“God,” she said on a long exhale. “How’s your team holding up?”

  “We’re exhausted and only about halfway done with processing the scene. And then there’s the storage unit.”

  “I heard about that.”

  “I can only imagine what might be in there.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I just needed to vent. I know you’re on vacation.”

  “I’ll be back early next week, and in the meantime, my team is available to support you in any way needed. Just get with Gonzo about what you need.”

  “He’s been helping. We’re running on fumes, and the paperwork alone will kill me.”

  “Ask for help, Max. And encourage your team to see Dr. Trulo after you’re done there.”

  “I’ve already talked to him about that.”

  “Good.”

  “It’s just so fucking shocking, you know? That someone we worked closely with… I don’t have to tell you.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “This is going to be bad when it goes public, Sam.”

  “I know. My stomach is in knots over it.”

  “Mine, too. I’d better get back to it. Thanks for checking in. I appreciate it.”

  “Call me any time, Max. I mean it.”

  “Will do. Thanks.”

  Sam had no sooner slapped her phone closed than it buzzed with a text from Freddie. Cristen Hans Reid has gone public with the fact that we’re looking at Stahl for the murders of her sister and several others.

  “Oh fuck,” Sam said as she read the text.

  “What now?” Nick asked as he approached the sofa where she was seated.

  “One of the women I saw the other day has gone public about the new investigation into Stahl—before we were ready for that.”

  She’s going off on how the MPD was sitting on info that could’ve solved her sister’s case years ago, that the murderer was among their ranks while her family lived with unbearable heartbreak.

  That text was quickly followed by one from Helen, the chief’s admin. All-hands commander meeting at fifteen hundred. All commanders are urged to attend.

  She glanced at the clock on the mantel. The meeting was in fifteen minutes. “Commander meeting at three,” she told Nick. “I know we’re supposed to be on vacation, but I need to attend that meeting.”

  “I understand. I just spent half the day dealing with my job.”

  “We suck at vacation.”

  Turn on the news, Freddie texted.

  Sam reluctantly reached for the remote and turned on the TV to find the woman she’d met the other day standing in front of a podium.

  “For all this time,” Cristen said, “the person who took my sister from us might’ve been working as a police officer in Washington, DC. He once headed the division that investigates murders. How ironic. I want to know what the MPD knew and when they knew it. This man has been convicted of twice trying to kill the woman who’s now our first lady. She came to my house the other day in her capacity as the lieutenant in charge of the Homicide division to inform me that new information has come to light that could tie Leonard Stahl to my sister’s disappearance and presumed murder. Has she known all along that she isn’t the only one he targeted? I know I speak for all the other families who had loved ones go missing in the District around the same time as my sister did. We want answers, and we want them now.”

  “Holy shit,” Sam whispered.

  Reporters shouted questions at her, many of them involving Sam, her visit to the woman and what she’d said about Stahl.

  “I don’t blame her, per se,” Cristen said. “She was doing her job by coming to inform me of the development, and I appreciate the update. But since she was there, I have nothing but questions, and I know I’m not alone in that. Like other families, we’ve waited years for news of our missing loved one. Parents and grandparents have died without ever knowing what became of their daughters and granddaughters. If the MPD has suspected Stahl of these murders and is only now telling us, it’s a travesty.”

  “Whoa,” Sam said. “We just found this out, and I told her that. Son of a bitch.”

  Nick’s hand covered hers. “I’m sure the department will come out with a statement in response to her allegations.”

  “We should’ve said something before now,” she said. “But they were waiting until they knew more about what was at the house. Now we’ve lost control of the story.”

  Her phone rang with a call from Malone.

  “Hey.”

  “Have you heard?”

  “I’m watching it now.”

  “Can you do the three o’clock meeting?”

  “Yes, I’ll be there.”

  “Thanks.”

  He was gone before she could say anything else.

  * * *

  Sam used her laptop to log on to the meeting with a link that Malone emailed to her.

  “Thanks for joining us, Lieutenant,” Chief Farnsworth said.

  “No problem.”

  “We’ve got everyone here except Lieutenant Haggerty, who’s been excused. Thank you all for joining us for an update on where we stand with the Stahl investigation. As you know, forensic teams are on-site at his home and have uncovered human remains. After taking down a wall that appeared new, Haggerty and his detectives have found two rooms that appeared to be holding cells. Today, the sister of one of the missing women went public with our suspicions that Stahl is responsible for the deaths of numerous women.

  “We’ve put together a statement that describes what we’ve found thus far and what we’re doing to expedite the investigation. There’s a quote from me included in the statement that says we understand and acknowledge that the families involved have already waited too long for justice for their missing and presumed murdered loved ones, but that this is painstaking work that’ll take time to complete. I said we’ve only recently learned of Stahl’s potential involvement in these cold cases, that we’re sickened by these crimes and committed to a full accounting of every violation committed by Leonard Stahl while he was pretending to be an upstanding police officer.

