SAM STASHED HER phone in her pocket as she headed for Trulo’s office upstairs. As she was leaving the pit, Freddie came in escorting a well-dressed, frightened-looking couple and another man who looked like a lawyer. Realizing he had the bitchy PTO president in for an interview, Sam gave him a thumbs-up that they couldn’t see. Their eyes bugged at the sight of her, which gave her a dose of satisfaction.
Freddie smiled and winked at her as he pointed the people toward the interrogation room where he’d dole out a much-needed dose of humility.
She continued on to Trulo’s office, and wasn’t it just her luck to come face-to-face with Sergeant Ramsey. Sam hoped he’d stay on his own side of the staircase, so she wouldn’t be tempted to push him down the stairs—again. Since she’d barely escaped an assault charge the first time, she kept moving and didn’t make eye contact.
“If it isn’t Mary Poppins, taking in the poor, helpless children and compromising her investigation? Such a do-gooder. Do the people who license foster parents know you’re guilty of assault?”
Sam never stopped moving. “Does your family know you’re guilty of being a dick? Oh wait, of course they do. Silly of me to ask.” She pressed on, resisting the urge to look back, and didn’t stop walking until she was outside Trulo’s office. Her heart beat fast, as if she’d been chased. She had no idea if Ramsey had followed her, and she wasn’t about to look to find out.
Trulo’s office door opened. “Lieutenant. What can I do for you?”
“You got a minute?”
He stepped back to admit her and closed the door behind her.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Everything all right?” Trulo asked.
“Yep.”
“You seem unusually rattled.”
“That’s what happens when you resist your baser urges to punch a fellow officer and send him flying down the stairs—again.”
Trulo’s lips quirked from the effort it took not to laugh. “Congratulations on the successful effort.”
“It wasn’t easy. I fear I may be growing up.”
He effected an expression of mock horror. “Say it isn’t so!”
“I know. Revolting development.”
“As amusing as this development is, something tells me that’s not what brought you to me this morning.”
Sam dropped into the chair where she’d been forced to spend many an hour after Stahl took her hostage. Though she’d resisted Trulo’s efforts at first, she credited him with putting her back together and making it possible for her to return to the job. “I need some advice about possibly guiding a five-year-old witness to murder through the process of identifying his parents’ killers.”
“Ah,” he said, taking the seat across from her and crossing his legs. “So, one of the kids saw something?”
Sam nodded. “The boy, Alden. He hadn’t said a word since he’d been with us, but when his older brother arrived, he let it all out.” Sam told him what Alden had conveyed to them in his middle-of-the-night outburst.
When she had finished, Trulo released a deep sigh. “Someday, many years from now, Alden will realize that the very last thing his father did in his own life was to save his son’s life.”
The profound statement stirred Sam’s already-raw emotions. “Very true.” She cleared her throat. “So, if it comes to it, how do we do this?”
“Carefully,” Trulo said, stroking his chin. “First of all, we go to him. He doesn’t come here.”
Sam nodded in agreement. “We’d have to show him the photos.”
“Yes.”
“And at some point, he’d have to testify.”
“Also true. If you’re forced to use him, I’d spend some time with him afterward to get a feel for what he’s going to need long-term. I can make some recommendations to his new guardians.”
“Will he always remember?” Sam asked.
“Possibly, but the memories may fade in time, or they may remain very vivid for the rest of his life. It’s hard to say for certain.”
“Thanks for the insight,” Sam said, gripping the arms of the chair for support as she stood. “On to my next thing—visiting Gonzo in the hospital.”
“He’s going to be all right, Sam. Eventually.”
“The thing that nags at me is that I didn’t notice he was in such a bad place, and I’m with him every day. How did I not see it?”
“Because he didn’t want you to. He didn’t want anyone to see it. Emotional devastation is a tough thing to manage in this macho environment in which we work. We’re often seen as weak if we allow people to see our inner turmoil. You know what that’s like. You’ve been there yourself.”
“Yes, I have.”
“He’s going to get through this. It’s just going to take some time.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“When have you ever known me not to be?”
Sam laughed as she moved to the door. “That sounds like something I would say.”
“Would you like me to check the hallway for you?”
