“I love you.”
“That helps.See you soon.”
She ended the call, put the phone in her back pocket and then took a seat at the table because she didn’t trust her legs to transport her to the office to get her things and then to the morgue to get out of there.The whole building would be abuzz over her downfall, many of them probably celebrating that someone had finally succeeded in cutting the cocky lieutenant down to size.
Ten full minutes passed with her staring intently at the murder board that had four new victims as well as one who’d survived a similar attack.She didn’t blink or move and barely took more than a few breaths as she studied each of them, looking for something that wasn’t there.
A knock on the door had her blinking and snapping out of the stupor.“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”Freddie asked.
Sam kept her back to him.“I’m suspended for fourteen days.”
“What?Sam… No way.”
“I can’t talk to you or the others.Let Gonzo know he’s in charge.I’m going home.”When he didn’t move, she said, “Go, Freddie.Take care of it for me, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sam gave him a few minutes to put out the word and then got up to leave the room.She felt her shocked colleagues watching her as she went into her office to gather her things and as she closed the door without locking it, since Gonzo would need access.“Take care of each other,” she said as she walked toward the morgue, aware of Vernon shadowing her.
“You’re suspended?”he asked softly.
“Two weeks.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugged.“It’s my own fault.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
Lindsey saw them and came to the door.“What’s going on?”
“I’m out for two weeks.I’ll see you on the other side.I hope.”
Lindsey’s pretty face registered her shock.“Sam…”
“I have to go, Linds.Take care.”
Vernon waved off Quigley and held the back door of the SUV for her.“It feels horrible right now, but I have to believe this too shall pass.”
Sam felt hollowed out inside, as if her very soul had been extracted.Despite her close ties to the chief, Jeannie and Malone, there was a good chance she could lose her job—and she’d probably deserve that.She couldn’t imagine who she’d be without it.“I guess we’ll find out if this storm will pass.”
She rode home with her gaze fixed on the city she’d worked for her entire adult life.If she allowed herself to think about what might happen, she’d start crying and never stop.
And Archie… She needed to contact him about what she’d learned and the link to Offenbach.Had he taken Harlowe and assaulted her to get back at Archie?If so, how would her friend ever live with knowing that?
She had more questions than answers.
Such as why now?Why had they chosen this moment in time to come for her?Could it be because Tom Forrester, who’d once been accused of protecting her in the case involving Ramsey, was now dead and out of their way?Or was it because they had a beef with her husband and wanted to bring them down for some reason?
She should be working on getting answers to all those questions, but she’d been forbidden to work on any case, even one that involved her.She couldn’t call Freddie or Gonzo and ask them to do it for her, because she wasn’t allowed to talk to her two closest friends and colleagues.
As the SUV rolled through the White House gates, it occurred to her that Nick could call Freddie if it came to that.
That scenario made her feel slightly better, that she could do something to fight back against an accusation that threatened to ruin her career and reputation.That she wasn’t allowed to speak about the situation publicly, to take responsibility for her mistakes, would only make everything worse.
If that was even possible.
