Page 33 of State of Alert

“Good enough.”

“I’ll go with you.”

She wanted to tell him that wasn’t necessary, but she knew it was pointless. There was no way he’d let her go to a murder scene alone, especially since Freddie wasn’t with her. A few months ago, she would’ve chafed at that. Now she was comforted by his presence. Funny how that happened.

“What a day, huh?” he asked as they walked toward flashing lights a block and a half away.

“Yep. Sorry to keep you so late.”

“Are you kidding? This is the most fun I’ve ever had on this job.”

She turned to him, stunned. “Really?”

“Yes, Sam, really. Security is often super boring. Rote routine. Redundancy. There’s none of that on your detail.”

“Well, thank you. I think.”

“You’re more than welcome,” he said with a low chuckle.

“I bet your other subjects haven’t had you out running the streets at nine o’clock on a Sunday night.”

“No, they haven’t.”

“I’m sorry to keep you away from your family all day.”

“It’s fine. My wife and daughters were away for a spa weekend, whatever that is, and weren’t due home until tonight anyway.”

“A spa weekend,” Sam said with a sigh. “How do I get me one of them?”

“Ma’am… You’re the first lady of the United States of America and a badass detective. If you want a spa weekend, have a spa weekend.”

“I can just, like… do that?”

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not.”

“I guess it never occurred to me that I could.”

“When we get back in the car,” he said, “I’m gonna tell you something important.”

“Thank you for the warning.”

Patrol Officer Clare lifted the yellow tape for Sam and Vernon, who ducked under it. “Good to see you, LT.” He’d matured a bit since Sam had last seen him and now looked more like a man than a boy.

“You as well. What’ve we got?”

“White woman, age forty-six, found dead in the bathroom off the main bedroom on the second floor.”

Sam glanced at the house, which was a large white colonial with black shutters. She’d known a few kids who lived up here when she was in high school and had envied them their leafy streets and grassy yards. There’d been no yards on Ninth Street. As much as she loved Capitol Hill, she could picture them living in an area like this after Nick left office. The kids would want a yard after living at the White House, with all its grass and open space.

She followed Officer Clare into the house, aware of Vernonfollowing her but giving her the space to work that she needed. He remained in the foyer while she and Clare went upstairs. “Have you called the ME?”

“Yes, ma’am. Dr. Tomlinson is on the way with his team, as is Crime Scene.”

Haggerty and his people would be up all night with two new cases demanding their attention. “Excellent. Thank you. Where’s the husband?”

“My partner is with him on the back porch.”

He led her into the main bedroom, which was huge and lovely, with one of those cathedral-ceiling thingies. They cut through a massive closet with a fancy chandelier, custom built-ins and an island in the center with more drawers and cubbies. A robe was tossed over the counter on the island. They entered an opulent bathroom, where a naked woman lay on the floor in a pool of blood under her head. A bath towel was in a pile next to her, and slippers were on the floor, as if they’d been waiting for her to come out of the shower. Patrol had left her uncovered so Sam and her team could see how she’d been found.

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