“Elijah has acted in the twins’ best interest from the start,” Sam said. “And he knows it wouldn’t be in their best interest to remove them from our home and family. They’re happy, healthy and thriving, despite the worst possible loss. He knows where they belong. Rather than worrying about things that aren’t going to happen, let’s celebrate gaining a bonus daughter.”

“A bonus daughter. I like that.”

“She’s estranged from her parents, so we’ll be her parents.”

“This family of ours just gets more interesting all the time.”

“Yes, it does.”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you that since the speech, we’ve been overrun with interview requests. Everyone is talking about what I said at the end about not campaigning.” The response to his speech had been unlike anything he ever could’ve expected, with praise for his sincerity and astonishment over his vow not to actively seek a full term, but to serve if elected.

“Because no one has ever said or done anything like that.”

“Maybe it’s high time they did. We waste so much money on campaigns that drag on forever. When I think of how many people that money could feed and house, it makes me sick. It’s such a hideous waste.”

“I’m so proud of my maverick husband,” she said, grinning as she used the nickname the media had given him after the speech.

“As much as that nickname makes me cringe, it beats ‘the unelected president.’”

“You shut that shit down with your airplane metaphor, which was so freaking perfect.”

“Enough about me. How’s Malone doing?”

“He’s okay, I think.”

He and Offenbach had both been placed on administrative leave while the Shane Ramsey shooting was investigated. “It was a clean shoot, and I’m sure they’ll both be cleared of any wrongdoing. Sergeant Ramsey, on the other hand, is making as much trouble as he possibly can for all of us. Business as usual where he’s concerned, even if he heard his son confess to the crimes before he was shot.”

“Ugh, I hate that for you guys.”

“Whatever. His son was a serial rapist-murderer who took a woman hostage. By taking his life, we saved hers. Those facts are irrefutable.”

“You have the truth on your side, although this case reminds me a bit of John and Thomas.” John O’Connor’s son had killed him and the women his father had slept with in some misguided attempt to gain justice for his mother.

“I’ve thought that, too, and yes, the truth is on our side,” Sam said. “Malone is using the suspension to try to find the captain who aided and abetted Stahl’s efforts to hide the fact that he didn’t do shit on the job. Captain Rosa seems to have gone missing, so we’ll be digging into that next week.”

“Do they think he was the one who helped Stahl?”