to hold back. “Do you drink tea?”
“No! I have no clue what even goes on at a tea.”
“You’re about to find out.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Will there be pictures from the tea? Asking for a friend.”
“Have your fun. I’m off to talk to the chief about murder. That, I know. Tea? Not so much.” Sam left Faith laughing, which was a relief. These cases were tough enough when they didn’t involve devastated colleagues who were trying to do their jobs amid terrible grief.
Outside the chief’s office, Sam stopped to speak to his admin, Helen. “May I have a minute with him?”
“He’s got a meeting in ten, but he’s free right now.”
“Thanks, Helen.”
“You’re welcome.”
Sam knocked on the door to Chief Farnsworth’s office and went in to find him stretching behind his desk.
“One meeting after another today.”
“Not sure how you stand that.”
He huffed out a laugh. “I can’t stand it. I miss doing what you do.”
“And you wonder why I never want to be promoted?”
“I don’t wonder why. What can I do for you, Lieutenant?”
“I’m in a bit of a pickle.”
“What now?”
“You say that like I’m always in a pickle.”
His amused expression said it all. “What’s the pickle this time?”
Sam took a seat in one of the chairs by his desk. “I’m picking up the scent of the Attorney General being part of the Forrester case.”
“As in the Attorney General of the United States?”
“The one and only.”
“Damn. When you do a pickle, you do it up big.”
Sam smiled at her beloved, honorary uncle. “You know my motto. Go big or go home. I’m honestly not sure how to proceed with this. There’s an obvious conflict of interest with me being involved with the investigation of my husband’s AG.”
“The pickle of all pickles.”
“Indeed.”
Farnsworth picked up his desk extension. “Would you please ask Jake to come in? Thank you, Helen.”
“What’s your thought?” Sam asked.
“To let Jake take the lead on paper while you continue to work the case.”
“I like how you think.”
“I figured you would.”
Malone came in, seeming annoyed.
“What’s wrong?” Farnsworth asked his friend.
“If people would just do their freaking jobs, nothing would be wrong.”
“Who’s pissing you off?”
“Most of them,” Malone said.
“Yikes,” Sam said.
“Not you or your team. You guys could teach the masterclass on how not to piss off the captain on a daily basis.”
“Thank you. I think.”
“By the way, I wanted to tell you that the Javier Lopez hearing has been pushed back a couple of weeks, so that’s one less thing this week.” He was charged in the fifteen-year-old murder of teenager Calvin Worthington. That’d been one of the cases Stahl had barely bothered to investigate, which Sam had solved in one afternoon.
“I’ll take one less thing. Has his mother been notified of the delay?” Sam hated that for Lenore, who’d already waited far too long for justice in her son’s case.
“Yes, I called her myself.”
“Thank you.”
“Anyway, what’s going on?” Malone asked. “Helen said you wanted to see me?”
Farnsworth gestured for Sam to brief the captain on the situation with Cox.
Malone stared at her. “Holy…”
“Our thoughts exactly,” Farnsworth said. “I’d like to make you the lead—on paper, anyway—and let Sam’s team continue to pursue the investigation wherever it may lead.”
“Do you think he was involved with Forrester’s murder?” Malone asked.
“I don’t know yet. Bryant’s guy Aaron Peterson told us Cox was far more involved with Bryant on a personal level than he indicated to me when I talked to him. He held back on that, which is a huge red flag. He was also quoted in the paper this morning as being a longtime friend of Forrester’s, which he also never mention. Another red flag.”
“For sure,” Malone said.
“I have a thought… Tomorrow night is the state dinner at the White House. The cabinet usually attends. If I get a minute, I’ll approach Cox in the social setting and let on that I know all about how he was buddies with Forrester and how they argued the last time they were together, after which Forrester’s family was kidnapped. I’ll see how he reacts to that.”
“I don’t know, Sam.” The chief rubbed his chin as he considered that. “What if he gets angry?”
“What’s he going to do to the first lady in the middle of a state dinner?”
“That’s true, Joe. I think it’s a good idea. Bring it up in a social situation to get a read on him.”
“Proceed with caution, Lieutenant,” Farnsworth said. “We’re already under tremendous pressure to turn this case over to the FBI.”
“Which would be a huge mistake if Cox is somehow involved,” Sam said, since the FBI fell under the Attorney General’s jurisdiction.
Farnsworth massaged his temples. “I can’t wait until this shit is no longer my problem.”
