The opposing attorney stood and cleared her throat. “My clients wholeheartedly object to Mr. Simone’s implication that this case is about money. This case is about two young children who need their family more than ever after the tragic loss of their parents. This case is about two children who don’t need to be thrust into the relentless glare of the public eye at this tender time in their lives. My clients were concerned enough when President and Mrs. Cappuano were the vice president and second lady. But recent events have significantly altered the equation. The thought of their grandchildren living in the White House, surrounded by Secret Service, isn’t at all what these loving grandparents want for Alden and Aubrey. We can’t believe it’s what their parents would’ve wanted either. We ask the judge to award emergency custody to my clients so the twins may recover from their heartbreaking loss in the privacy and safety of their grandparents’ home.”

  Ugh, Sam thought. I hate how concerned they are now. Where was all that concern after their parents were murdered?

  After the attorney took her seat, the judge sifted through several papers on his desk, leaving them to twist in the wind, waiting to hear what he would say.

  Nick took hold of Sam’s hand, and she reached for Elijah’s.

  His tight grip indicated his current stress level.

  “I’ve reviewed the supporting documentation submitted by both sides, including the financial reports for both the Dennises and Lawsons that indicate significant financial concerns that do make me question the timing of this petition. Mr. President, Mrs. Cappuano, Mr. Armstrong, let me be clear. Under any other circumstances, my ruling today would be clear cut in favor of Mr. Armstrong continuing as the twins’ guardian, which is what his father and stepmother clearly wanted. I’m also aware of the threatening email Mrs. Lawson sent to Mr. Armstrong, and I want to express my outrage at such tactics. That alone would be enough to deny your petition under normal circumstances.”

  Sam’s heart sank, and her palms began to sweat at his use of the words normal circumstances. He wasn’t going to give custody to those wretched people, was he? He couldn’t. She began to feel as if she might vomit at the thought of such a thing.

  “However, with the Cappuano family’s move to the White House to take into consideration, I want more information. I’ve assigned a social worker to do a visit with the twins tomorrow, as I understand the urgent desire to get this settled before the holidays, which is my intent. Because she’s already familiar with the children, Ms. Dolores Finklestein from Child and Family Services will be at the White House at ten o’clock tomorrow morning to conduct her visit. Once I receive her report, I’ll issue my decision.”

  He banged the gavel to signal their business before him was completed.

  Sam’s heart lifted somewhat at hearing Ms. Finklestein had been assigned to the case, as the woman had worked with them when the twins first came to live with them.

  “I can’t believe this,” Eli whispered, sounding as if he was on the verge of tears.

  “I think it’s going to be okay,” Nick said. “We know Ms. Finklestein, and she’s already agreed once that the twins are well cared for with us.”

  “Still… How are we supposed to breathe until this is over?”

  That’s when Sam realized she had somewhere else to be the next morning. “Gonzo is testifying tomorrow morning. I have to be there.”

  “Uh, I hate to say it, babe, but I don’t think we can risk you not being there to assure Picklestein”—as Nick had called her—“that the twins are in good hands with us. I’m texting Terry to clear my schedule for the morning.”

  Sam knew he was right, but she had to be there to support Gonzo when he testified against the man who’d killed his partner. Maybe she could start with Picklestein and leave her with Nick and Elijah to finish up.

  When they were back in the car to return to the White House, she texted Gonzo to tell him about what’d happened in court.

  Do what you need to for the kids. I’ll be okay.

  I’ll get there the second I can and will be sending you all the love and support in the whole world.

  Thanks. I appreciate it. I feel ready to do what needs to be done for Arnold. Christina will be there. Arnold’s parents and sisters, too, along with the rest of the squad, Farnsworth and Malone. Please don’t worry about me. Do whatever it takes to keep those babies where they belong.

  Will do. Hugs to you.

  Sam would do what needed to be done for her family at home, and then she’d join her work family to support Gonzo.

