Fatal Deception (26 page)

Nick’s expression darkened, but he held his tongue.

Sam pushed her weapon into her hip holster, grabbed her cuffs, notebook and badge and crossed the room to him. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you have nothing to worry about. You are, however, very sexy when you’re jealous.”

“Jealous? Of
him
?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I am not jealous of him. What reason would I have to be jealous of him?”

“None whatsoever, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping you.”

“He’s got a big, bad thing for you. You’ll never convince me otherwise.”

“Okay, then I won’t try. All you need to know—and you need to hear me on this.” She waited until she was sure she had his full attention. “The only guy I have a big, bad thing for is the one I’m married to. You got me?”

“Yeah,” he said, more contrite now as his hands landed on her hips and his fingers dug in. “So it’s a big, bad thing, huh?”

“So big and so bad.”

“In this case, bad is good, right?”

Sam laughed, even though it made her face hurt something awful. “Bad is so very, very good. I love you, you big oaf. Now stop acting like a Neanderthal and let me go to work.”

“Tell him to keep his eyes off my wife. I love her too damned much for my own good.”

“No, you love her just enough. Perfectly, in fact.” She left him with one last kiss and a pat to his freshly shaven face, loving that the scent of his cologne would cling to her skin long after they parted. “Have a good day.”

“You too, babe. Be careful out there.”

“Always am.” Breathing easier since the conversation about Hill hadn’t escalated into a fight, she bounded down the stairs. Her cell phone chimed with a text from Jeannie.

“I have news I want to share with you—as my friend—and a thought on the Kavanaugh investigation I want to share with you as my boss. Call me when you have a minute.”

Sam smiled as she read the message, grateful and relieved that Jeannie was making an effort. Suspending her and Tyrone had been her lowest moment yet as the lieutenant in charge of the homicide division. Wait. That wasn’t entirely true. Jeannie’s egregious attack had been the ultimate low moment.

She found Jeannie’s number in her list of contacts and pressed Send while she waited for a slice of bread to toast. She’d learned her lesson about grabbing something to eat on the way into work.

“Good morning, Lieutenant.”

Jeannie sounded far more chipper than Sam had expected after what had transpired yesterday. “Good morning, Detective. What’s the word?”

“Well, I wanted you to be one of the first to know that Michael and I are officially engaged.”

“Congratulations, Jeannie. That’s awesome news. I’m very happy for you both. Especially after what you guys have been through.”

“He’s been amazing, and I figured he’d waited long enough.”

“He’s a good guy.”

“Yes, he is.” Jeannie paused, took a breath and released it. “Lieutenant... Sam... I want you to know I deeply regret that I lied to you, but I also want you to know if I had it to do over again, I would’ve done the same thing. I know what your dad means to you, what he means to the department, and the thought of him possibly dying with a hint of scandal hanging over him was simply unbearable to me. I made the call, and Tyrone went along with it because I told him it was the right thing to do. What I do regret is not setting things straight with you after your dad recovered. That I should’ve done, and you had every right to suspend me.”

“I didn’t want to suspend you, but you didn’t give me much choice.”

“I know that. I have the full report ready for you. I’ll send it to you this morning.”

“Thank you.”

“And I want you to know that Will and I are going to see Dr. Morganthau this morning.”

“The old medical examiner? Why?”

“Because he knows something. I could hear it in his voice when I spoke with him on the phone in April. He knew your dad and implied he was ‘off’ during that case, but he refused to say any more out of respect for your dad. I’m hoping he’ll be more forthcoming in person.”

“My dad is furious with me. He all but ordered me to leave it alone.”

“Is that what you want us to do? If so, say the word. Only Tyrone and I know there’s more to the story than what we told you initially. Oh, and Michael knows too. For the record, he told me back in April that I was making a huge mistake lying to you about what we uncovered. I only told him because I was so torn. So very torn.”

Sam took a moment and chose her words carefully. “I want you to know...I understand why you lied, and I appreciate that you were trying to protect my dad and my family. Your friendship means a lot to me.”

“And yours means a lot to me. Especially after everything that’s happened.”