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
She stood back so he could stick his head out the door. “Coast is clear, but just to be safe, put your hands in your pockets and keep them there until you’re back in friendly territory.”
“Will do, Doc,” she said, amused by his commentary. “I’ll let you know if we have to involve Alden.”
“I’m free all afternoon.”
“Appreciate the help.” While keeping her hands planted firmly in her pants pockets, Sam moved quickly down the stairs, releasing a deep breath when she arrived in the safety of her pit, her home away from home. Carlucci and Dominguez had returned, so Sam went to find out how it had gone with Klein.
“No sign of him at his place,” Dominguez said. While Carlucci was tall and blonde, Dominguez was petite with olive-toned skin and dark hair. “Neighbors said they haven’t seen him in a few days.”
“Let’s put out an APB for him,” Sam said.
“I’ll do it,” Dominguez said.
“You got the photos we left, LT?” Carlucci asked.
“Yes, thank you. What’s up with the SVU case?”
“Nothing to do with us. They just needed a couple of extra hands.”
“Good answer.” They had enough on their plate. “Let’s get everyone in the conference room for a quick meeting before you two take off. I’ll be there in a minute.” She went into her office, gathered the photos, her notes and summoned her legendary mojo. Today could make or break this case. She was determined to make it as quickly as possible for the sake of Alden, Aubrey and Elijah. She’d also love to have it done before Freddie’s wedding overtook them this weekend.
Freddie came into her office, smiling widely. “Damn, that was fun.”
Sam laughed. “Now that you’ve had your fun for the day, let’s figure out what’s next.”
They went into the conference room, where the others waited for her along with Malone and Farnsworth, who stood against the back wall observing. “First things first, the FBI has ruled out Duke Piedmont as a suspect in the home invasion and murders.” She went over what had transpired since Piedmont was apprehended at Dulles the previous day.
“I find it really, really hard to believe that he was in the city but had nothing to do with this,” Freddie said.
“I did too, but Hill said he and the other agents involved found Piedmont’s shock and grief over the deaths of Armstrong and his wife to be sincere and legitimate. He’d also gotten what he’d come for—twenty million that would set him up for the rest of his life.”
“Where do we go from here?” Green asked.
“We’re looking for this guy,” she said, holding up the photo of Victor Klein, sharing what Brendan Sullivan had told her about him. She pinned the photo of Klein to the center of the murder board. “Here’s what I think happened. Klein sideswiped Cleo in traffic three days before the murders. She made a BFD out of how he could’ve killed her and her children. He took a look at her Audi SUV, possibly noticed the rock on her finger and smelled money. He was locked up on an outstanding warrant until his arraignment Monday morning. When he got out, he got her address off the accident report. Then he recruited another scumbag to help him with the promise of a windfall and paid the Beauclairs a visit.”
“Where were the kids while this was going on?”
“We know they were in the car when he took her to the bank to withdraw a hundred grand.”
“You really think it was Klein when Piedmont had made actual threats against their family and was in the city the day of the murders?” Farnsworth asked, incredulous.
“Agent Hill and his team are convinced that Piedmont had nothing to do with it. Piedmont had been back in touch with Armstrong for months. They were living in plain sight while Armstrong continued to promote the software he’d founded. If Piedmont wanted to take him out, he’d had ample opportunity. It’s time to shift our focus. Let’s find Klein.”
“Might be a stretch, Sam,” Freddie said. “This is pure speculation on our part.”
“Understood, but I spoke with Klein’s parole officer, who believes Klein is capable of something like this. He’s been escalating, moving from petty shit to assault and did time for B&E. According to the reports, Cleo took a piece of his ass after the accident, so that might’ve pissed him off enough to hunt her down to teach her a lesson about how to speak to him. Perhaps he took one look at that crib in Chevy Chase and dollar signs started dancing in his eyes.”
“We know she withdrew a hundred grand from the bank the same afternoon as the home invasion,” Green said. “My first stop after this is the bank where she made the withdrawal.”
“A hundred K wasn’t enough for Klein,” Sam said, feeling the buzz of certainty that she was onto something with this theory. That buzz never disappointed her. “He owed that much in back child support. I want to know who Jameson called to get more money. The kind of cash they had isn’t just sitting at the local branch. It would be in brokerage accounts that aren’t as easily accessible. Get me a call to a broker, a financial adviser, someone who can confirm they made the request.”
