“She has tons of them,” Wes said. “She makes friends easier than anyone I’ve ever met. She makes everyone feel important to her.”

  “She’s a great listener,” Brecken said. “Whenever I had girl trouble, she was the one I went to for advice. She always knew what to do.”

  Sam made notes about everything they told her. “Wes, would you sign this form to give us permission to review her texts and other messages on her phone?”

  “Yes, of course.” He signed the form and pushed it back to her.

  Sam wrote the code Wes had given her on the form and gave it to Freddie, who left to deliver it to Malone to get a warrant to back them up just in case they needed it before it went to Archie’s team in IT for examination. “Did she work?”

  Wes nodded. “At a school for rich kids in Northeast called Whitmore. That job is why she volunteers with the immigrant kids. She said she wants to give something back to the kids who don’t have every advantage money can buy.”

  “So, she didn’t like the job?”

  “She hates it. Entitled kids, entitled parents, nonstop drama. She’s been looking for a new job, but it’s hard to move during the school year. I’ve been trying to get her to quit and go to school full time, but she doesn’t want me supporting her.” All the air left his lungs in one big exhale. “She should’ve let me take care of her.”

  “Do you have somewhere you can stay tonight? We’d like to send crime scene investigators into your apartment tonight.”

  “Why?”

  “Often, we don’t know why until we know why. Does that make sense?”

  “I guess.”

  “Do we have your permission to do that?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “He can stay with me,” Brecken said. “I’m in an apartment now.”

  “Write down your address and phone number. I need Wes’s number, too.”

  Brecken provided the info and gave her the notebook.

  “Can you give me keys to your home?” Sam asked Wes.

  “Ah, yeah, sure. This one is for the vestibule, and this one is for our place.”

  Sam wondered how long would it take for him to realize he now lived alone.

  “Thank you for your cooperation at such a difficult time. Audrey would be proud of you for trying to help catch the person who did this to her.”

  “I hope so,” he said, wiping away more tears.

  Sam stepped out of the conference room and signaled for Detective Cameron Green. “Will you please have Patrol give Wes Hambly and his brother a ride home?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Also, I wanted to remind you that Gigi is due back to work tonight.”

  “Yes, that’s great news. I’ll stick around until she arrives so we can hand off to her and Dani.”

  “I’ll line up Patrol.”

  “Thank you.” Sam returned to the conference room. “We’re going to get you a ride home, and I’ll check in with you in the morning.”

  “Audrey’s mother… She texted that she’s going to come here.”

  Sam handed him her card while doubting anyone could get to DC with a blizzard heading their way. “Have her call me when she arrives.”

  He nodded.

  “I wish there was more I could do for you than tell you we’ll try our very best to get justice for Audrey—and for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  When the time was right, she’d talk to him about the grief group she’d founded with Dr. Trulo for victims of violent crime.

  “Are you okay?” Freddie asked after Sam saw Wes and his brother off with the Patrol officer.

  “Another day, another wonderful person murdered in our city,” Sam said, “and multiple lives changed forever as a result.”

  “You’re supposed to be on vacation,” Captain Malone said from behind her.

  Sam turned to him. “I know, but we caught a new case—”

  “That your team is more than capable of handling.”

  “Nick and the kids came back to town because of the storm, so I can give it a little time this week.”

  “As long as you take some downtime, too.”

  “I will.” Sam looked up at the man who’d been so much more than a boss to her. “So, you’re not pissed with me anymore?”

  “When did I say that?”

  “All righty, then.”

  “You and McBride defied a direct order. That won’t be soon forgotten.”

  “She found ten missing kids.” Sam shrugged. “I’d do it again if I had it to do over.”

  “Good to know.” He ran his fingers through his gray hair, frustration rolling off him in waves. “I’m trying to keep our chief from being fired, Sam. Do you get that?”

  “I do, but I also have to support my team, and Jeannie was too far down the road with this case to let it go. At the end of the day, we have to be able to look ourselves in the mirror and like what we’re seeing.”

  “I get that. I really do, but the firestorm is so not what we need right now.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I truly am. The last thing in the world I want is for the chief to get fired or be under any more scrutiny than he already is. But we had to see this through. I can only hope that the lives saved will outweigh the other side of the story.”

  “The side in which we were incompetent for eleven years and let this woman continue to kidnap and torture children? You think anything is going to outweigh that?”

  “We weren’t incompetent. One member of our department was.”

  “One is all it takes, Sam. You know that as well as I do. The U.S. Attorney is calling for a review of all of Stahl’s cases, including his successful prosecutions.”

  Sam gasped. “Everything?”

  “Every fucking thing. If he cut corners on cases he didn’t bother to investigate, what did he do with the ones he did investigate?”

  Her stomach began to hurt again. “I… uh… wow. I don’t even know what to say.”

  “This could get very, very ugly, but I don’t have to tell you that.”

  “No, you don’t. Jeez… What a mess.”

  “Another mess, you mean.”

  “Yeah.” She looked up at him. “We can’t change what was done in the past, but we can sure as hell do whatever we can to make things right.”

