The doctor came into the room a few minutes later with a plastic evidence bag containing the chunk of metal that had changed all their lives so profoundly three years ago. Sam eyed the bullet with barely restrained interest, but made no move to touch the bag. Chain of custody would matter at some point, and she wasn’t about to do anything to mess up the most substantial clue they’d had yet in her dad’s unsolved case.

“This is Special Agent-in-Charge Avery Hill with the FBI,” Sam said to the doctor. “He’ll be taking custody of the bullet.”

“I have a couple of forms I need you to sign, Doc,” Hill said.

“Of course.”

Avery produced the forms, which the doctor signed, and then he handed the paperwork and the bag containing the bullet to Hill.

“I’ll get this to the lab and put a rush on it,” Hill said. “But it’s apt to be a few weeks this time of year.”

“I understand. Thanks again.”

“Sure thing. Give your dad my best wishes.”

“I will.”

As he walked away, Sam put her faith in him—and the FBI crime lab—to hopefully get them the answers they’d waited three long years for.

“What now?” Nick asked as he put his arm around Sam.

“Now, we wait.”

* * * * *

A Fatal Series Short Story

Mr. Vice President

The alarm went off at six, but Sam pretended she couldn’t hear it. She burrowed deeper under the covers, wishing for a magic wand that would transport her and Nick and Scotty to a deserted island where the three of them could have uninterrupted time together. Her husband’s lips on her shoulder were a reminder that she had no such magic wand, and their plan for this day had nothing to do with deserted islands or time alone together. Today, he belonged to more than three hundred million other people.

The thought of that made her want to cry. And then his hands were cupping her breasts, letting her know that for now anyway, he was hers and hers alone. Sam turned over to face him.

His arms banded around her as his lips went to town on her neck, making her shiver with desire. The slide of his tongue, the scrape of his whiskers and the urgent press of his erection against her belly made her forget everything other than the exquisite pleasure she found in his arms.

Over the last four chaotic weeks, they’d clung to each other as a storm raged around them. President Nelson had received tremendous pushback from the Republicans for his choice of a vice president who was “too young and too inexperienced” to step in should the president die or become incapacitated.