“At home mostly, although sometimes it happens in a hotel room. Those times are the best.”

“Such a cocky bitch. One of these days you’ll get what’s coming to you, and a lot of people will be glad to see you taken down a peg or two.”

“Is that a threat, Detective?”

“No. Just the one thing on my Christmas wish list.”

“This conversation is boring me, and you’ve got somewhere else to be. Give the phone back to my brother-in-law.”

“Nice guy,” Mike said when he came back on the line.

“Is he gone?”

“Yep. He stormed out of here.”

“Good. Let me know if he or anyone else shows up.”

“Is what he said true, Sam? Is it a conflict of interest for you to be working on Brooke’s case?”

“Hell, yes, it’s a conflict, but I’m doing it anyway.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t. You’ve worked really hard to get where you are. I’d hate for Brooke to get you in trouble.”

“Let me worry about that. You take care of Brooke and Tracy.”

“I’m trying. Tracy is inconsolable after hearing Brooke is all over the Internet.”

Sam could only imagine how her sister was dealing with that news on top of everything else that had happened. “I gotta go. Keep me posted, and you did the right thing calling me when Ramsey showed up. Don’t talk to anyone unless I’m there—and don’t let Brooke talk to anyone either.”

“We won’t, Sam. We’re counting on you.”

The weight of those expectations sat on her shoulders like fifty-ton weights. “I’m doing everything I can. I’ll talk to you later.”

Sam ended the call, more agitated than she’d been before, if possible.

“I don’t like this,” Nick said. “I don’t like it one bit.”

“I know you don’t. I don’t like it either. But there’s no way in hell I’m going to sit idly by and let a ham-handed asshole like Ramsey run this investigation. That guy hates me. Pinning a murder on my niece would bring him pleasure.”

“Why does he hate you?”

“Damned if I know. I have my suspicions that it involves my speedy rise through the ranks while he’s been sitting still at detective for at least a decade now.”

“That would explain it.”

“I’m sure he believes I only got where I am because of my last name.”

“Which is completely untrue and unfair.”

Sam shrugged. “I don’t let it bother me, and you shouldn’t either.”

“I don’t like when people hate you because you’re good at your job.”

“At least we’ve got Stahl out of the way for the time being. Although he’s fighting the charges and suspension with everything he’s got.”

“He can’t fight the fact that he assaulted you at your own home.”