  * * *

  Ms. Finklestein was nothing if not prompt. She came into the White House at the stroke of ten a.m., appearing to have zero fucks to give—or so it seemed to Sam—for the house, the history, the Christmas decorations, the president, the first lady or anything other than Alden and Aubrey, who remembered her from their previous meeting. Sam feared her presence would trigger painful memories for them, but they seemed to roll with her without any sign of trauma, which was a relief.

  The woman asked first to see their bedrooms and allowed the twins to tow her along the red-carpeted hallway to their rooms. While Sam, Nick and Eli hovered outside the door, she asked them about their school, their routine, what they thought of their new home and how they were liking living with Sam, Nick and Scotty.

  “How’s it going?” Scotty whispered when he and Skippy joined them. He’d put the puppy on a leash in deference to their visitor.

  “So far so good.”

  “My stomach hurts,” he said.

  “Mine, too,” Sam said, putting an arm around her son and kissing the top of his head.

  “I like the pool the best,” Alden said. “It’s really fun to be able to swim, even though it’s cold out.”

  “That must be fun.”

  “It is! I can dog-paddle, and Nick is teaching me to kick my feet. He swims with us every night after dinner. It’s so much fun.”

  “What about you, Aubrey? What do you like best?”

  “The theater. We can watch any movie we want and eat popcorn.”

  “How’s school been going?” she asked.

  “We’re on bacation!” Aubrey announced. “We’re going to…” She looked up at Sam in the doorway. “Where’s that place again?”

  Sam smiled at how adorable she was. “Camp David.”

  “We get to ride on a heliclopter,” Alden said.

  “That’s very exciting. Does it ever bother you to have the agents with you when you go to school?”

  Aubrey shook her head. “They always have a treat for us after school. They’re our friends.”

  Sam hadn’t heard that about the treats, and it made her appreciate the Secret Service agents even more.

  “And you like living with Nick and Sam and Scotty?”

  Alden nodded as Aubrey smiled. “We have lots of fun with them,” she said, her smile dimming somewhat before she said, “But we miss Mommy and Daddy so much.”

  Sam’s heart went out to the sweet little girl who was concerned about being disloyal to her late parents by expressing her happiness at living with her and Nick.

  They took Ms. Finklestein to the third-floor conservatory that doubled as a family and play room and showed her the movie theater, the bowling alley, the pool and the playset on the South Lawn that Nick had gotten for them. As they moved through the White House, various members of the staff stopped to say hello to the first family.

  “When can we bake more cookies?” Aubrey asked Florence.

  “Whenever you want, Miss Aubrey. You come see me, and we’ll bake up a storm.”

  “Can I?” Aubrey asked Sam.

  “Sure, we can do that later.”

  “I’ll look forward to it,” Florence said. “Miss Aubrey is one of my very best assistants.”

  Aubrey beamed with pleasure at hearing that.

  When they returned to the sitting room in the residence, Reginald came in with a tray of refreshments. They introduced him to Ms. Finklestein.

  “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am. Mr. Alden, I included those chocolate snowmen you liked yesterday.”

  “Thank you so much,” Alden said, smiling at the older man.

  His smile had been slow to return after he’d witnessed some of the horror perpetrated on his parents, which was why they celebrated every one of them.

  “Scotty,” Ms. Finklestein said, “would you mind taking the twins to play for a bit while I talk to your parents and Elijah?”

  “Sure,” he said, casting a wary glance at Sam and Nick before he led the twins and Skippy out of the room.

  “He’s good with them,” Ms. Finklestein said.

  “He adores them,” Sam said bluntly. “He considers himself their older brother and Elijah to be his older brother. They’re the family Nick and I always hoped for but never dared to dream would happen for us. We may not be the most conventional parents, but I assure you we love those kids with every fiber of our beings. Our connection to them was instantaneous, and it’s only grown in the months that they’ve lived with us.”

