After she gave a brief statement about the arrests to the media, she was about to finally go home when she remembered she’d never filed a report on Stahl’s attack. It took another hour to pound that out, and by then her eyes were gritty and raw. Although she was anxious to see Scotty before he left with Mrs. Littlefield at ten, she stopped first at her dad’s house to update him on the case and to find out what had happened at the doctor’s appointment.

“Are you crazy kids up yet?” she called out as she walked into the house to find her dad and Celia sitting at the kitchen table. “What’s going on?”

“Have you been up all night, honey?”

“Just getting home now, but we got it sewed up.”

Celia held up the front page of the Star where a banner headline read “Star Publisher Elle Kopelsman Jestings Charged in Vasquez, Lind Murders.” The picture of Sam dragging Elle into HQ was plastered under the headline.

“I can’t believe she was involved,” Skip said. “Her dad must be rolling in his grave.”

“I suspect he’s been rolling for some time as she drove his company into the ground.”

“Want some coffee?” Celia asked.

“No thanks. I’m going home to crash.” She sat for a minute. “I heard you’re being admitted for some tests. What’s up with that?”

“They think the bullet might be moving,” Celia said grimly.

“What does that mean?”

“It may have to come out.”

“But they said that would be too dangerous.”

“Yes, and it would still be dangerous, but it might be more dangerous to leave it if it’s moving.”

Sam’s exhausted mind struggled to process what her stepmother was saying. “If they take it out, will he regain feeling in his extremities?”

“They don’t know,” Skip said.

“But maybe?” Sam asked as a surge of hope shot through her.

“They don’t know what to expect,” her dad said again. “It’s a very unusual case. Has been from the beginning.”

“When are you going in?”

“Next week. After the election, don’t worry.”

“Don’t plan it around us! Do what’s best for you!”

“It’ll keep until then, baby girl,” Skip said. “I want to see my son-in-law reelected before I steal the spotlight for a day or two.”

“Are you sure it’s okay to wait that long?”

“It’s fine,” Skip assured her. “Everything is going to be just fine. I don’t want you to worry. Now come give your dear old dad a kiss and go home to bed. You’re about to keel over from exhaustion.”

Since Sam couldn’t deny that, she got up and did as he asked, hanging on to him for an extra minute before she released him and went to kiss Celia’s cheek. “Keep me posted.”

“You know we will, honey.”