  He nodded but seemed as low as she’d ever seen him. “This happened on my watch, on Joe’s, your dad’s. We’re all going to take a hit, so you need to be ready for people coming for your dad.”

  She would never be ready for that. “No one despised Stahl more than he did.”

  “Maybe so, but it was still his job at one time or another to supervise him, just as it was my job and Joe’s. We’re all on the hook for this.”

  “Let’s do an interview with Darren about how horrified we are and how horrified my dad would be to know what Stahl was really doing while he was filing false reports about his efforts.” Since Sam never voluntarily did anything with the media, the idea got his attention. “We can say there’s never been a day that we didn’t come here and do our very best for the people of this District. That kind of thing. If we get out ahead of it, we might stanch the bleeding a bit. And we can praise Jeannie for the rescue of Carisma and the other children.”

  “It’s not a terrible idea. I’ll pitch it to Joe.” He seemed considerably brighter than he had a second ago.

  “It always helps to have a plan.”

  “Yes, it does, and it’s a good one. I’m sure he’ll go for it.”

  “Let me know, and I’ll set it up with Darren.”

  “Are you going home?”

  “As soon as I give Dani and Gigi their marching orders. Gigi is back tonight.”

  “Glad to have her back.”

  * * *

  Detective Cameron Green met Detective Gigi Dominguez in the parking lot, opened her car door and gave her a hand getting out of the car.

  She winced from the pain in her midsection that had persisted following the recent removal of her spleen.

  “You’re coming back too soon, hon.” Her face was pale, her dark eyes big. He was crazy about her and had urged her to take more time off.

  “I’m fine. It’s just an occasional twinge now. Is that the LT’s car? I thought she was on vacation.”

  “She came in to help deal with the fallout over the Deasly case.”

  “What an incredible bust for Jeannie. I’m so proud of her.”

  “We all are, but it’s causing chaos for the department.”

  “I saw that. People are saying some ugly stuff about the chief and others, including Skip Holland.”

  “I know. It’s horrible. If they’d had any idea what Stahl was doing, they would’ve intervened immediately. They’ve discovered he was filing bogus reports about investigations when he wasn’t doing anything.”

  “Oh my God. That’s crazy! I was thinking about that earlier and wondering how he could live with himself. I never could’ve.”

  “Me neither. I feel bad going home at the end of a shift when a case is still open.”

  “Yes, exactly.” She smiled up at him, and even though it was freezing and starting to snow, Cameron didn’t want to be anywhere else. “What are you up to tonight?”

  “Jeffrey and I will be a couple of sad sacks alone on the sofa because our best girl is working.”

  “Aw, you guys are so cute. You should watch some hockey while you have the chance.”

  “But you’ve got me hooked on HGTV. Hockey doesn’t look as good to me anymore. Nothing looks as good to me as you do.” He kissed her, which was all they’d done so far since she was still recovering from the serious injuries inflicted by her ex-boyfriend. God, he wanted her so badly, but he would wait for as long as it took for her to feel well again and be ready for all the things he wanted with her.

  “I’ve got to go.”

  “I know.” He put his arms around her. “Please be careful. No setbacks.”

  “I’m on desk duty for another month, so don’t worry.”

  “I will worry.” Reluctantly, he pulled back to kiss her again. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She gave him that sexy little smile that made his heart race. “Can’t wait.”

  “Break it up, lovers,” Gigi’s partner, Dani Carlucci, said as she approached them. “We’ve got work to do, girlfriend.”

  “Let’s get to it,” Gigi said as she walked away with Dani, giving him a wave over her shoulder.

  Cameron swept the snow off his car and got in, turning the heater to high. A long, boring evening loomed until he could see her in the morning at shift change. Working opposite schedules was going to suck, but they had weekends to look forward to and would make it work.

  Somehow.

  * * *

  “You two are hot and heavy, huh?” Dani asked as she held the door to the morgue for Gigi.

  “Not as hot and heavy as I’d like to be. He treats me like I’m made of blown glass and might shatter at any moment.”

  “That’s the way he ought to treat you after what you’ve been through.”

  “I’m much better than I was.”

  “But you’re not quite there yet, and he sees that.”

  “I guess.”

  “So you’re in love, huh?”

  “Like I’ve never been in my entire life. I had no idea, Dan. None at all.”

  “That’s amazing. That’s how it should be.”

  “Is it weird that I’m a tiny bit thankful to Ezra for losing his mind and forcing me to end that relationship once and for all so I could have this exciting new thing with Cam?”

  “Yes, it’s very weird to be thankful for the beating you withstood.”

  “I’m not thankful for that. But I am thankful to be free of him and to have the chance to be with Cameron.”

  “He’s such a good guy. I’ve always thought so, but seeing the way he’s cared for you these last few weeks has made me love him even more than I already did.”

  “I’m glad you do. That means a lot.”

  “They caught a new homicide today,” Dani said as they walked to the pit. “A twenty-four-year-old woman raped and murdered in Rock Creek Park.”