“Our friendship has to come second to the job, Jeannie. The job has to come first for as long as we’re both on active duty.”

“I understand.”

“I can’t lift the suspension. I won’t lift it.”

“I understand that too.”

“Anything you do on your own time is without the backup of the department, so proceed with caution and keep me apprised of what you’re doing.”

“We will. Do you want me to see Morganthau, or should we let it go?”

Sam thought about what her father had told her to do and what her own conscience was telling her to do. Massaging the back of her neck where a headache had taken root, she felt pulled in multiple directions. “Four people know there’s more to the story.”

“None of us would ever breathe a word of it.”

“Still,” Sam said. “Four people know.”

“Five, counting your dad.”

“That’s five too many,” Sam decided. “Go see Morganthau. Keep it under the radar, and report to me verbally afterward. I’ll decide what we do next.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You said you had some thoughts on the Kavanaugh case?”

“Yes.” Jeannie reported on what she’d uncovered about Desposito and Eldridge and her connection to a Medicare scheme years ago.

“That’s good work, Detective.”

“I’ll shoot you the details in an e-mail.”

“Thank you,” Sam said, relieved to know that there’d been no permanent damage done to a relationship she valued personally and professionally.

“Have a good day, Lieutenant.”

“Let’s hope it’s less eventful than yesterday.”

“Yes,” Jeannie said, laughing. “Let’s hope so.”

“Congratulations again. I’m so happy for you both.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

Sam jammed her phone in her pocket, rehashing the conversation and hoping she was doing the right thing allowing McBride and Tyrone to dig even deeper into a case her father had told her to leave alone. As much as she respected and loved her dad, she had a job to do, and she would do it to the best of her ability.

The day she no longer did that was the day she no longer belonged in command of her squad. That would also be the day she no longer deserved the gold shield she proudly carried. Resigned to deal with the fallout with her father, she put peanut butter on her toast, told Nick she was leaving and ran out the front door, as Hill pulled up to the curb.

Sam ventured a glance at the second floor and found Nick staring at her from the bedroom window, looking none too pleased. She gave him the best possible smile she could in light of her injuries and waved as she got in the car.

“You didn’t tell me you were bringing breakfast,” Hill said, eyeing her toast and taking a good long look at her too. The clean scent of his cologne and the thick humidity filled her senses. “I already ate. Thanks, though.”

“Listen, Hill, I don’t know what it is you’re up to—”

“Whoa! Wait a minute. I was making a joke about your toast. How did that turn into me being up to something?”

“You know full well what I’m talking about.” Sam took a bite of the toast that she no longer wanted, especially since it still hurt to chew. The lump of bread got stuck in her throat. Mindful of Nick watching them, she said, “Drive, will you?”

Hill shifted the car into gear and pulled away from the curb.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Sam asked when a full minute passed in silence.

“What is it that you’d have me say?”

Sam became more uncomfortable by the moment as confronting him on the weirdness between them suddenly didn’t seem like such a good idea. “Why are you doing this?”

“What exactly is it that I’m doing?”

She crumpled the remnants of the toast into the paper towel she’d brought with her. “Do you think I didn’t see how you reacted to me last night? Do you think I haven’t seen it other times? I’m a trained observer of people, Hill, and I’m a woman. I know when a guy is looking at me with interest that has nothing to do with the job we’re supposed to be doing together.”

His only reaction, other than a pulse of tension in his cheek, was the tightening of his hand on the wheel.

“That’s it?” she said. “You’re not going to say anything?”

“Again I ask—what would you have me say?”

That, she realized, was as close as he’d come to confirming her suspicions. “It’s got to stop.”

“I agree.”

“I have no intention of being unfaithful to my husband.”

“I’d never ask you to be. Jeez, Sam, give me a little credit, will you? I’ve never treated you with anything other than decorum or respect.”

When he was rattled, she discovered, his Southern accent became more pronounced.

“As long as we understand each other,” she said.

“Tell me one thing...” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

She didn’t want to ask, but her curious nature couldn’t let it go. “What?”

