Page 30 of State of Suspense

“How come?”

“Because he works for you, and he’s part of my investigation. If we’re ever asked, it’d be better to say we never discussed it.”

“Are you becoming a political wife right before my very eyes?”

Sam scoffed. “Hardly.”

He stood and came to her, putting his hands on her hips. “It’s kinda hot when you anticipate political concerns.”

“You think everything I do is hot.”

“That’s very true.” He nuzzled her neck, which had her leaning into him. “Today was a long day without you after spending most of a week together.”

“For me, too. As much as I love my job—most of the time, anyway—I find myself thinking more often lately about what it will be like to be, um, retired someday.”

His head whipped up, eyes gone wide with shock.

She laughed at his reaction. “Oh, shut up. I’m not saying any time soon. Just someday. In the far-off future when we don’t have a million things competing for our attention all the time.”

“I can’t wait for that day.”

“I would say me either, but I don’t want you thinking I mean soon.”

“Gotcha. But it’s something to look forward to.”

“For sure.”

“Until that far-off state of nirvana, we have the Canadian state visit to contend with this week, as well as the meeting with my mother on Friday.”

Sam frowned when she thought about meeting with his mother—voluntarily. Nicoletta had requested the opportunity to speak with them, hoping to make things right. In Sam’s mind, that wasn’t possible, but it wasn’t up to her. Nick was curious about what she had to say, so they would take the meeting at their home on Ninth Street. Sam drew the line at having the woman to the White House, which she suspected was Nicoletta’s ultimate goal.

“I’ll be ready for all of it. I have a fitting with Marcus tomorrow afternoon. He’s coming to HQ, and Lindsey is loaning me the morgue so no one will see it.”

“Not sure how I feel about my first lady having a dress fitting in the morgue.”

Sam laughed. “It does sound funny when you put it that way.” She rested in the comfort of his embrace for another minute. “I need to run up to talk to Avery and see Shelby for a few minutes. Are you almost done?”

“I need another half hour.”

“Meet you back here in thirty?”

He kissed her. “It’s a date.”

She went upstairs to the third floor to knock softly on Shelby and Avery’s door.

Avery answered, looking tired but happy. “Come in.”

“How goes it in baby central?”

“Busy and exhausting, but great, too.”

Sam held up the evidence bag. “This is Forrester’s encrypted work phone. Anything you can do with it?”

“I’ll deliver it to our lab.”

Sam handed it to him. “Obviously, time is of the essence.”

“I understand. I’ll put a rush on it.”

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