  “I can see they’re happy and as well-adjusted as we could hope, considering their terrible loss. The judge’s primary concern is the change in your circumstances since they first came to live with you.”

  “If I may address that,” Elijah said haltingly. “Sam and Nick… They’re the same people they were when they lived on Ninth Street. None of the things that matter in this situation have changed. They spend time every day with the twins, and when they can’t be with them, Mrs. Holland and Mrs. Hill are here with them, providing stability and care. They’re part of a family here, and that family has been critical to my brother and sister’s recovery from the loss of our parents. They didn’t have a big extended family around them when my parents were alive. We’d had to leave all that when our dad was threatened by his ex-business partner. Here, they not only have Scotty, but they have aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends who are like family to them. Their recovery will take years, but I believe with all my heart that keeping them a part of this family will ensure they do eventually recover.” He blinked back tears. “I understand that the arrangement I have with Sam and Nick might seem unconventional to outsiders, but it works for us—and most importantly, it works for Alden and Aubrey. I’m not sure if they’d survive another massive upheaval after what they’ve already endured.” He cleared his throat. “That’s all I wanted to say.”

  “If I could add,” Nick said, taking hold of Sam’s hand, “we love all three of these kids very much, and the six of us have become a family in the last couple of months. There’s nothing Sam and I wouldn’t do for any of them, including Eli.”

  “I’ve heard what you’ve said, and I’ll make note of it in my report,” Ms. Finklestein said, standing to leave. “I appreciate your time this morning, and I wish you all a merry Christmas.”

  Sam wanted to tell her that the only chance they had of a merry Christmas was if she recommended the court keep the twins with them. But she held her tongue, walked her out with Nick and thanked her for coming.

  When the sturdy older woman was out of sight, Sam rested her head on Nick’s chest. “I can’t handle this.”

  “Me either.”

  “She absolutely has to be on our side. I don’t know what I’d ever do if we lost custody of them.”

  “I can’t bear to think about it.”

  “I hate to say that I have to go. If I leave now, I might catch Gonzo’s testimony.”

  “Go ahead and go. I’ve got the rest of the morning free to spend with the kids, and Celia will relieve me at noon until you get back.”

  Sam went up on tiptoes to kiss him. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “It has to be,” he said, hugging her.

  “Love you. Love our sweet family.”

  “Love you, too.”

  “I’ll be back the second I can.”

  “Tell Tommy I wish I could be there, too.”

  “I will.”

  As she went to meet Vernon and Jimmy, who were driving her to court, she thought about how it would devastate them all to lose the twins. But it would break Nick and Scotty, both of whom finally had the family they’d never had before.

  That absolutely couldn’t happen.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Please state your name for the court,” Assistant U.S Attorney Faith Miller said after Gonzo had sworn to tell the truth.

  Since entering the courtroom, he’d managed to avoid looking toward the defense table. “Detective Sergeant Thomas Gonzales.”

  “And you’ve been with the Metropolitan Police Department for how long?”

  “Thirteen years as of this coming February.”

  “And a Homicide detective for how long?”

  “Five years.”

  “What is your position within the Homicide squad?”

  “I’m second-in-command to Lieutenant Holland.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant. Would you please take the court through the investigation that led to you and your partner, Detective AJ Arnold, attempting to apprehend the defendant, Sid Androzzi?”

  In the calm, cool tone he’d practiced with Faith as well as his wife, Christina, over the last few weeks, Gonzo went through the Androzzi investigation from the beginning, starting with a rash of stabbings, several of them fatal, that had eventually led to a man known as Giuseppe Besozzi, who was believed to be Italian. Later, they’d learned that Besozzi was actually Sid Androzzi, who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list for his role in a multicity human trafficking ring. The trial had been combined to include Arnold’s murder and the stabbings. Androzzi also faced federal human trafficking charges. Gonzo’s testimony was part of a trial that was expected to take up to a month to try.

