Good advice, Skippy.

Avery Hill appeared in her doorway. “Got a second?”

“Sure. Come in.”

He stepped in and shut the door. “Talk to me about what happened earlier.”

“There’s not much I can give you other than one minute we were cruising along, and the next minute, we were hit hard. Vernon probably had a better view of it than I did from the back seat.”

Avery took a couple of notes. “I’m talking to him next. Give me a little background on your history with Ramsey, other than recent events.”

“Ah, jeez. How much time do you have?”

“As much as it takes.”

Sam went through a recitation of various altercations with Ramsey. “One time, I tried to get away from him by pushing him away and sent him down the stairs. He ended up with a fractured wrist and concussion. For a time, I worried about being charged, but Forrester took it to a grand jury, which declined to indict. I realize that was a lucky break, but it only added gas to Ramsey’s fire when I wasn’t charged.”

“Has he threatened you?”

“Numerous times. Malone and Gonzales witnessed the most recent two times. We were also able to prove that he tossed my office, but he said his fingerprints being in there was because we work together, which we most assuredly do not. I go out of my way to avoid him. Every time we think we’ve seen the last of him around here, the union intercedes on his behalf.”

“After today’s stunt, he’s facing three federal felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, as well as three additional counts of assaulting federal agents and a police officer.”

Sam’s entire day immediately improved. “Wow.”

“This is serious, and he knows it, so be careful. I’ll tell your detail the same. He’s locked up for now, but he’ll make bail and be released in the next day or two.”

“Ugh, why can’t you keep him locked up? He’s repeatedly proven he’s dangerous. Many people here can attest to that.”

“Who else besides you and your squad?”

“Detective Erica Lucas. She works with him in SVU and has been on the receiving end of his vitriol on many an occasion.”

“I’ll talk to her. While I have you, I wanted to update you on our investigation into your mother-in-law.”

Sam sat up a little straighter. “Don’t tell me you haven’t found any dirt on her.”

“Quite the opposite. I asked some of our Ohio-based agents to investigate her, and it seems she’s running a high-end escort service for clients aged sixty and older.”

For a second, Sam’s brain went blank with shock. “Are you kidding me?”

“I wish I was. They’ve worked meticulously to make their case, and they’re taking it to a grand jury this week. I wanted to let you—and Nick—know that she could be indicted.”

“Oh damn,” Sam said on a long exhale as her stomach gave a twinge of anxiety. What would Nick think of Sam sending the Feds to investigate his mother and getting her in big trouble? Hopefully, he’d see it as a good thing… “Keep me in the loop on that?”