“Ten seventeen, our anniversary.” He glanced toward the front of the house. “What do I tell the others when I ask them to leave?”

“Just say it’s a routine search that we do whenever someone dies suddenly. Have them meet you at your parents’ home.”

“Okay.”

Neveah returned. “They’re on their way.”

“Call Patrol for a ride, take this back to the house and turn it over to Lieutenant Archelotta.” Sam handed her the phone. “Protect it with your life. Not literally, but you know what I mean.”

“I do, and I’ll take care of it. Should I come back here after?”

“You’re off duty.”

“I’d like to see this through. I’m invested.”

“You can come back.” Before she let her leave, Sam put a hand on the younger woman’s arm. “I hope it goes without saying that everything you witnessed here is top secret. We don’t need it getting out that we’re looking for someone dealing laced pills, because we’ll never find them if that happens.”

“Understood.”

“Thank you for the help.”

“Such a pleasure to work with you, Lieutenant.”

“For fuck’s sake. Go.”

“I’m gone.”

After Neveah left, Sam waited in the kitchen for Brad to clear the others out of the house. Then he returned to let her know everyone was gone.

“Thank you. Please know how sorry we are to disrupt you at such a difficult time.”

“Do you really think Mary Alice might’ve been buying pills illegally?”

“I think it’s possible. We won’t know anything for certain until we complete the search and the autopsy.”

He ran a shaking hand through his hair. “What do I tell my kids if that’s what happened?”

“You tell them their mother loved them. That’s the only thing that’ll matter to them.”

“I suppose. I, um, I’m going to my parents’ house. You’ll keep me informed?”

“I will. Thank you again for your cooperation.”

Shrugging, he said, “What choice do I have about any of this?”

Since there was no good answer to that question, Sam didn’t offer him one.

After he left, she walked through the home, looking at photos of the happy couple with their blond children, a girl of six and a boy who was three. A deep feeling of sadness overtook her when she viewed wedding pictures and other scenes from a normal life now upended by immense tragedy.

She removed the BlackBerry from her pocket and called Nick, using the ridiculous star sixty-nine code he’d programmed it with. How many inside jokes had Brad and Mary Alice shared that were now gone forever?

“Hey,” Nick said, the sound of his voice calming her as it always did.

“Hey.”

“What’s up?”

“I’m at the scene of another possible OD. A young mother with knee trouble who died in her sleep.”

“Oh God, Sam. Just like Spencer.”

“Yep. Someone is selling laced pills and killing people. We’ve got some leads to pursue from Spencer’s phone, and we’ll see what transpires with this latest development. I’m waiting for Crime Scene to get here to search the house. I wanted to let you know I’ll be a little late getting home.”