“Only if he lets me,” she said venomously as she glared at Gonzo. “I never should’ve called you! You never would’ve known about him if I hadn’t called you!”

Gonzo wiped his face and stood to face the mother of his child. “I’m sorry you’re upset by what happened here, but I have no desire to keep you from him.”

“Save your sympathy,” she said, her face twisted with rage as she jerked free of her lawyer’s grasp. “This is not over, so don’t start celebrating too soon.”

Though her threat shot a jolt of fear straight to his heart, he gave her the last word. He had what he wanted.

* * *

Sam was unable to sleep on the ride back to the District as her whirling mind attempted to process what she’d learned so far. Darkness had come early, as it did this time of year when the weather was gray and gloomy and cold.

With two hours to do nothing but sit and think, Sam made an important decision. She executed it by summoning her entire squad to her house at ten for an update on the MacArthur case. She included Lindsey McNamara on the text, but followed up to her with a note that her attendance would be helpful if she could make it. Sometimes it galled her that everyone didn’t answer to her, but alas the medical examiner was one who didn’t.

“How’s it going with Shelby?” she asked Hill, breaking a long silence.

“Fine.”

“That’s all? Just fine?”

“Why are you asking me when you already know every detail of every second I’ve spent with her?”

“That is not true.”

“Right,” he said with a low chuckle.

“She hasn’t told me everything.”

“Whatever you say.”

“So you like her?”

“Yes, I like her. If I didn’t, would I be spending time with her?”

“You can’t give me anything of value that I can take back to her?”

“You can tell her I said this—grow up and quit kissing and telling.”

“I’m not telling her that, and P.S., she hadn’t told me there’d been kissing.”

He groaned. “Christ, I walked right into that, didn’t I?”

Sam laughed at his dismay. “She’s terrific.”

“I’m not disagreeing.”

“Do you know about the special ‘project’ she’s got going on?”

“If you’re referring to her efforts to have a baby, yes, I’m aware.”

“What do you think of that?”

“People need to do what they gotta do to be happy. I’ve got no gripe with it.”

“Will you run for the hills if she gets pregnant?”