“I can give it a few more hours,” Carlucci said. “If that would help.”
“I’ll take all the help I can get.”
“I’ll stay too,” Dominguez added.
“Thank you both. I’ve got an errand to do outside the building, but I’ll be back shortly. Get to it. Cruz, you’re with me.”
Sam went into her office to grab her jacket, keys and portable radio.
“Where’re we going?” Cruz asked.
She kept her voice low when she said, “To see Gonzo before he leaves for rehab.”
Freddie’s eyes went wide with shock. He released a deep breath. “Oh.”
“Needless to say, he probably won’t be at your wedding. I know that’s a huge disappointment to you, but this is truly in his best interest.”
“I know.”
“Could you ask Will to stand in for him in the wedding party?”
“I suppose so. He’d do it.”
“Yes, he would, and he’d be honored to be asked. I’m really sorry this is happening, this of all weeks, Freddie.”
“So am I, but if it means he’s getting what he needs, then it’s worth it.”
“You’re a good friend. It’ll mean a lot to him to hear you say that. That’s why I wanted you to come with me.”
They headed for the morgue exit where they were waylaid by Lindsey McNamara. “I was going to call you. I need to know who to contact within the Beauclair family about arrangements for the bodies.”
“I’ll speak to Mr. Beauclair’s son Elijah later today about what he wants to do.” She told Lindsey how their younger son had witnessed the crime.
“Oh dear God.”
“I’ll have Elijah get in touch with you.”
“There’s no rush. Whenever he’s ready.”
“I’ll let him know that. Thanks, Lindsey.”
“Heard the trip was pared down to a week. Did you have anything to do with that?”
“Maybe,” Sam said, with a sly smile. “Maybe not.”
“Either way, you won’t hear me complaining.”
“Me either. See you later.”
Sam and Freddie drove to GW in unusual silence, both of them tense about what they would hear from Gonzo. She pulled into a parking space outside the emergency department and shut off the car. “What’re you thinking?”
“I’m wondering how I didn’t notice he was so messed up. I’m with him every day. He’s one of my best friends.”
“I asked Trulo that same question this morning—about myself. What kind of boss or friend am I if he was in such bad shape and I didn’t notice. He said Gonzo didn’t want us to know. It’s not going to do either of us any good to blame ourselves. All we can do now is support him—and Christina—going forward.”
Freddie nodded in agreement, but Sam could tell he was still troubled by what he’d missed.
Hell, she was too.
They showed their badges at the info desk and were given Gonzo’s room number. In the elevator, several people did double takes when they recognized Sam, but she ignored them. She wasn’t in the mood to play gracious second lady. Not when she had far bigger things to contend with.
Outside Gonzo’s room, Sam glanced at Freddie before she knocked.
“Come in.”
They stepped into the room, and Sam’s eyes had to adjust to the darkness after the brightly lit hallway. The blinds were drawn, and only a small light over the bed was on.
Gonzo looked like hell. His eyes were swollen and rimmed with red, his jaw covered in stubble and his dark hair stood on end. “Hey,” he said, averting his gaze as if ashamed.
Sam hated that for him. “How’re you doing?”
“Never been better,” he said with a tight little smile. “They’re weaning me off the pain meds. Good times all around.”
Sam noticed a puke bucket sitting close at hand.
Gonzo glanced at Freddie. “I’m really sorry about the timing.”
“Don’t be. Your health is more important than anything.”
“I’ll be really sad to miss it.”
“We’ll take a lot of pictures for you.”
“That’d be nice.”
“What can we do for you, Tommy?” Sam asked.
“Check in with Christina while I’m gone?”
“We will. Definitely.”
“I’m sorry about work. I know this leaves you in a lurch with the honeymooner here out the next two weeks.”
“Don’t worry about us,” Sam said. “Malone said to tell you we’ve got you covered.” She didn’t mention her unplanned week off, because that would only add to his stress. Under normal circumstances, he’d be in charge while she was away. Now Malone would have to do it.
“What’s going on with the case?”
Sam told him about the breakthrough with Alden.
“Christ, and I think I’ve got problems,” he said. “That poor kid.”
“We’re taking good care of him.”
