Paramedics were tending to Springer’s distraught grandmother and cousins. The medical examiner had been called, crime scene was coming, and there was nothing left to do for the homicide commander, so she heeded the chief’s orders and took her leave.

“Sam?”

She turned back to face the chief’s weary gaze.

“You did good work here. You did all you could.”

“Will Bill Springer care that we did good work when he hears another of his kids is dead?”

“I think he knew almost from the beginning who had killed Hugo and the others, and that’s why he was so unglued earlier. This isn’t going to come as a total surprise to him.”

“Perhaps not, but his sons are still dead, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

“This is one of those cases where we don’t get a satisfying ending. We did our jobs, we did our best and no amount of justice was ever going to bring back those nine kids or undo what happened to Brooke.”

“I know.”

“Keep me posted on Sergeant Gonzales’s condition. I’ll come to the hospital when we’re done here.”

“We need to bring the families in and tell them what happened to their kids.”

“I’ll get that set up for tomorrow, and Captain Malone will handle updating the media on what went down here.”

“Thank you.”

“I don’t have to tell you that these are the toughest times to be the commander. I have no doubt in your ability to get your folks through this.”

Because she didn’t trust herself to speak, she nodded, squeezed his arm and headed for her car, acknowledging the calls from colleagues to give Gonzo their best. She could only hope she got the chance to.

* * *

On the way to the hospital, Sam called her dad’s house to update them on the shooting and the finale of the MacArthur case, before they heard about a cop being shot on the news and had time to think the worst.

“We’ll pray for Tommy,” Celia said simply. “And for you.”

“Thanks, Celia.”

Her stepmother’s sweet compassion broke the dam on Sam’s emotions, and she sobbed all the way to the hospital in the comfort and privacy of her own car. She had to pull herself together before she got there, but for now, for this moment, she was finally able to indulge in the torrent of tears that’d been threatening for days.

It was all too much—her assaulted niece, the murder of nine kids, the twists and turns of the case, the job offer for Nick and now one of her closest friends shot in the line of duty. She couldn’t imagine life without Tommy Gonzales right at the center of it. His charming smile, his easygoing manner, his shrewd mind, his loyal and loving heart of gold...