Nick couldn’t have said it better himself. Four people were inside—three cops and Reese. Nick’s money was on the cops. “Come on,” he whispered, watching the door so intently his eyes watered from the need to blink.

Christina squeezed his arm.

Five long minutes passed before one of the SWAT officers escorted Sam out of the building.

A cheer erupted from the crowd gathered in the parking lot.

Nick’s legs went weak with relief as he watched her talk to Captain Malone. A few minutes later, Malone gestured behind him to point Nick out in the crowd.

“Thanks for waiting with me,” Nick said to Christina. “I’ll check in later.” He moved toward Sam. The crowd between them parted, their eyes met, and nothing mattered more to Nick than getting to her as fast as he could—not the worries he’d expressed the night before, not the media watching their every move. Nothing mattered but her.

He put his arms around her and brought her in close to him, attempting to shield her from the blinding blur of camera flashes.

“We’ll be on every front page in the city tomorrow,” she said.

“That’s okay.”

He held her for a long time before he pulled back to study her pale face.

“I had him,” she said. “I just needed one more minute…”

“All that matters is that you’re safe.”

“I called you. The minute I could. Just like I said I would.”

“I know, babe. I know.” He noticed there was something gray all over her. “Let me drive you home so you can change.”

She brushed at the lapels of his coat. “You’ll need to have this cleaned.”

“What is that?”

“Clarence Reese’s brain.”

Nick shuddered. “Jesus, Sam.” Ignoring the media clamoring for a word from her, he ushered her to her car and held the passenger door for her. He took off his overcoat, rolled it into a ball and tossed it into the backseat.

“I had him,” she said again as they pulled out of the diner.

“I’m sure you did everything you could.”

Looking over at him, she said, “He didn’t shoot my dad.”

“But the stuff in his place…”

“Previous tenant.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah. Back to square one—again. But at least I have a lead to work with.”

“I hope Malone gave you the rest of the day off.”

“He tried to, but as soon as I get a shower, I’m back on Sinclair.”

“You should take the day, Sam. This was a traumatic thing.”

“I’m fine. I need to work.”

Nick knew it was pointless to argue with her.

“I was surprised to see you when I came out,” she said after a long period of silence. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be there.”

“Of course I was there.”

“I thought you were ‘taking some time.’”