“I guess. It’s aggravating sometimes.”

“Yes, it is, but if it keeps people from hating us, their jobs and the department, I suppose it’s worth the hassle.”

“I heard you sent Cruz home today. What’s up with that?”

“I’m not at liberty to say. Suffice to say he was of zero use to me due to what was happening at home.”

“I hope he’s okay.”

“Me, too.” Sam sent him a text while hoping her phone would ring with a call from Kyle Atkins. How’s it going?

Terrible. She’s heartbroken. I don’t know what to do for her.

Just be there. I know it seems trite to say, but the initial heartbreak will eventually fade, and you can try again in a month or two. Tell her I said this baby wasn’t meant to be born for some reason.

I’ll tell her.

And tell her I’m here if she wants to talk.

I will. Thanks.

Take tomorrow off. Be with her. Come back when you’re ready.

Thank you.

Sure thing.

“I gave Cruz tomorrow off, too.”

“We’re a mess.”

“Nah, the days of acting like the job is all there is are over. We need to acknowledge that and roll with it.”

“If you say so.”

“I say so.” Sam put her feet on the table, exhausted from days of frenetic activity. “How’d you make out in New Orleans?”

“Not so great. Rosa is dying of cancer and had nothing good to say about Stahl. He’s not our guy.”

“So, who does that leave?”

“Your father and Conklin.”

“It’s got to be Conklin. My dad wouldn’t have done anything for Stahl, no matter what he had on him.”

“I agree. I’m going to see Conklin in the next day or two.”

“Ugh.”

“I know. I just can’t believe the things he was hiding. In the meantime, Deputy Chief McBride is triaging Stahl’s cases to determine where we’ll start with that review.”

“Can’t wait for that.”

“It’s going to be intense for all of us. We’ll have to double and triple up on investigations—new and old at the same time.”

Sam sighed, exhausted already. “Reminder that I’m leaving early Sunday for the wake and taking all day Monday for the funeral.”

He nodded. “I’ll be at both.”

“Thanks.”

“How’s Ang?”

“Terrible.”

“You should go home to your family. We can take this from here.”

“You and who else?”

“I’ll find someone to help me.”

Sam was torn between seeing this through and going home to be with her sister. “Is it wrong that I’m finding it hard to be around her right now? All I can think about is what I’d do if it happened to me, which isn’t helping her at all.”

“It’s normal to go to worst-case when something awful happens to someone close to you.”

“I’d never survive it.”

“Yes, you would.”

“No, I really wouldn’t, and I’m not sure Angela will either. They were crazy in love.”

“She’ll survive it because she has to for her kids. They need her, and she’ll rally for them.”