Chapter Eighteen
Outside Young’s office, Sam stopped at the admin’s desk. “Are you Anita?” In her mid- to late-twenties, she had dark hair, pale skin and big brown eyes.
The woman seemed stunned that Sam was talking to her. “Uh, yes, I am.”
“Could we have a word in private, please?”
She glanced at Conlon’s closed door and then back at them. “I’d need to ask Mr. Young.”
“You don’t need to ask anyone. You just need to lead us to a room where we can speak privately.”
“I need to tell Mr. Young that I’m leaving my desk.”
“Tell him you’re going to the restroom.”
Anita’s hands were shaking as she lifted the phone receiver.
Sam rolled her eyes at Freddie, who seemed amused by the woman’s reaction to Sam.
“Mean and scary,” he whispered.
Sam didn’t think she was either of those things, but she did get some interesting reactions from people.
Anita got up from the desk and led them to the smaller of the two conference rooms.
“Close the door.”
She did as she was asked and then leaned back against it, keeping her hand on the door handle as if preparing for a quick escape.
“You worked with Tom Forrester?”
“Y-yes, we all did. We’re heartbroken over his death.”
“In the course of our investigation, we’ve heard a rumor.”
Her brows furrowed. “What kind of rumor?”
“That Tom was engaged in an extramarital affair. Do you know anything about that?”
She hadn’t been expecting that question. Her mouth flopped open in shock.
“Ms. Wentworth? Do you know anything about that?”
“I, uh…” Her eyes filled with tears as her chin wobbled frantically. “I don’t know.”
“Did you or did you not hear that rumor?”
“I… I heard some people talking.”
“What people?”
“You want, like, their names?” Her voice got very high as that sentence went on.
“That’d be good.”
“I… I don’t know them. I just overheard them talking in the restroom.”
“Were you romantically involved with Mr. Forrester?”
The woman crumbled like a house of cards hit by a stiff breeze. “Noooo. I’d never do that.” She sobbed as she slid down the door, landing on the floor. “It wasn’t me.”
“Who was it, Anita?”
Shaking her head, she was sobbing so hard, she couldn’t breathe.
“For fuck’s sake,” Sam muttered to Freddie as she went to help the woman up and into a chair.
The door swung open.
Conlon Young stood in the doorway, visibly displeased. “What’s going on here?”
“We’re speaking to Ms. Wentworth.”
“About what?”
“That’s between us and her.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Young. I’m so sorry.”
“What’re you sorry for, Anita?” Sam asked as her head threatened to explode.
Conlon came into the room, staring at the woman with outrage. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Tom… Mr. Forrester… He… he was nice to me. I…”
“You what?” Conlon asked.
She withered under the heat of his glare. “I loved him.”
“What? Are you out of your mind? You loved him? He was a married man!”
“I know,” she wailed. “I know he was.”
“Then what the fuck are you talking about?”
Sam appreciated Conlon taking over this interrogation, since she was out of patience with the entire situation.
“I can’t help how I felt about him.”
“Surely he never acted on whatever it is you think was going on.”
She shook her head. “He didn’t.”
“But you put the word out around the office that he did, right?” Sam asked.
“I… I didn’t mean to…”
Conlon exploded, “How dare you besmirch a good man’s reputation this way? Go pack up your desk and get the hell out of here.”
“No! Mr. Young, please.”
“Get out of my sight!”
After the woman ran from the room, Conlon turned to them. He was so furious, his hands were shaking. “I’m so sorry you had to witness such an ugly scene. I had no idea about any of that. If I had…” He shook his head in disgust. “How dare she say such things about Tom, who was loyal to Leslie from the minute they met in college?”
“Sorry you had to deal with that on top of everything else,” Sam said.
“How did you know to ask her about that?”
“Something we heard in the course of the investigation.”
“I’ll put out a memo detailing her actions and subsequent dismissal.”
“We’ll, ah, just be going, then,” Sam said, eager to get out of there.
“Holy crap,” Freddie said under his breath on the way to the elevator.
“No kidding.”
Sam glanced at her watch. “Goddamn it. I’ve got to go home.”
