In the courtroom, they sat in the front row with Alice. Sam braced herself to listen to the damning evidence she and her team had gathered to tie former DC councilman Roy Gallagher, his associate Mick Santoro and Dermott Ryan, the owner of O’Leary’s, Skip’s favorite bar, to the shootings of two police officers. Ryan’s involvement stung the most. Skip had considered Dermott a friend and had made O’Leary’s the preferred hangout for most of the MPD.

Right before the bailiff had asked them to rise as the judge entered, Freddie slid into the seat next to Sam.

Sam squeezed his arm to thank him for being there. Nick had wanted to come, too, but she’d talked him out of it, saying there’d be plenty of other hearings he could attend, and this one was just a formality.

Farnsworth and Malone came in a second later and took seats across the aisle. Sam wasn’t surprised to see her father’s two closest friends in attendance and sent them a grateful smile.

As Sam listened to U.S. Attorney Tom Forrester present the evidence that detailed how far the defendants had gone to protect their profitable gambling ring, it all came roaring back in a tsunami of emotion. The cold October Sunday morning, Celia’s frantic call that her dad was unresponsive, Sam having to stop the EMTs from taking life-saving measures that were contrary to her dad’s wishes, the unusual tension that followed with Celia, the need to tell people… Nick had been on his way home from Paris…

“Sam,” Tracy whispered.

“What?”

“Why’re you shaking?”

“Am I?”

“Yeah.”

“Just thinking about that day last October.”

“Don’t do that.”

Easier said than done.

It was no surprise that the case was bound over for a trial in September.

She watched the three men, wearing orange jumpsuits and leg chains, be led back to jail where they belonged.

“That wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped it would be,” Alice said. “Even if we got the outcome we wanted.”

“It’ll never be fully satisfying, because Dad and Steven will still be gone,” Sam said.

“True.”

They walked out together, ignoring the shouts from reporters, and hugged at the bottom of the steps.

“We’ll see you soon,” Sam said to Alice.

“Come by anytime. I’m always happy to see you.”

“I’ll do that.”

“And bring your handsome partner,” Alice said with a smile for Freddie.

“We try not to tell him he’s handsome,” Sam said. “He’s already too full of himself.”

As Freddie sputtered with outrage, the rest of them laughed.

“Be safe out there, you guys,” Alice said before she left them. “I pray for you every day.”

“Thank you, Alice,” Sam said, hugging her again. “Take care.”

“She’s so sweet,” Tracy said. “I remember how much Dad cared for her. Too much, as it turned out.”