“Nothing. Doesn’t matter now.”

“You’re pissing me off. If you want to ask something, ask it. And then we’re never talking about this again.”

Stopped at a light, he ventured a glance at her and then returned his gaze to the road. “If we’d met before you were married, do you think...?”

Sam shook her head, wishing she’d left well enough alone. “There’s no way I can answer that. Nick is it for me. He always was, and he always will be. There’s no room for anyone else in that equation, so rhetorical questions are pointless.”

“I had a feeling you might say that.” He drove in silence until they reached the HQ parking lot. “I hope he knows he’s a lucky guy.”

“He does. He’s very good to me.” She paused before she said, “If I did or said anything to encourage—” she waved a hand between them “—this...”

“You didn’t. It’s all on me, and I’ll deal with it. Don’t sweat it.”

Since this excruciating conversation had gone on long enough, Sam nodded and got out of the car right as Cruz pulled her car into the lot. When he saw her alighting from Hill’s car, he looked furious. Jesus H. Christ, the men in her life and their issues with Hill! Not only was she now extremely motivated to close this case so she could have Sunday in bed with her husband, she needed to get Hill out of her hair once and for all. He was causing her far too much trouble—at home and at work.

“It’s not what you think,” she said as she caught up to her partner, leaving Hill behind.

“What do I think?” Freddie popped a powered donut in his mouth and chased it with an energy drink.

“You think I blew you off so I could ride with Hill, but I needed to talk to him about the raid, so I killed two birds. That’s it.”

“Fine by me. You’re the one with the guilty conscience.”

Sam would very much like to take his head and crack it against Nick’s. Since that wasn’t an option at the moment, she walked with him through the crowd of reporters who were clamoring for more information on the recovery of Maeve Kavanaugh. Sam ignored them. For now.

“Malone e-mailed me about you handling the media last night,” she said to Freddie when they were safely inside.

“Yep.”

“Were you freaking out?”

He scowled at her. “Give me some credit, will you?”

“You were freaking out.”

Freddie stopped her from pushing through the double doors to the pit. “You need to know... People are speculating about what’s going on with McBride and Tyrone.”

“It’s none of their business.”

“Maybe so, but they’re speculating just the same.”

“Good to know. Thanks for the heads-up.”

“After the meeting, we need to talk to the Ohio congressman who gave Victoria a recommendation for the job at Calahan Rice.”

“I’ll go with you. Now that Maeve is safely back with her father, we can focus on the homicide investigation.”

“Barring any pistol-whipping robbers, of course,” he teased.

“Of course.”

They pushed through the doors together, and Gonzo rushed over to her. “L.T., third shift caught a homicide late in their tour. They’ve identified the victim—it’s Bertha Ray’s son, Bobby. They found him down by the Naval Yard, and whoever offed him sent a message—they gouged out his eyes and cut out his tongue while he was still alive.”

“Jesus,” Sam muttered.

In deference to the situation, Freddie said nothing about her use of the Lord’s name.

“What happened?” Hill asked as he joined them.

Sam updated him.

“Shit,” he muttered when he heard Bobby Ray was dead. “I’ll take care of notifying his mother. I formed a bit of a bond with her last night.”

“That’d help,” Sam said, thankful she didn’t have to deliver the bad news for once.

Detective Arnold joined them. “We’re getting word that Mrs. Ray’s house was firebombed. Fire department is on the scene.” Arnold turned to Hill. “Was she staying there?”

Hill shook his head. “I was afraid of something like this, so I got her out of town last night. She’s staying in Philly with her sister.”

“Oh, good,” Arnold said, visibly relieved. “She was a nice lady caught in the middle of something that has nothing to do with her.”

“Wise move,” Sam said to Hill, respecting his judgment more all the time. “Conference room in five minutes, everyone. Let’s regroup and dig in deep.” Sam went into her office and retrieved Jeannie’s report on Denise Desposito and William Eldridge.

Scanning the report, Sam decided to send Gonzo and Arnold to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, to interview Eldridge’s widow. Jeannie had included the address and directions to the woman’s apartment in an assisted living complex.