Page 49 of The House of Cross

“Look, we’d let them stay in the background if three potential nominees to the Supreme Court hadn’t been murdered. The names, please.”

Roche wasn’t happy, but she turned to her computer and printed out a list of fifteen names. We recognized many of them—big-time donors and supporters of the president-elect, titans of industry, law, finance, and Hollywood.

But it was the last name on the list that stopped us cold.

CHAPTER 35

BREE AND SAMPSON BOARDEDa United flight to Denver; there, they would pick up a jet to Reno.

They sat next to each other on an exit row the flight attendant gave to Sampson because of his height. Bree tried to call Alex, but it went straight to voice mail and he wasn’t answering texts.

“He and Ned must be onto something,” Bree said, putting her phone in airplane mode.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Sampson said. “Those two are like hounds when they’re together.” He said it with a little wistfulness.

“You miss working with him full-time. With Alex, I mean,” she said.

Sampson shrugged. “We’ll work together again soon. I’m sure of it.”

“I am too. And I’m glad you’re coming with me.”

“I thoughtyouwere coming withme.”

Once the plane was airborne, Bree noticed how pensive Sampson was. “M?” she said.

John nodded, a cruel expression appearing on his face. “When he taunted me about Billie’s death, said he’d killed her so I had to go through the nightmare of having her exhumed, I swore that I would not stop until I had this guy in my sights.”

“I remember,” she said. “And I feel the same way. One hundred percent. If there’s something there in Nevada, we’ll find it.”

He nodded without looking at her. “I need to find it.”

Bree felt the urge to change the subject. “How’s Rebecca these days?”

His tight jaw loosened, and a smile came to his lips. “She’s busy but good. We talk almost every night and try to see each other on the weekends when she can spend time with Willow.”

“And Willow likes her?”

“Adores her,” Sampson said. “Says I should keep dating her.”

Bree laughed. “Youshouldkeep dating her.”

“No argument there.”

“No, I mean, don’t make it entirely about the three of you—you, Willow, and Rebecca—even though that is very, very important.”

Sampson’s jaw tightened again. “Okay?”

“I’m saying keep the romance going,” she said. “You’re at the very beginning of a relationship, John. You have to feed the romance, and to do that you have to find time to be alone, and you have to be, well, creative.”

“Creative?”

“Surprise her with something thoughtful or playful. It doesn’t have to be much. Just enough to say, ‘I see you. I hear you. I was thinking about you.’”

“I say that?”

“No, your gesture does. But that’s your intent.”

“Oh,” Sampson said, clearly puzzled. “I’m going to have to think on that.”

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