Page 196 of State of Suspense

“What a lucky girl she is.” She stole one more kiss before heading down the stairs to meet Vernon and Jimmy. “Morning.”

“Morning.”

When they were on the way to HQ, Vernon asked, “Are you still planning to attend the court hearing this morning?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

Sam looked out the window and watched the city go by in a kaleidoscope so familiar the images were baked into her DNA. This was her town, her home, her place in the world. If she could stay focused on her family, the job and all the good in her life, she might eventually be able to forget the feeling of being trapped and left to die inside a concrete prison.

Her hands were trembling ever so slightly as memories from the dream popped in and out of her consciousness.

Stahl would enjoy knowing that he’d caused her new distress. He would enjoy that very much. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

Her phone buzzed with a text from Haggerty. Prints found at the campsite are a match for Harlan Peckham.

Excellent. Thank you.

That confirmation gave more credence to her plan to use Cori to lure him out. When she arrived at HQ, Farnsworth was waiting to speak to her outside her office. He held a file folder in his left hand.

She unlocked the door and invited him inside.

He closed the door behind him. “I need a favor.”

“Anything for you.”

“You might want to think about that before you agree.”

“Anything for you.”

He smiled and took a seat, tucking the file folder under his arm. “I need you to do a full briefing on all the things, including the Forrester case, the latest from Stahl’s house, the Davies release and lawsuit, the Ramsey lawsuit. All of it. When I go out there, I come off defensive. I need you to go out there and show the devastation we all feel over these things. You’re good at bringing the emotion. I just want to punch them all.”

“So do I.”

“You’re better at not showing it.” He looked pained. “I know it’s a lot to ask, and I hate to take advantage of your platform this way, but?—”

“My platform, such as it is, should be used to my benefit once in a while. In fact, Lieutenant Haggerty suggested I do this very thing.”

“Did he?”

“Yeah, he said it might go down better and get added attention coming from me.”

“I agree with him.”

“I’ll need some time to get up to speed.”

“I had Public Affairs prepare some talking points.” He handed over the file. “This is the company line but use your judgment. Transparency is the word of the day.”

Sam opened the file and took note that two of the bodies found at Stahl’s had now been positively identified: Tiffany Jones, who’d been used to entrap Davies, and Brittany Carter. Sam’s heart ached when she recalled meeting with Carter’s parents in Delaware. “Have the families been notified?”

“They have as of last night.”

“I met the Carters. They’ve been through such a terrible ordeal. All these families have.”

“I think you should say that.”

“I’ll do my best.”

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