Dana’s brow is furrowed. “You know, I think Lauren did mention him. It’s an odd name and it kind of sticks. I’m trying to remember the context, but I’m pretty sure his name came up between us.”

“If Lauren knew him, that shines a pretty bright light on Richard,” Gabriel says.

Stuart’s eyes move back and forth like he’s a spectator at a tennis match. I’ve always thought that prosecutors and cops have a rhythm to their thinking and a specialized jargon that make it difficult for an outsider to fully grasp. I’ve had more than one past boyfriend ask me to translate discussions like the one we’re having now.

“I can’t say that I cared very much for McKenney’s eulogy,” I say. “Especially given that Lauren was thinking about running against him.”

This disclosure apparently takes Dana by surprise. “Really?” she says. “She didn’t mention that to me.”

There’s a bit of a proprietary air about the comment. As if Dana is insulted that I was the first to hear. Apparently the sibling rivalry cuts both ways.

“It was very preliminary,” I say.

“When did she tell you this?” Dana asks, apparently still trying to get her arms around the fact that I knew something about her boss that she didn’t.

“We had dinner the other night. She mentioned it then.”

She looks over at Gabriel, her ire now directed at him for not sharing this information as part of the investigation. It then clicks for me why she’s so upset: she realizes that Lauren was going to make me bureau chief if she won.

Gabriel says, “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I wanted to wait until a little more evidence was developed. Quite frankly, I wasn’t quite sure how you’d react to your boss being a suspect.”

She smiles as if he’s making a joke. “You’re serious? You think Drake McKenney committed murder to avoid a primary challenge?”

“I don’t know,” Gabriel says, “but the one thing I do know is that everyone always says Drake McKenney would kill to keep his job.”

17. DANA GOODWIN

17.

DANA GOODWIN

After the funeral, I head back to Hogan Place. Stuart goes home to relieve Livie at the usual time. Before saying our goodbyes, Gabriel and I agree to connect later in the day to compare notes.

Lauren’s decision to run for DA against McKenney has me confused. Not Gabriel’s suggestion that it makes McKenney a suspect, but the idea that Lauren actually was going to run for DA. And, of course, that she didn’t tell me. Win or lose, that meant that she was going to leave Special Vics. That’s what her dinner with Ella Broden was about. She apparently wasn’t thinking of firing me after all.