The elevator doors closed for the ride to the lobby. “Don’t worry. We’ve got it from here. I’ll talk to the goons about who else might’ve acted on Bryant’s behalf to kill Forrester and go over this file that Young gave us. I’ll also track down the golf pro.”
“Thank you. I know this entire situation is preposterous.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m the boss, the commander, and I’m leaving in the middle of a hot investigation into the death of a colleague to go have tea with the Canadian PM’s wife. It’s madness.”
“It’s fine, Sam. No one else is stressing about that.”
“Tell me the truth.”
“Always.”
“Am I crazy to try to do both of these things at the same time while pretending I’m a good mother, too?”
“You’re a wonderful mother, and you’re not crazy to do both. You’re an inspiration to so many women and young girls who want to be just like you.”
“You’re only saying that because you love me. Tell me the truth.”
“That is the truth, and I’m not just saying it because I love you. I’m saying it because it’s what everyone else is saying.”
“Not in the department.”
“Screw them. Who cares what they say? You never have before, so don’t start now.”
“That Animal Control lady?—”
“Is green with envy because she’ll never be a fraction of what you are.”
“He’s right, Sam,” Vernon said. “She wants to be you. Don’t let her get in your head. She’s not worth the brain cells.”
“No, she isn’t,” Freddie said. “Just do your thing. We’ve got you covered at work when you can’t be there.”
“And you promise you’re not going to start to resent me for all the time I’m not there?”
“Promise. How can I resent you when I get to watch my best friends be the president and first lady? When I get invited to state dinners? Do you have any idea how exciting that is for all of us? My parents are losing it that I’m going to a fancy party at the White House.”
“We should’ve invited them, too. Next time.”
“Nah, they’d never come. They’d be too freaked out. It’s enough for them to see Elin and me there.”
“Thanks for propping up me and all my insecurities today, guys.”
“You have no reason to be insecure about anything,” Vernon said. “Imagine how nervous Mrs. Hutchinson must be about having tea with you.”
“No kidding,” Freddie said, laughing. “She’s probably having a panic attack.”
“I hope not! Jeez. I’m a disaster.”
Freddie scoffed. “She doesn’t know that.”
“You were supposed to say, ‘No, you’re not.’”
The three of them were laughing when they stepped off the elevator, reclaimed their weapons at security and headed outside where it was drizzly and cold. She was ready for spring to show up any time now.
Sam glanced at Freddie. “Can you get back to HQ?”
“Yep, no worries.”
“I’ll see you tonight.”
“We’ll be there with bells on.”
She handed the evidence bag containing Avery’s bullet to him. “Get this to the lab with 911 urgency and keep me in the loop.”
“Will do.”
He took off toward the Metro while she got into the back seat of the SUV.
She appreciated what he and Vernon had said and how they provided unwavering support as she stretched in all directions at the same time, trying to cover as many bases at home and at work as she possibly could.
Her phone rang with a call from Gonzo. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Animal Control produced the report on the incident with Forrester’s dog and the Doberman. It practically tore that little thing apart. The pictures are gruesome.”
“Oh God, don’t show me.”
“I won’t.”
“That LT from AC is a peach, huh?”
“I didn’t get to meet her. One of her people brought me the info.”
“Probably the one who wanted to tell me why the LT can’t stand me. I’ve decided I don’t care.”
“That’s the way.”
“I’m headed home. Freddie is on the way back to HQ with threads to pull.”
“We’re on it.”
“Sorry to duck out again.”
“Don’t be. It’s all good in the hood.”
“It really isn’t, but I appreciate you guys more than you’ll ever know.”
“And we appreciate the invites to the White House. Everyone we know thinks we’re the shit because you guys are our friends.”
“I do what I can for my people.”
“And we do what we can for you. It all comes out in the wash, Sam. Don’t sweat it, okay?”
“Trying not to. We need a suspect—and we need it now.”
“I’m meeting with Archie in half an hour to look at cell phone pings.”
“Sounds good, and by the way, Nick agrees with renting Ninth to you guys. It’s all yours if you want it.”
“Christina and I talked about it last night, and we’d love to live there. If you’re sure.”
