Page 61 of State of Alert

They still didn’t look at her.

“We need to move on to the Myerson case. Who wants to give me an update on where we are?”

Freddie stood slowly and moved to the murder board. “Elaine Myerson, age forty-six, found in the bathroom adjoining the main bedroom of her home on Webster StreetNorthwest in the Crestwood neighborhood. She’s the chief communications officer for a company that lobbies Congress on behalf of the oil industry. Her husband, Frank Myerson, is a well-regarded and very successful real estate broker.”

That explained the fancy house,Sam thought, assuming Elaine’s job would pay a more regular salary than his.

“Carlucci and Dominguez canvassed the neighbors, who reported seeing nothing out of the ordinary yesterday. The husband’s alibi checked out. He was at a staff retreat in Bethesda, and his assistant confirmed he was with her from eight in the morning until they parted company after dinner at seven thirty.”

“What do we know about the daughters?” Sam asked.

“Zoe is seventeen, and Jada is fifteen,” Freddie said.

“Where were they yesterday?”

“Zoe was reportedly with her boyfriend all day, and Jada was on a day trip to Harpers Ferry and Antietam with a friend’s family.”

“I’d like to talk to them today. Do we have the address where they’re staying? Frank said something about a sister in Bethesda?”

“Yes,” Gonzo said. “We have the address.”

“Freddie and I will head out there to interview the daughters while the rest of you work on financials and social media. Gonzo and Matt, if you could go to Elaine’s office to interview her colleagues, that would help.”

“Will do,” Gonzo said. “Let’s go, Matt.”

Her sergeant and close friend got up and left the room without once making eye contact with her. Was she reading too much into that? She didn’t think so. To Freddie, she said, “Let’s get going to Bethesda.”

He, too, got up and left the room without so much as a glance in her direction.

Awesome.

“Cameron, would you please write up any notes we have onwhat was done on the Rodriguez investigation so I can forward it to NCIS?”

“Will do.”

“Thank you.”

Sam went to her office to grab her jacket and portable radio. Then she followed Freddie to the morgue entrance.

Lindsey came out of the morgue when she saw them there. “I’d like information about what to do with the body that was passed off as Juan’s.”

“I’ll send you the point of contact for NCIS.”

“Thank you.” When she turned and went back through the automatic glass doors that led to her domain, Sam wanted to chase after her, to do whatever it took to make this right. But she couldn’t do that now.

When she and Freddie were settled in the back of the SUV, she asked Vernon to raise the privacy screen.

She glanced at Freddie. “Say what’s on your mind.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Please tell me you know I’d never be involved in something like this voluntarily.”

“I do know that, but I wish you’d trusted us with the truth.”

“They were very adamant that no one know. I only told the chief so he could tell me how he wanted it handled. It was his decision to go along with their request. I was put in an impossible situation.”

“Yes, I realize that.”

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