The door opened, and Christina came in, carrying Alex, who gave a happy squeal at the sight of his daddy.
“We’ll go and give you guys some time alone,” Sam said, squeezing his arm. “Call if you need anything at all and let us know when you’re ready for visitors.”
“Will do. Thank you.” Gonzo reached out a hand to Freddie, who took it and leaned in to give his friend a hug. “Have the best day ever on Saturday. I’ll be thinking of you and Elin.”
“Take care of yourself, bud. We’re here if you need us.”
“That means a lot.”
“I’ll check in with you,” Sam said to Christina, who nodded.
Freddie turned to the door, his jaw tight with tension.
As they walked toward the elevator, Sam put her hand on Freddie’s back, more determined than ever to make sure he had a perfect day on Saturday, even if the life swirling around them would never be perfect or simple. For one day, he and Elin deserved nothing less than perfection.
* * *
CHRISTINA APPROACHED THE bed tentatively, shocked by Tommy’s disheveled appearance.
He held out his arms, and she handed Alex to him.
“Hey, buddy,” Tommy said, kissing the little guy’s cheek and neck until he squealed with laughter.
A sight she’d seen a million times before brought tears to her eyes, knowing it would be at least a month before they saw him again. That felt like a lifetime.
She’d told Alex that Daddy wasn’t feeling good and that he had to be gentle, so Alex snuggled into his father’s embrace rather than trying to wrestle with him as usual.
Tommy held out a hand to her.
Christina took it, because she still loved him, even after the hell he’d put her through.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his eyes brimming with tears. “I know I’ve asked so much of you, but if I could just have a little more time to get my shit together, I promise things will be better.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Tommy,” she said, wiping tears.
“I owe you so much, babe. What you’ve done for me—and for Alex.”
“Is because I love you both. I want you back. I want my Tommy back.”
“I’m going to do my best to find him.”
“Are you sick, Daddy?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, buddy. I’m not feeling good at all. But I’m going to get better. I promise.”
Alex patted Tommy’s face, making her throat tighten with emotion.
“Daddy sad. Don’t want Daddy sad.”
“I don’t want that either,” Tommy said, hugging his son as tears streamed down his face.
Christina wept for both of them. For all of them. For A.J. and the life that had been stolen from him, his parents, sisters, colleagues and the devoted partner who blamed himself.
Dr. Anderson came into the room, stopping short at the sight of Christina and Alex. “I can come back.”
“No, it’s fine,” Tommy said. “This is my fiancée, Christina Billings, and our son, Alex.”
Hearing him call Alex their son went a long way toward consoling Christina.
“I’ve made arrangements with the rehab in Baltimore,” Anderson said. “They said you can get there anytime today. I want you to go right from here to there with no stops in between. I’ll take you myself if need be.”
“That’s not necessary,” Christina said. “I’ll take him. I brought his bag with me. I just need to drop Alex at the sitter, and then we can go.”
“If you want to go do that,” Anderson said, “I’ll make sure he’s ready when you return.”
“My lawyer is going to stop by,” Tommy said. “I need to see him before I go so I can make Christina Alex’s legal guardian. He should be here anytime.”
“Great,” Anderson said, heading for the door. “I’ll start the discharge paperwork, so you’re ready when Christina returns.”
“He seems really nice,” Christina said.
“He’s been great. He’s the one who talked me into going.”
“Then I guess we owe him a debt of gratitude.”
“Hey, buddy,” Tommy said to Alex. “Daddy has to go away on a trip for a little while, so I can feel better. Will you do me a huge favor while I’m gone?”
Alex nodded solemnly, his eyes big as he looked back at the father he resembled so closely, right down to the dimple in his chin.
“I need you to be a really, really good boy for Mommy, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
“Do whatever she asks you to, and if you’re a really, really good boy, I’ll have a surprise for you when I get home.”
“I’ll be good, Daddy. I promise.”
Tommy sobbed quietly as he hugged his son.
Alex never squirmed or tried to get free the way he normally would. Rather, he let Tommy hold him for as long as he needed to. And when Tommy finally released him, Alex wiped the tears from his father’s face and kissed him. “Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too, little man.”
Mopping up more tears, Christina reached for the child, who held on tight to her. “I’ll be back,” she said.
“I’ll be here.”