“How do you think they got in?” Desperate to maintain some semblance of distance from him, she spoke in the clipped, professional tone she used to interview witnesses.

“I have no idea.”

“Does anyone have a key?”

“John had the only other one.”

“Where did he keep it?”

“I’m not sure. I gave it to him in case I ever locked myself out.”

“Which probably never happens.”

“It hasn’t yet.”

“You don’t use the security system?” she asked.

“It came with the place. I’ve never had it turned on.”

“You might want to think about that.”

“Really? Gee, thanks for that advice, Sergeant.”

She shot him a warning look.

“I’m sorry,” he said, dropping his head to run his fingers through thick dark hair.

Sam licked her lips, wishing she could do that for him.

“I don’t mean to snap at you. It’s just the idea of someone in my home, going through my stuff… It has me kind of skeeved out.”

“Any idea what they might be looking for?”

His shoulders sagged with fatigue. “None.”

Sam’s heart went out to him. He’d had a horrible, painful day, and she wished she could find an appropriate excuse to hug him. She made an effort to soften her tone. “Is it possible someone is trying to find something here they couldn’t find at the senator’s place?”

“I can’t imagine what. Neither of us ever took anything sensitive out of the office. There’re all kinds of rules about that.”

“What kind of sensitive stuff was he involved with?”

“After the midterm election, he was appointed to the Senate Homeland Security Committee, but most of his work was in the areas of commerce, finance, children, families and the aged. None of that was overly sensitive.”

Watching his tired face with much more than professional interest, she was dying to address the elephant in the room—the six years’ worth of unfinished business and the tension that zipped through her every time she connected with those hot hazel eyes of his. “Is it possible he was involved in something you didn’t know about?”

Nick scoffed. “Highly doubtful.”

“But possible?”

“Sure it is, but John didn’t operate that way. He relied on us for everything.”

“You alluded earlier to him being high maintenance for the staff. Other than having to wake him up in the morning, how did you mean?”

Nick was quiet for a long moment before he glanced at her. “This is all for background, right? I won’t read about it in tomorrow’s paper?”

“I think we’ve missed the deadline for the morning edition.”

“I’m serious, Sam. I don’t want to say or do anything to cause his parents any more grief than they’re already dealing with.”