  “I expect pressure from city hall to resign. I won’t do that. I intend to clean up every aspect of Stahl’s mess before I even consider leaving. If they want me out, they’ll have to fire me. His crimes occurred partially on my watch, and I’ll see it through to the bitter end. I’ve been in consultation with former Chief Williams, who’s as shocked and outraged as the rest of us.”

  Sam was relieved to hear the chief say he intended to stay in the fight. The mention of Don Williams brought back many childhood memories tied to her father, who’d been close friends with the former chief. As far as she knew, Williams was living in Phoenix, where he’d moved after retirement to be closer to his children and grandchildren.

  Williams hadn’t attended her dad’s funeral because he’d been ill at the time. He’d sent a card expressing his profound sorrow over the loss of his close friend and colleague.

  “I’ll be the face of this story for the department,” Farnsworth continued. “No one else is to speak to the media. Please make sure your teams are aware of that directive, as I have no doubt every member of the department will be subjected to public commentary and potential reporter interest. I’m the only one authorized to speak to the media. Full stop.

  “Thank you all for your attention to this matter and for your support this week. It’s meant a lot to me, Deputy Chief McBride, Captain Malone, Lieutenant Haggerty and his team as we work our way through this process. I also want to remind everyone that Dr. Trulo is available to anyone who needs him.

  “We understand this is a lot for the men and women of our department to absorb. It’s always extra disappointing when we learn that one of our own isn’t on the same team as the rest of us. We’ve had more than our share of that lately, but I assure you that I’m committed to rooting out the rot in this department. That’s all I wanted to say. Thank you.”

  “Thank you, Chief,” McBride said. “And may I echo everything the chief said. We’re here to support our team in any way we can, and we’ll get through this together.”

  “That’s all,” Malone said. “We’ll put out an all-staff message summarizing this meeting. Let us know if there’re any questions or concerns from your people.”

  Sam signed off the meeting and sent a text to Joe Farnsworth’s personal cell phone. Just wanted you to know I’m thinking of you, and as always, you have my full support. Thank you for your determination to stay in the fight. We need you right now, but please take care of yourself in all this. She added a heart emoji and sent the text.

  Then she went downstairs and turned on the TV, looking for coverage of the chief’s news conference.

  Capital News Network covered it live. The chief read the statement Public Affairs had drafted and then added his own sentiments, including much of what he’d said in the commander’s meeting.

  “What do you have to say to Caren Hans’s sister and all the other families?” a reporter asked.

  “I empathize with all the families affected by this man’s actions. My own family, right here in this building, has been impacted by him. Lieutenant Holland and her sisters were like nieces to my wife and me as they grew up. Their father was my closest friend. When Stahl attacked her, he attacked my family.”

  Sam winced even as his words touched her deeply. The last thing she needed was more reminders to the rest of the department of how close her family had always been to the chief and his wife. That closeness had led to an ongoing feeling, among some of her colleagues, that she benefited from nepotism. Even though her father had died, her “uncle” Joe was still the chief. To which she said, Whatever. She worked her freaking ass off on the job and always had. At times, she felt as if she worked harder than most so she wouldn’t be accused of favoritism.

  In her opinion, her last name had caused her more trouble than any benefit it might’ve provided. Stahl hated her because he hated her father. Others had accused her of unfair advantages, and she was always up against the challenge of being a woman in a largely male profession.

  “My department is taking these new allegations against Stahl extremely seriously. We will stay on this case until every victim has received the justice they deserve.”

  “What would you say to people who consider your department incompetent?”

  “The MPD is made up of four thousand hardworking men and women. In any organization of that size, you’ll have a few who don’t play by the rules. We will fully prosecute anyone who breaks the law after having sworn to uphold it. Our recent arrest of former IT Lieutenant Bill Gibbons is an example of that. He’s someone I considered a friend until it was learned that he assisted Stahl in some of his criminal activities. We have a zero-tolerance policy for lawlessness within our own ranks, and I assure the public that the rest of us are hard at work every day to protect this city and its citizens. As disgusted and revolted by these new allegations as you are, I promise you that we are more so.”

  He paused, resting his hands on the podium. “I’ve devoted my entire adult life to the District of Columbia and its residents. It’s been the greatest honor of my life to wear this uniform and this badge in our nation’s capital. Most of the people who work with me in this department feel the same way I do and show up every day to do a difficult, often thankless job.

  “Do we always get it right? Absolutely not. We screw up far more often than we’d like to, but most of us come in each day with the best of intentions and the goal of doing the right thing. Twelve of our officers have made the ultimate sacrifice on the job. Others have been severely injured, their lives changed forever by a bullet or a knife or even a car intentionally hitting them. Many have been traumatized by things they’ve seen and experienced in the line of duty. We see things… every day… things that change us forever.

