Page 31 of State of Alert

“Then my work here is finished.” She handed him the keyto Juan’s apartment. “Come back to let in Crime Scene and then go home.”

“She’s all yours,” Freddie said to Vernon as he stormed off toward the post office to find the coffee shop.

“Oh, glory and praise,” Vernon said with a smile for Sam. “What did I do to deserve this?”

“You won the lottery.”

“Where to, my prize?”

Sam stifled a laugh so as not to encourage him. “Crestwood. Jump on Beach Drive toward the park.”

“I might need a little more insider info than that.”

“I got you covered.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sam directed him toward the “quick” way, as if such a thing existed in her city even late on a Sunday, the most endless day ever, and sat back to text Gonzo for specifics about where she was going.

He responded with an address on Webster Street Northwest, near the National Conservatory of Arts.

What do we know?

Husband came home from being gone all day to find the wife dead in the bathroom attached to their bedroom.

Reminds me of Ginny McLeod.

Funny, I said the same thing to Cam.

Ginny McLeod had been found dead in her garage by her husband when he returned from playing golf. She’d later been tied to a massive fraud that’d been the motive for murder. They’d closed that case right before Nelson died and their lives changed forever.Ah,she thought,remember that?And they’d thought things were crazy before. Haha. They’d been naïve babies before Thanksgiving made them her bitch.

She smiled at the thought of telling Nick that, but her smile quickly faded when she recalled what she was keeping from him.

Her phone rang with a call from Malone.

“You got the word on Crestwood?”

“Headed there now.”

“I’m sending Dominguez and Carlucci to meet you. Turn it over to them and go home.”

“Thank you, Jesus.”

“That’s Jake, but you can feel free to call me Jesus.”

“Haha, everyone is a comedian today.”

“Me and who else?”

“Cruz, as usual, and Vernon.”

He caught her eye in the mirror and smiled.

“Where are we with the Rodriguez investigation?”

“Early days. We met with the roommate, and Haggerty’s team is heading over to his apartment to execute the warrant for Juan’s electronics and other evidence. Cruz is trying to track down the FWB.”

“The what?”

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