Chapter Six #2
Freddie got out to convey her instructions to the Patrol officers.
Sam banged her palm against the door. “Let me out of here, Vernon.”
“I need one more minute to complete our canvass of the area.”
“You’re not tipping my hand, are you?”
“Would I do that to you?”
“I sure as hell hope not.”
Two endless minutes passed while she watched Freddie and two Patrol officers prepare to go in while she sat twiddling her thumbs in the SUV. “Vernon, I need to go. Right now.”
Thankfully, he got out of the driver’s seat and opened the back door for her. “All clear.”
She rolled her eyes at him and joined the others, knowing Freddie would’ve briefed them on the plan. “Good to go?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They walked into the offices of Cushing Family Insurance and encountered Sam’s favorite thing—a stunned receptionist who’d be telling everyone she knew that the first lady had stopped by her office.
“I’m looking for Thelma Robinson-Bingham. Can you direct me to her?”
“Um, she’s… uh…” The woman gestured over her shoulder. “Last door on the right.”
To one of the Patrol officers, Sam said, “Make sure she doesn’t tell anyone about this.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sam followed the woman’s direction to the back of the office and noted Thelma’s name on a plate next to a closed door. She opened it to find Thelma on the phone and enjoyed witnessing the exact moment she recognized Sam and fully understood why she’d come.
Into the phone, Thelma said, “I, um, I have to go.”
“Thelma Robinson-Bingham, you’re going to need to come with us.”
While Sam recited the Miranda warning, Freddie went around the desk, hauled the woman to her feet and cuffed her, all before Thelma had fully processed what was happening.
She let out a wail of distress and began to cry.
“Let’s go,” Sam said.
They marched her through the office, past her stunned coworkers and out the door to the parking lot to load her into an MPD cruiser for the ride to headquarters.
As the car rolled away, Sam looked to Freddie. “That was rather satisfying, if I do say so myself.”
“Very satisfying indeed. That instant when she realized who’d come calling and why. Chef’s kiss.”
“Did you notice she never said we had the wrong person?”
“I did. She’s probably been waiting for this for six years, knowing it would catch up to her eventually.”
“I hope it’s eaten her alive every minute of those six years. Any word from Gonzo yet?”
“He just texted that Louis is in custody.”
“Excellent. I love days like this when justice is served on a silver fucking platter.”
As she headed for the SUV, she took a call from Nick on the BlackBerry. “I hope your day is going as well as mine is.”
“It’s not. I fired Gretchen.”
The news took her breath away for a second. She held up a finger to tell Vernon she needed a minute and walked away from the car so they wouldn’t be overheard. “Oh God. What happened?”
“A shocking series of events has taken place that has hit me and my administration like an earthquake. I asked the Secret Service to bring the kids home early from school. I don’t want anyone hassling them when word gets out.”
“Did you tell them to say we’re okay?” They’d be terrified otherwise, especially Scotty, who’d know something was wrong if they were being taken home early.
“I did.”
“Okay, good. What can I do?”
“Nothing right now, but things are about to get turbulent. Again.”
Maybe this was why her anxiety had gone nuclear over the weekend. She’d felt the storm coming. “You must be reeling, love. I wish I was there to hug you.”
“I wish you were, too.”
“I’ll be home as soon as I can. I love you more than anything.”
“Love you, too.”
Sam had never been so sorry to have been right about someone. Goddamn it. This would be a massive, ugly blowup, with her precious husband right in the middle of it when all he ever tried to do was the right thing. What in the hell had Gretchen done?
“Sam?”
She turned toward Vernon.
“Is everything all right?”
Sam shook her head. “The shit is hitting the fan at 1600.” Not for the first time, she was torn between what she needed to do and what she should do. Her husband needed her. At the open door to the vehicle, she said, “Freddie, can you hitch a ride back to HQ with Patrol?”
“I can do that. Is everything okay?”
“Nick needs me.”
“Is he all right?”
“He’s dealing with something upsetting, and I need to be there for him. Malone was going to check with Hope to see if she had any objections to Amara staying with Lindsey and Terry for now. If that’s a go, will you introduce Amara to Lindsey?”
“I’ll take care of it, and I love that idea.”
“I do, too.”
“What’re we doing with the parents?”
“Process them and allow them to call lawyers if they request them.”
“No conversation?”
“I don’t think we need one. They’ll know why they’re being charged.”
“But they don’t know it’s because of Amara.”
“I bet at least her mother has by now made the connection to today being her eighteenth birthday. Who knows if Louis has any idea when her birthday is?”
“True.”
“Keep Louis and Thelma separated at all times and check in with me later.”
“Will do.”
After he ran off to flag down the second Patrol car for a ride back to HQ, Sam stepped into the SUV.
“What’s wrong?” Vernon asked.
“You’ll hear soon enough that Nick fired Henderson, and it’s a BFD. I need to go home to be with him.”
“Of course. I’ll get you there as fast as possible.”
“Thank you, Vernon.”