“By all means,” the chief said, frowning as he stepped aside to make room for Archie.

Sam’s palms were clammy as she waited for the video to pop up on the screen. When it did, Stahl was plainly visible and could be heard speaking about Willie Vasquez. “You didn’t hear this from me,” he said, “but they found the guy in a Dumpster. Someone decided to take out the trash.”

Farnsworth’s expression was positively thunderous when he reached for his phone. “Please ask Deputy Chief Conklin and Captain Malone to come in here. Thank you.”

The three of them coexisted in tense silence until Conklin and Malone arrived.

“Lieutenant Archelotta, will you please tell Deputy Chief Conklin and Captain Malone what you told me?”

Archie went through the whole thing again, from the tip received by Star reporter Darren Tabor to tracing the call to the Lieutenants’ Lounge to catching Stahl red-handed on the video, which was no less startling the second time Sam saw it.

“You gotta be kidding me,” Conklin said.

“The guy’s got balls,” Malone added. “You gotta give him that.”

Stone-faced, Farnsworth picked up the phone again. “Please ask Lieutenant Stahl to come in here immediately.”

Stahl arrived ten minutes later with a knock on the door. “You wanted to see me, Chief?” His eyes narrowed with displeasure when they landed on Sam. “What’s going on?”

“I’d like to know,” Farnsworth said, “if you had anything at all to do with a tip that Darren Tabor from the Washington Star received about the Vasquez case regarding something we were intentionally withholding from the public.”

Stahl’s face turned the unhealthy shade of purple that Sam often inspired in him. “Did she tell you that?” He jabbed a thumb in Sam’s direction.

“Answer the question!” Farnsworth roared.

“I had nothing to do with that,” Stahl said indignantly. “Regardless of what Lieutenant Holland might’ve told you.”

“Lieutenant Holland didn’t tell me anything,” Farnsworth said. “You did.”

“Excuse me?”

“Lieutenant Archelotta,” Farnsworth said, his steely stare fixed on Stahl. “Roll the tape.”

Sam had worn the uniform for more than thirteen years. She’d had the satisfaction of nailing a lot of scumbags in her day. But nothing in her career would ever compare to the moment when it registered with Stahl that they could prove he had, in fact, made the call he’d just denied making.

Purple wasn’t the right word for the hue that occupied his face. Naturally, all his venom was directed at her. “She set me up! She’s been trying to get rid of me for years!”

Sam kept her expression completely neutral and let him dig his own grave.

“I’ll take your badge, weapon, ID, radio and station keys,” Farnsworth said, holding out his hand.

“You can’t be serious! I didn’t do anything that every other cop in this room hasn’t done at one time or another.”