The look of pure love he directed her way nearly made her knees buckle. “I’m a lot better now.”

“How’d you like to come with old Uncle Joe to take a look at what’s going on in the intake area? We could take your mug shot and fingerprints.”

“Can I, Sam?” Scotty asked, his eyes glowing with delight.

Sam sent the chief a grateful smile. “Are you sure you have time?”

“I’m sure.”

“Have fun and behave,” she said to Scotty.

“I always behave,” he said indignantly.

Yes, she thought as she watched him walk away with the chief’s arm around his shoulders, he was a good boy, which is why it hadn’t occurred to him to hit back when the bully struck him. Next time, however, he’d know to defend himself. She’d make sure there wouldn’t be a next time with that kid, but there were always others.

She went back to the detectives’ pit where she was surprised to see Freddie. “What’re you doing here?”

“Couldn’t sleep, so I came back in.”

“You look wrecked.”

“Thanks. Appreciate that. I’ve been helping Arnold with the phone logs. Is there something else I should be doing?”

“We need to have a conversation with Garrett Collins, and then we’ve got to talk to Rick Lind, if you’re up for it.”

“I’m up for it.”

“Give me a couple of minutes to get my shit together, and then I’ll find you.” She went into her office and sifted through a stack of messages that had nothing to do with the case so she pushed them aside.

A knock on her door had her looking up at Lieutenant Archelotta. “Got a minute, Sam?”

“That’s about all I’ve got,” she said. “What’s up?”

He surprised her when he closed the door. “I was in the Lieutenants’ Lounge earlier—”

“We have a Lieutenants’ Lounge? Where the hell is that?”

“On the third floor.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me that?”

“It’s in the lieutenant’s handbook.”

“There’s a handbook?”

“Honestly, Sam, you’re a hot mess,” he said, laughing.

“Yeah, I know. So anyway...”

“I heard Stahl talking about the Vasquez case and how Willie was found in a Dumpster.”

Sam could feel her ire rising. “What did he say about it?”

“That it was symbolic and poetic. I believe those were the words he used. Then the chief asked me to check on whether any calls were made between here and the Washington Star today. I guess you could say I put two and two together.”

“Was there a call to the Star?” Sam asked.

“One, from the extension in the Lieutenants’ Lounge.”

Sam surged to her feet. “We need to check the phone for prints.”

“Already done.”