  “Oh God,” Gigi said, her good mood deflating just that quickly. Working murder did that to you. It reminded you that even when things were going better than they ever had in your own life, other people’s lives were falling apart. And it never became routine, no matter how many years she came into work to news of yet another senseless killing. Her own recent brush with mortality had Gigi’s emotions hovering close to the surface as she walked into the pit for the first time in weeks.

  Her colleagues embarrassed her with applause.

  “Thanks, everyone.”

  “Glad to have you back, Gigi,” Sam said. “You’re looking well.”

  “I’m feeling much better.”

  “Take it nice and easy until you’re back to a hundred percent.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” It never got old reporting to the wonder known as Lieutenant Sam Holland. Gigi loved that the rest of the world would have the chance to find out what an amazing person she was now that she was first lady.

  “Let’s get you ladies up to speed.”

  Sam and Freddie went over what had been done so far in the Olsen investigation.

  “Archie should have the dump on her phone soon, so start there. Go through everything and find out if she was beefing with anyone.” She handed over the phone numbers Wes and his brother had provided to account for their whereabouts during the time of the murder. “Confirm their alibis. And then get with Archie’s team to see where we are in the review of cameras in the park. After that, if you have time left, look into recent reports of any activity in the park.”

  “I was just coming to talk to you about that,” SVU Detective Erica Lucas said as she entered the pit, holding papers she handed to Sam. “Report of an unsolved rape we caught in the park two weeks ago.”

  Sam eyed the pages before handing them over to Dani. “We’ll want to compare DNA if there is any from Audrey.”

  “Will do,” Dani said. “We’ll take it from here.”

  “I’ll be in for a few hours in the morning if I can get here in the storm,” Sam said, “but I’m taking my laptop in case I can’t.”

  “Got it,” Gigi said. “We’ll be ready to update you by seven.”

  “Everyone else, go home and be careful getting back in the morning. We’re hearing this storm is going to be one for the ages.”

  “Could I have a minute, LT?” Erica asked.

  “Of course. Come in.”

  Gigi glanced at Dani. “What do you suppose that’s about?”

  “Not sure, but we’ll find out soon enough.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “What’s up?” Sam asked Erica, a detective she liked and respected.

  “Hearing rumblings that Ramsey is coming back to work while his firing is being appealed.”

  Sam groaned. “Just when we thought we’d seen the last of that son of a bitch.”

  “But he has rights, don’t you know.”

  “Whatever. We have rights, too, and one of them is the right to come to work and not have to deal with assholes.”

  Erica snorted out a laugh as she sat in Sam’s visitor chair. “Exactly. With all this shit about Stahl and his past cases coming to light, we don’t need people like Ramsey making the rest of us look bad.”

  “Agreed. Hopefully, the appeal won’t go anywhere.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears. So, tell me the truth. How was Camp David?”

  “Pretty and rustic. What I saw of it, anyway. Nick loved it.”

  “Did you?”

  “I wanted to.”

  “But?”

  “I felt a little odd about being on a mountaintop, removed from everything here.”

  “Odd. Is that another way of saying you were coming out of your skin?”

  “Maybe,” Sam said, laughing. “I so want downtime with my family, but the isolation there was crazy. Which, of course, was exactly what Nick needed. I’ll suck it up occasionally so he can get out of La Casa Blanca.”

  “Good plan. Is it all still surreal?”

  “It’s becoming a little less so as we get used to it—as much as anyone gets used to it. Thankfully, they’re mostly leaving me to do my thing here and not expecting me to be a traditional first lady—not that there’s anything wrong with being a traditional first lady.”

  “I get you. It’s not your thing.”

  “No, it most definitely isn’t. I have a great team there helping to keep me engaged without me having to be engaged, if that makes sense.”

  “It does, and it lets you have the best of both worlds. I’m gonna go and let you get home to your family.”

  “Thanks for the info you brought us.”

  “Let me know if anything comes of it. We’re still looking for the guy. He did a number on our victim. She was in the hospital for more than a week.”

  “But she got away.”

  “Because she had self-defense training. He took her by surprise, so she couldn’t fight back until after he’d assaulted her. She believes he intended to kill her, but she hasn’t been able to tell us much else. She’s severely traumatized.”

  “Is that in the report?”

  “Yep.”

  “Thanks again.”

  “You got it.”

  After Erica left, Sam put her coat on and grabbed her bag, phone and keys. “I’m out,” she said to Dani, Gigi and Freddie. “And you,” she said, pointing to Freddie, “need to go home, too.”

  “I’m going. Can you give me a lift to the Metro? I figure it’ll be easier to get back that way tomorrow.”

  “No problem. Let’s go.”

  They walked out into snow falling much more intensely than it had been earlier.

  “The whole region is going to be paralyzed by this,” Freddie said.

  “I know. It’d be comical if it wasn’t such a pain in the ass. At least it won’t be as bad as it would be during a regular workweek.” She’d no sooner said the words than she was airborne, having slipped on a patch of ice under the snow. “Fuck,” she said when she landed hard on her hip and elbow. “Goddamn motherfucking snow.”

  Freddie had come around the car to help her up.