Page 36 of State of Alert

“We can call them for you if you’d like,” Dani said.

“You can?” He visibly brightened and then crumpled again as he shook his head. “I can’t let a stranger tell them this. I’ll do it.”

“Do you have somewhere you can stay tonight?” Sam asked.

“What? We can’t stay here?”

“No, sir, this is a crime scene, and our detectives will need full access.”

“I, uh… I have a sister in Bethesda. We can stay with her.”

“We’re going to need you to call the girls and ask them to come home right away, but don’t tell them why.”

He gave her a confused look.

“We’d like to be here when they’re told.”

She could tell he still didn’t understand that they wanted to witness the children’s reactions to hearing their mother had been murdered.

“Who else has access to the house?”

“No one. Just the four of us.”

“No cleaning people or anyone who works part time for you?”

“Elaine likes to do the cleaning herself. She says it relaxes her.”

“So no one else has the code to the door?”

“No.”

“Would the girls give it to their friends?”

“They were told not to.”

“I’ll let you call your daughters.”

“We can take it from here, LT,” Carlucci said quietly while Mr. Myerson took out his phone to make the calls to his children.

“Are you sure?”

“All good. Go home.”

“I’m going to leave you in Detective Carlucci’s capable hands, sir.”

He held his phone to his ear. “Elaine… My Elaine admired you very much.”

“That’s nice to hear. I’m sorry again for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

Sam walked back into the house, taking the weight of his grief and sadness with her. She knew what it was like to confront the sudden death of a loved one and wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

Vernon stood inside the front door, waiting for her.

“Let’s go home, Vernon.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

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