Page 101 of State of Alert

Sam laughed. “Of course. She can’t wait to get to know me. I’m not sure if you two are watching the news from your love nest, but Nick and I both have much greater concerns right now than whether or not he has a relationship with his deadbeat mother.”

“We’re aware of what you’re both dealing with. We were very sorry to hear that his young aide was murdered.”

“If you want to know who Nicoletta’s son is… He’s the kind of man who would weep for a junior officer who’d become his friend over the last few months when friends have been few and far between. That’s the man into whose already very complicated life you want to bring a woman who’s never once cared about anything but her next mark. It seems as if she’s found a good one in you. I hope you’ve locked up the family silver and valuables. I wouldn’t put it past her to cut and run as soon as you’ve used up your usefulness to her.”

“Long before I met Nicoletta, I admired your husband and how he handles himself.”

“That’s nice to hear, but it doesn’t change anything. I have no issue with you except to question your judgment in who you choose to associate with.”

“I’ve stepped out of character with this relationship, but I can’t seem to help myself. I see something in her, something beyond the grift and the hustle and the con. I see a woman who’s never had anyone truly love her or care about her. Did you know her mother disowned her when she became pregnant with her son?”

“Did she tell you that?”

“No, I learned that when I contacted a childhood friend of hers when I was considering whether to take her on as a client.”

“How did you find this friend?”

“I asked her for three personal references. Dorinda was one of them. She told me how Nicoletta’s mother was so outraged and embarrassed that her teenage daughter was pregnant that she put her out on the street to figure it out for herself. She never again had anything to do with Nicoletta. She was sixteen, Lieutenant.”

Sam would never admit to feeling a tiny bit sorry for teenage Nicoletta.

“Luckily, a school counselor took mercy and helped get her placed in a home for young mothers until the baby was born. Hours after the birth, the paternal grandmother showed up at the hospital, took the baby and left Nicoletta to fend for herself. She did the only thing she could and figured out how to survive on her own. Did she make some unfortunate choices? Absolutely. Did she fail her son during those years? She certainly did. She has many, many regrets, most of them centered on him. What she doesn’t regret is doing what it took to keep a roof over her head and food on her table.”

“People have their struggles, Mr. Worthy. No doubt about that. But that doesn’t justify going on live TV to tell horrible lies about her son for money. It doesn’t justify shakinghimdown for money or taking advantage of his caring heart time and time again. Do you know what it does to him when she swoopsin, acting like she finally wants to be his mother, only to realize it’s just another con?”

“No, I can’t imagine what that must be like.”

“Do you know that the scent of Chanel No. 5 triggers trauma for him? On the rare occasions when she visited him as a child, he’d refuse to shower for days to retain the scent of his mother. If he encounters that scent anywhere at any time, it sends him spiraling, regardless of where he is or what he’s doing.Thatis her legacy with him.”

“I can understand how upsetting that must be for him—and for you.”

“And for everyone who loves him, which is a lot of people, and not one of those people yearns for him to have his mother in his life. If anything, we yearn for her to go away and leave him alone.”

“Nicoletta is trying to change. She desperately wants to make things right with him and you and to know her grandchildren.”

“Again, I keep coming back to the same question.Why?”

“She’s witnessed the close bond I have with my children, and she wants that with her son, and his family.

“And it has nothing at all to do with the fact that he’s the president of the United States, and a close bond with him would be good for whatever scam she’s running next?”

“She’s out of business, Lieutenant. As a condition of her release, she’s not allowed to do business in the state of Ohio.”

“I’m sure she’ll relocate to one of the other forty-nine states when she tires of trying to please you.”

“I hope that doesn’t happen. I’ve made it clear to her that I want us to be together, and I believe in her ability to change her life.”

“I wish I shared in your belief. I need to get going to be with my family. Thank you for calling.”

“Will you consider talking to her? We’re both well awarethat you’re the gateway to making things right with her son, and she’s very interested in speaking to you one-on-one.”

“I’ll have to think about it. Unlike you, I don’t believe a tiger changes her stripes. You’ll understand my reluctance to let her anywhere near my husband or children, knowing what she’s capable of.”

“I do understand. I’m asking you to give her a chance. That’s all. Just a chance.”

“I’ll think about it. No promises. You’ll either hear from me, or you won’t. Please don’t call me again.”

“Thank you for your time, Lieutenant.”

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