His words struck fear in Sam’s heart. She didn’t want to think about the day when he’d no longer be the chief. “Please don’t leave me here by myself.” Her gaze took in both men.
“You wouldn’t be alone,” Malone said. “Jeannie is deputy chief now.”
“I can’t imagine doing this job without either of you.”
“We’re getting old, pal,” Farnsworth said with a small smile. “And running out of gas to deal with the nonstop bullshit.”
To her great dismay, Sam’s eyes suddenly flooded with tears. Was there anything worse than crying on the job, especially as a woman in a largely male profession? She took a deep breath and tried to get her emotions under control. “I’m sorry. Of course you should do whatever you feel is best. I just hope you know that despite all the bullshit, you’re both loved and respected by the people who work for you, and you’d be deeply missed.”
“That’s very nice to hear, Sam,” Farnsworth said. “Your loyalty doesn’t go unnoticed. You should also know that we’ve more or less decided to stick it out for the three years that your husband is president, so we can be here to protect you to the best of our ability.”
For a hot second, she was too flabbergasted to respond. “Seriously?”
“Very seriously,” Malone said. “Skip would want us here as you endeavor to do something no first lady in history has ever done.”
“You guys…” Tears spilled down her cheeks as she tried fruitlessly to manage them. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Farnsworth said. “He’d do the same for us, and you know it.”
“Stop.” She laughed as she wiped away tears that wouldn’t quit. “You’re wrecking me.”
The chief smiled. “We don’t want you to worry about us leaving on top of everything else. We’re sticking it out for you, kid.”
“Please don’t do anything stupid like die before you can enjoy a long retirement, do you hear me?”
They laughed.
“We’ll do our best to stay healthy,” Malone said.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “You’ll never know what this means to me.”
“We know,” Farnsworth said. “Family takes care of family.”
As her chin quivered, she nodded. “God, I’m such an idiot, bawling like a baby over here.”
“We won’t tell anyone,” Malone said. “We wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation as a badass.”
She laughed again as she wiped away more tears. “Gee, thanks.”
“Don’t eff up this situation with Cox, or we’ll all be out on our asses,” Malone said.
“I’ll try not to.” She took a couple of deep breaths to recover her composure after they’d flattened her with their news. “What are we hearing from Stahl’s?”
Malone shook his head and released a deep sigh. “Thirteen bodies at his house, and we’re getting closer to finding the owner of the storage unit. Charles and O’Brien are making progress, so I told them to stay on it.”
“That’s fine. Gonzo is working with the three detectives you assigned to get them up to speed and give them assignments.”
“Let’s keep up the pressure on Forrester,” Farnsworth said. “I’ll authorize whatever overtime is needed.”
“That’ll help, thank you. Although, I should mention I’m leaving at two tomorrow to meet with the Canadian prime minister’s wife and to prepare for the state dinner.”
“We’re looking forward to that,” Farnsworth said, smiling. “Marti and I can’t believe we’re invited to the White House.”
“Same with me and Val. Unbelievable.”
“Believe it. I’ll see you there.” She’d also invited every member of her squad and their partners, as well as Jeannie and Michael, her sisters, mother and stepmother. Lindsey would be there as Terry’s date, which meant all her closest friends would be in attendance, except for Shelby and Avery.
For the first time, she started to look forward to an event that had loomed as yet another challenge to be endured rather than enjoyed. She needed to change her attitude and do a better job of appreciating the perks that came along with the many headaches. “I’ll get back to it and keep you posted on all things Cox.” She paused as she realized what she’d said. “And that’s not a sentence I ever imagined saying to the two of you.”
She left them laughing as she went back to the pit, overwhelmed by what they were doing for her and filled with love for two men who’d been part of her life from the beginning. They were right. Her dad would want them there for her during this unprecedented time, and their support meant everything.
“Everything all right?” Freddie asked when she returned to the pit, wearing obvious signs that she’d been crying.
“All good in the hood. What’s up here?”
He gave her a curious look that told her he wasn’t satisfied with her answer. “We met with Lucas, Harper and Coheeny to get them up to speed. They’ve gone to interview the rest of Forrester’s staff, and then they’ll be back to comb through the phone data. Gonzo asked them to submit a written report by four thirty.”
“Excellent.”
“I’ve gone through everything I could find about Forrester and Cox from the time they were at Yale Law, and I’ve pieced together an interesting narrative.”
“Oh,” Sam said, “do tell.”