  “Can you describe the events leading up to your encounter with Mr. Androzzi?” Faith asked, with a warm, compassionate look that only he could see.

  This would be the hard part.

  Before he began speaking, he saw Sam sneak into the room and take a seat in the back.

  Fortified by her support as well as the rest of his squad, including Detective Dominguez, who’d surprised him by coming, Gonzo took a deep breath and began to tell the story of the worst night of his life. “Detective Arnold and I had been staked outside of Mr. Androzzi’s local residence for several hours. It was long after our regular tour had ended. We were cold, hungry, tired and impatient. At least I was. Arnold was complaining about the cold and being hungry and asking how much longer we were going to wait for Androzzi to come home. I told him we were waiting as long as it took, and if he’d shut up about the inconvenience, I’d let him take the lead with Androzzi.”

  Gonzo paused and offered a small smile. “He was so excited to take the lead for the first time. Arnold… He was a great young guy, full of enthusiasm for the job and for life. He was becoming an exceptional detective, but he was still young, you know? I used to say he was like a puppy, but the best kind of puppy. Lovable and smart, but with some growing up left to do. Arnold asked me to go through the steps with him so he’d be ready. We did it a few times, going over each aspect of what would need to happen once Androzzi arrived on the scene. Arnold was ready. I’d known that for quite some time, but I hadn’t given him the chance yet.”

  Gonzo’s voice broke, and he gave himself a second to get his emotions under control. This is for Arnold, he told himself. You have to get through this for him.

  Arnold’s weeping parents, sisters and girlfriend didn’t help, but after a minute, he got himself together enough to proceed. “When we finally saw Androzzi, we got out of the car and walked toward him. Arnold showed his badge and began to identify himself. Before he could finish the sentence, Androzzi had fired the shot to the face that killed Arnold. I got off a couple of rounds, but I didn’t hit him. In the second it took me to process what’d happened, Arnold was dead, and Androzzi was gone.”

  Gonzo pulled a tissue from the box on the witness stand and wiped the tears from his eyes. “The thing I remember most was the gurgling sound that came from Arnold’s throat. I’d never heard anything like that before, and I hope I never do again.”

  “What happened then?”

  “The Patrol officers who’d been providing coverage for us went after Androzzi. I stayed with Arnold until EMTs arrived and pronounced Arnold dead, and then I went with him to the morgue.”

  “Is the man who shot your partner in this courtroom today?” Faith asked.

  Gonzo finally allowed himself to look at the defendant, who stared back at him with soulless black eyes. “That’s him.”

  “Let the record show that the witness has identified the defendant, Sid Androzzi,” Faith said. To Gonzo, she said, “Thank you, Sergeant. Nothing further.”

  The defense attorney stood to cross-examine Gonzo. “You said the whole thing happened quickly.”

  “Yes,” Gonzo said, his body filled with tension as he anticipated what the defense attorney might ask him.

  “How quickly?”

  “Thirty seconds, start to finish.”

  “And in that half a minute, during which your partner was fatally shot, you got a good enough look at my client to identify him without a shadow of a doubt?”

  “Yes, I did. I’d know him anywhere.”

  “What happened after your partner was murdered?”

  “We, uh, continued to work the case against Androzzi, who was eventually apprehended. We supported Arnold’s parents, sisters and colleagues through the tragic loss of an outstanding young man.”

  “What happened to you personally?”

  Gonzo knew he shouldn’t be surprised that someone had fed the information to the defense, but he was, nonetheless. They probably had Ramsey to thank for that. “I went through a very difficult struggle with grief and guilt that included a dependency on pain medication that I’ve since overcome with the help of therapy and rehab.”

  Clearly, the attorney hadn’t expected him to be so forthright, but Gonzo had learned to own his truth so it wouldn’t have destructive power over him anymore.

  “During your dependency on pain medication, did you ever do anything illegal to procure the pills?”