  “I hear the drumbeat of people calling for my ouster, who want to blame me for every law-breaking cop who ever came through these doors. I understand the desire to hold me accountable for the misdeeds of those who report to me. I accept responsibility for the good, the bad, the terrible, the heartbreaking and everything in between that happens on my watch. You can lead the charge to remove me, but I promise you that won’t deter people who are determined to break the law while the rest of us work to uphold it. Those people will always exist. A new leader won’t share my intense commitment to right the wrongs of the past. This is personal to me in a way it wouldn’t be to someone else. Trust me when I tell you that every ounce of my energy and fortitude is directed toward ensuring every victim of Leonard Stahl’s—and their families—receive justice long denied. That’s all I’ve got to say at this time. I’ll update you the minute we have new information.”

  Sam wiped tears off her cheeks as she watched him walk through the main doors to HQ.

  “We’ve just heard from Metro PD Chief Joseph Farnsworth,” the anchor said, “who’s expressed his determination to stay on the job despite the growing calls for his resignation or ouster as the full extent of imprisoned former Lieutenant Leonard Stahl’s crimes comes to light. Dan, what would justice look like to families of the missing women? He’s already serving two life sentences with no chance of parole.”

  “For many of them,” Dan said, “I’d imagine justice would come from their bodies being found after all this time, of Stahl being tried and convicted specifically for taking their lives. I spoke to Cristen Hans Reid earlier, and this is what she had to say about that.”

  “For me,” Cristen said in a recorded clip, “it doesn’t matter that he’s already in prison. I want him to stand trial for killing my sister. I want a jury to find him guilty of that particular crime. I want him punished specifically for her death. And if others within the MPD knew what he did, I want them punished as well. I won’t rest until the people who took my sister from me pay for their crimes.”

  Nick sat next to Sam on the sofa and rested his hand on top of hers. The heat from his hand made her realize how cold hers was. “Are you okay, babe?”

  “I think so.”

  “What do you think of what she said?”

  “I agree with her. Just because he’s in prison for what he did to me doesn’t mean his other victims have gotten justice. I’m glad he’s going to be charged for all the other things he did, including the burying of reports and cases he didn’t feel like dealing with. So what if he’s already serving life in prison? I want him found guilty for what he did to Calvin Worthington’s family and Carisma Deasly’s and for framing Eric Davies on rape charges. I want him convicted for everything he’s done. I want justice for all his victims.”

  “I’m worried about the toll this is taking on you.”

  “It’s not about me.”

  “Samantha, come on. Of course it’s about you. This has to be bringing everything you went through with him back to the surface, although I’m sure it’s never far from your mind.”

  Sam had chosen not to tell him about her recent dream because it would upset him, and she couldn’t bear to relive it. “I try not to ever think about him or what he did to me.”

  “Which has to be much more difficult at times like this and when you learn what he did to—or didn’t do for—others.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I can see that you’ve been crying.”

  “It’s all very upsetting. I’d never say otherwise. Hearing the chief just now… He made me so proud to work for such a good man. That’s what caused the tears.”

  Nick put his arm around her. “I’m sorry you’re all going through this. It’s outrageous.”

  “Yes, it is, but I’d rather know the full extent and give those families as much closure as we can.”

  “And that, right there, is what makes you the best cop I’ll ever know.”

  “I’m not the best.”

  “Yes, you are, and you have to let me think so.”

  “As long as you only say that to me.”

  “I’d say it to anyone who’d listen, but I know you don’t want that.”

  “You’re right. I don’t.”

  “We’ve got a few more days until the rest of the family arrives. What do you feel like doing?”

  “After I take care of a couple of emails to my team and check in with Gonzo, I’d love nothing more than to light that fire and snuggle with you while we watch all the movies we’ve been saying we need to see.”

  “That sounds perfect to me. Let’s do it.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Gonzo was about to go knock on the door of the interrogation room to move things along when Sam called. “I guess you’ve seen the latest?” he asked her.

  “I have. I watched the chief’s presser. He did a great job.”

  “What was the commander’s meeting about?”

  “An update to us on the Stahl case and a request from the chief that I’ve sent to all of you by email, reminding everyone that he is the only one authorized to speak publicly about the case. Pass that along to our people if you would.”

  “I will, and thank God he’s willing to do it.”

  “I know, right? I feel for him at times like this. He’s tied for first with my dad as one of the best cops I’ve ever worked with. He doesn’t deserve all the shit that happens around there.”

  “No, he doesn’t. None of us do. Speaking of shit around here, I heard that Forrester’s office is moving ahead with charges against Ramsey for smashing into your SUV. They’re working with the FBI on the investigation and looking to really make an example out of Ramsey, who not only attacked the first lady but two federal agents with his actions.”

  “I’m glad he’s getting what he deserves, but it’s just more bad press for the department at a time when we really don’t need it.”

  “It’s also proof that we prosecute our own. It’s a good message to send to anyone thinking about skirting the rules or assaulting people.”

  “I guess. How’s it going with the Fortier case?”

  “Our prime suspect is currently conferring with her attorney. Wait till you get a load of this guy. He handed us cards that noted he graduated from Harvard Law last May. He’s a pompous ass.”