Page 24 of State of Suspense

His lips quivered with amusement that made her want to punch him.

“Don’t punch me. I’ll file charges.”

When had he started reading her mind on top of everything else? “Whatever.”

Thankfully, the walk was a short one, and as Vernon held open the back door to Cox’s building, he scanned their surroundings with a sharp-eyed gaze attuned to trouble. “All clear.”

“Thank you, Vernon.”

It certainly wasn’t his fault—or Jimmy’s—that Sam felt confined by the security they provided. It was a fact of her life now, she knew, as she learned to live with it. But as much as she liked Vernon and Jimmy, she yearned for the days when she could run around the city more or less under the radar to do her job.

But every time she chafed, she also tried to remember that the only reason she had security was because Nick Cappuano was her husband. The security was a small price to pay for everything else that came with him.

An FBI agent met them inside the back door. He was tall and fit with close-cropped dark hair. He wore a suit, an earpiece and a serious don’t-fuck-with-me expression. “Right this way.”

He led them to an elevator that required a keycard and pressed the only button inside the car. “On the way up,” he said into a radio.

Sam had so many questions about how they ran the AG’s security, but she’d decided she was better off not knowing the details. She’d probably be terrified of the many extreme situations federal agents were trained to handle when it came to her family and other high-ranking officials like Cox.

The elevator opened into an elegant foyer. An arrangement of fresh flowers sat on a circular table.

“Right this way.” The agent led them into a wide-open living space. To her left, she could see the Potomac River through massive windows.

They were taken to an office that was as distinguished as the man with graying blond hair who sat behind the large desk. He stood to greet them, revealing the muscular build of a former football player. “Reggie Cox.” He extended a hand across the desk to Sam and Freddie.

Sam didn’t bother to introduce herself. “This is my partner, Detective Cruz.”

“Nice to meet you.” A smile lit up his blue eyes. “I’ve heard such great things about you both.”

“Thank you,” Freddie said.

Sam could tell her partner was a bit starstruck to be meeting the AG. This was a first for both of them.

“Have a seat.” He gestured to two upholstered chairs in front of his desk. “May I offer you anything?”

“We’re fine, thank you,” Sam said. “We appreciate you taking the time to see us on a Sunday.”

“I’m devastated by Tom Forrester’s murder. I’ll do whatever I can to assist your investigation. I’ve offered the full resources of the FBI and the Justice Department to your chief.”

“We appreciate that, and we’ll call on them as needed. As part of a previous investigation, we learned that you’d asked U.S. Attorney Forrester to personally investigate Congressman Bryant’s campaign finance irregularities.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Can you tell us why you took that unusual step?”

“As you might imagine, investigating a sitting congressman can make for a sticky situation, especially when you aren’t sure the potential accusation has merit. After the matter was brought to my attention, I wanted it handled quietly by someone I had complete faith in, thus I asked Tom to look into it.”

“How did the irregularities come to your attention in the first place?”

“We received an anonymous tip through our online portal.”

“And that tip made it all the way to you?”

“Bryant is a sitting congressman. Yes, it came to me.”

“Can you tell us what Tom uncovered?”

“I’m afraid I can’t discuss an active investigation. I’m sure you understand.”

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