“Don’t worry. I will. I’ll let you know if I get anything, and I’ll shoot you a text about where Josh is. Keep me posted about how Nick is doing?”

“Yeah, I will, and thanks.”

“No problem.”

Though he said it was no problem, this situation could turn into a huge problem for both of them unless they managed it carefully. But what was she supposed to do at this juncture? Go to her brass with the possibility that FBI Director Hamilton’s son could or could not be a child kidnapped from a family in Tennessee thirty years ago? She was already on thin ice with the department. If she opened that can of worms only to find out it wasn’t true, what then? And if Josh found out she’d taken his claims to the department, he’d bolt.

“What the hell is going on?” Angela asked when Sam had stashed the phone in her back pocket.

“A really weird new case.”

“I thought you were suspended.”

“Heard about that, huh?”

“Everyone knows. It was in the paper this morning.”

“Ugh, goddamned Darren.”

“It wasn’t just him. It was all over the place—in the papers, on TV, talk radio.”

“Great.” Her phone rang and she removed it from her pocket to check the caller ID. Her White House chief of staff, Lilia Van Nostrand’s name showed on the screen. Since Nick was still asleep, Sam took the call. “Hi, Lilia.”

“I just heard about the vice president. Is he all right? Are you?”

“He’s been felled by a nasty bout of the flu. I’m told he’s going to be fine. My nerves are shot, but otherwise, I’m okay.”

“Oh, thank goodness! I couldn’t believe what they were saying on the news about him being transported by ambulance to GW.”

“Jeez, nothing gets by the Washington press corps, huh?”

“No, and that’s the other reason for my call.”

“I heard my name is above the fold today.”

“It is, and I’m wondering how you wish to handle it.”

“Why do I have to handle it?”

“We’re getting slammed with requests for statements, as is the vice president’s office.”

“I spoke to Terry a few minutes ago, and he didn’t mention it.”

“Probably because he’s concerned for the vice president’s health at the moment, as am I. We wouldn’t want you to think our priorities lie anywhere other than with both of you.”

“I understand, and I appreciate the fact that you’re being slammed. You could say that the second lady has no comment on the suspension, which is an internal MPD matter.”

“How about the fact that U.S. Attorney Forrester is considering assault charges?”