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  67. 3:46 a.m.

There is one more piece that needs to fit. One more link in the chain.

I pick up my cell phone and dial Ingrid.

She doesn’t answer and I hang up and dial again. On the fourth ring, she answers groggily, “Hey.”

“Hi, honey.”

“I didn’t expect to hear from you today.”

“How is your mom doing?”

“About the same as yesterday. She’ll have to go to a speech therapist, but they think she’ll make a full recovery.”

“That’s great to hear.” I pause, then add. “But, actually, that’s not why I called.”

I can hear her readjust herself in bed. “Is something wrong? Did something happen to Lassie?”

“No, nothing like that. Everyone is okay.” I take a deep breath. “I need to know who wanted you to look into Jennifer Nubers’ murder.”

She lets out a laugh. “Don’t tell me your dad sucked you into that old case?”

“He did.”

“I told him it was a closed case, that they arrested the guy who did it, that his wife blew his brains out.”

“Yeah, I know. I can’t get into it now. I just need to know who asked you to look into the case.”

She could feel the angst in my voice. “Um, my captain.”

“Yeah, but it’s not his jurisdiction. This happened in DC.”

“He didn’t tell me much. He just told me I was off all my active cases and I was supposed to look into this. He said it was a closed case and it seemed pretty open and shut, but if I would spend a week looking into it, he would think of it as a personal favor to him.”

“I need you to find out who wanted him to look into it.”

“Okay, I’ll call him tomorrow.”

“No, I need you to call him now.”

I’d never said anything like this to her before.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll have my dad tell you after I fall asleep. I only have four minutes left and I need you to do this. Please.”

“Okay, but promise me your dad is going to tell me what’s going on.”

“I promise.”

She hangs up.

My dad and I look at each other, then look at the clock.

3:56.

3:57.

3:58.

My dad says, ‘“You better go lie down—”

My phone rings.

I put it on speaker.

“Did you get a hold of him?” I ask.

“Yeah, he wasn’t thrilled, but I asked him who wanted him to look into the case.”

“And?”

“He didn’t know. He got the order from his boss, the Virginia Police Commissioner.”

“Damn it.”

“Don’t worry. I made my captain call him.”

“And he did?”

“Yeah, I had to promise some favors, but he came through.”

“Who did the commissioner say asked him to look into the case?”

“He said it was President Sullivan.”

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