“We’re sure. We’re not using it, and it’s just what you guys need.”
“It’s way more than we need, but we’re excited just the same.”
“We’ll arrange to put our stuff in storage so you can have the run of the place.”
“Thank you again. You’ll never know what this means to us.”
“It’s our pleasure. Keep me posted on the case?”
“Will do.”
Sam closed the phone and put her head back against the seat, trying to decompress from an intense few hours so she could change gears when she got home. She closed her eyes and let the details of the case run through her mind, picking it over from every angle. Why, she wondered, had Cox’s admin refused at first to give her his name? What had become of the golf pro Tom had gotten fired? Had Ralph and Laurel Sellers really been at home on Sunday morning? The shooter she’d seen on the video was a much smaller person than Ralph Sellers. Could it have been Laurel? What would she have to gain by killing Forrester?
None of it added up.
How could it not lead right back to Damien Bryant and his criminal enterprise, which was threatened by Forrester’s investigation?
And then there was Avery’s shooting. What, if anything, did that have to do with Forrester?
She opened her eyes and reached for her phone to call Archie.
“What’s up?”
“Is there film of Avery’s shooting?”
“Our cameras didn’t catch it, but I’ve asked for the gym’s footage. They’re sending it over. What are you thinking?”
“Is it related to Tom?”
“That’d be a stretch, no?”
“I suppose, but worth looking into. Freddie is delivering Avery’s bullet to the lab.”
“We’ll let the ballistics analysis tell us whether there’s a connection. In the meantime, I still say it’s a stretch. I’m headed downstairs to talk cell tower pings with Gonzo.”
“He told me. Thanks.”
“Have a great time tonight.” He’d declined her invite to attend, saying fancy dinners weren’t his thing.
“Thanks. I think.”
He was laughing when he ended the call.
Vernon drove the SUV through the White House gates, where Sam immediately noticed a tent on the South Lawn, as well as catering trucks and frenetic activity. She’d much rather chase murderers for a living than be responsible for pulling off an event of this magnitude.
Lilia met her inside. She wore a sharp red suit with black heels and looked more like the lady of the manor than Sam ever would. Fortunately, the lord of the manor preferred her, for some weird reason.
“How’d you know I was on the way?”
Lilia gave her a look that basically said “duh” in the classiest way possible.
“Don’t tell me. It’s your job to know.”
“That’s right.” She led Sam through an elaborate maze of corridors to the in-house salon that was one of the cooler perks of being the first lady.
In a matter of minutes, Davida had washed and conditioned her hair, using the best-smelling products Sam had ever encountered. With no choice in the matter, she closed her eyes and tried to relax her racing mind while Davida worked her magic with the hair dryer. Next up was Ginger with makeup to cover the bruise on her cheek, while Kendra did her nails in a lovely shade of burgundy to match her velvet dress.
Ginger was careful around the wound on her face. “Tell me if it hurts.”
“I will.”
By the time Ginger was finished, it was impossible to tell that Sam had been injured.
“That’s amazing, Ginger. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, ma’am.”
“You ladies have scrubbed the feral right out of me,” Sam said when they were finished. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re very welcome,” Davida said. “Have a wonderful time.”
“I will.”
“Is Nick in the Oval?” Sam asked Lilia as they left the salon forty minutes after they’d arrived.
“He is.”
“Could I have just a minute with him?”
“That’s about all we’ve got, but I’ll make it happen. Right this way.”
Thankfully, Lilia knew the place inside out and led her to the Oval in a matter of minutes, when it would’ve taken Sam all day to figure out how to get there from the salon.
When the admin outside Nick’s office saw them coming, she stood to greet them. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Cappuano.”
Sam could never remember her name and hated that. “Hi there. Is he free?”
“Of course. Right this way.”
“I’ll wait here,” Lilia said. “Be quick.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She was shown into the Oval Office, where her gorgeous husband sat behind the Resolute Desk.
He was so focused on what he was doing that he didn’t look up until she cleared her throat.
For the rest of her life, she’d never forget the way his entire face lit up with pleasure when he saw her. That, right there, was why she’d cut her workday short to come home to support him.