“Fine,” he retorted as he led her to his car. “You may be aware that there’s a very unhappy United States senator looking for you.”

“So I’ve heard.” Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the seat. “Do me a favor? Help me dodge him? I need an hour to finish this, and then I’ll take my punishment and my suspension and whatever else you all want to dole out.”

“I’ll look forward to seeing that.”

“You and everyone else.” She glanced over at him. “So, nothing to say? About the other thing?”

Malone shrugged. “None of my business. None of anyone’s business.”

“Is HQ all abuzz with it?”

“Maybe.”

She sighed.

“Give it a day, maybe two—and you’ll be on leave for most of it. It’ll blow over.”

“It’s horrifying,” she said softly. “That they all know.”

“What’s horrifying is that your privacy has been breached this way just because of who your boyfriend is.”

“Yeah.”

“But he’s worth it, right?”

“He really is.”

Malone smiled. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t nail the bitch who sold your medical record to the rag.”

The unexpected laughter had Sam reaching for her head with both hands. “Oh my God, don’t make me laugh. Please.”

On the way to HQ, she used the captain’s phone to call ahead to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Hope Dobson, one of the three identical triplets who served the District as assistant U.S. Attorneys, answered. Sam laid out the case against Preston and detailed Diandra’s role.

“Do you believe she knew he was going to kill his brother?” Hope asked.

“Not only did she know, she put him up to it, and I’m going to prove it. Can you be in the detectives’ pit in thirty minutes? There’s gonna be one hell of a show. You won’t want to miss it.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, and Hope? She’s the main event as far as I’m concerned. Preston is diminished capacity all the way. He’s totally under the control of his wife. It’s disturbing.”

“I’ll see what I can do. How does the son’s shooting fit in?”

“All your questions will be answered very soon. I’ll let you hear it from the horse’s mouth.” She ended the call and handed the phone to the captain. “You might want to let the chief know this is going down.”

“Again I ask, what are you up to, Holland?”

“Just closing a case, sir,” she said, indulging in the chance to close her eyes and sink into the seat for just a minute. Among her many other woes, the line of stitches at her hairline was on fire. One minute of complete stillness to soothe her aching head and body. That was all she needed.