“Also Friday, the home of Detective Giselle Dominguez was invaded by a woman named Jaycee Patrick, who came in wielding a knife, threatening the life of Detective Dominguez. Ms. Patrick assaulted Detective Dominguez with the knife. Detective Dominguez used her service weapon to defend herself, killing Ms. Patrick with a single shot to the chest. Detective Dominguez has been suspended with pay pending an internal investigation.

“That’s all I have at the moment. I’ll take a few questions.”

“Is your brother-in-law one of the fentanyl victims?”

“I’m not authorized to provide any further information about his death, beyond what’s already been released.”

“But is it a safe leap to conclude he died from a fentanyl overdose?”

“It would be irresponsible to leap to any conclusions. My brother-in-law and my sister are not public figures, and as such, they retain a right to privacy regardless of who their brother-in-law and sister are.”

“What was the connection between Ms. Patrick and Detective Dominguez?”

“Ms. Patrick is the former girlfriend of Detective Cameron Green, who is now romantically connected to Detective Dominguez. And yes, we knew of their relationship and had no concerns with it as neither of them reports to the other and they work separate shifts. Ms. Patrick had been charged with vandalism after slashing Detective Green’s tires and with felony assault of police officers after throwing a brick through Detective Green’s window, narrowly missing both detectives.”

“And they report to you?”

“They do.” Sam pointed to Darren Tabor, her favorite reporter. “What’s up, Darren?”

“Were you aware of the possibility that Ms. Patrick might go after Detective Dominguez?”

“We were aware that she was unhappy that her ex-boyfriend had moved on to someone new. Detectives Dominguez and Green had been vigilant, of course, but with multiple felony charges looming, we’d hoped that Ms. Patrick might decide to leave them alone. Sadly, she chose to confront Detective Dominguez in her home.”

“Will Ramsey lose his job with the MPD after this latest incident?”

“I have no information about his status with the department.”

“Was Riggs Lawton suspected of dealing the laced Oxy?”

“Not specifically, but we hoped he’d have information that would be useful in the investigation. He died before we could question him.”

“Are you concerned about the chaos swirling around your department? In this briefing alone, you mentioned three officers embroiled in scandals or criminal activity.”

“I’m not responsible for the conduct of my fellow officers or that of a former girlfriend who is unable to accept that a man no longer wishes to be with her. I fully support Detectives Green and Dominguez, who are outstanding police officers and detectives.”

“Your brother-in-law was stricken at Camp David. Does that make his death a federal matter?”

“Not necessarily,” Sam said. “As I mentioned, I have nothing else to say about his death. That applies now and into the future. I need to get to work. Thank you all.”

Sam walked away as they yelled more questions at her. She yanked the door to the lobby open and disappeared inside as quickly as possible. As she went in, Vernon and Jimmy rushed toward her.