“Not at all. I’m asking you to cooperate in a Homicide investigation.”

She let that land and gave him a minute to decide whether he would help them.

“I need to know why you want to talk to him before I lure him in.”

“I’m afraid I can’t share that with you, as it would compromise our investigation.”

“And you think he had something to do with what happened to Morgan and Angelo?”

“We don’t know that. We simply want to talk to him.”

“Why does it have to happen in my place?”

“Because it does.”

“Do I need a lawyer?”

“I don’t know. Do you?”

“I haven’t done anything but work my ass off for years to make my restaurant successful. This will ruin me.”

“I’m sorry about that, but I want justice for your dead employees.”

“I do, too! Of course I do!”

“Then you’ll help us?”

“You ask that like you’ve given me a choice.”

“When can you call Mr. Lawton?”

“He’ll suspect something is up if I call him. I’ll ask the hostess to call to let him know the chef is making his favorite dish tonight. That’s when he usually comes.”

“Get back to me when you know for sure he’ll be there.”

“All right.”

Sam slapped the phone closed before he could tell her again how fucked up this entire thing was. She couldn’t agree more, but that wouldn’t stop her from using him to get what she needed.

Malone called Cooper and put it on speaker so Sam could hear. “It’s on for tonight. Get your team together. We’ll be there in five minutes.” He ended the call before Cooper could say a word.

“This ought to be fun.”

“Unless you want a ding on the ‘plays well with others’ portion of your yearly evaluation, I’d suggest you get on board with this plan.”

“Yes, sir.” She said what he wanted to hear even as she seethed on the inside at having to play nice with the buffoon who led Narcotics.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Cooper was, indeed, a buffoon. Sam had had limited contact with him in the past, but she’d heard rumors about him being a blowhard. The rumors had been correct. He started talking the minute he walked into the conference room and had barely taken a breath in the ensuing ten minutes. While he ranted about her taking over his investigation, Sam tuned him out while she checked her email on her laptop, hoping for news from Haggerty on the search taking place at the White home.

Nothing yet.

“Did you hear what I said?” Cooper asked, his round face red with exertion.

Sam wondered if he was in danger of having a heart attack or a stroke. “No, I wasn’t listening.”

“You’re every bit the piece of work people say you are.”

“Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“And yet, I feel strangely complimented.” She glanced up at him. “I’m not engaging in a pissing contest with you. I’m looking for a murderer. That’s my only goal and my only focus. I couldn’t care less who gets credit for the bust or whose toes I might be stepping on. I want this guy off the streets before he kills someone else.”