Page 84 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

She tossed him her keys. “Drive me to GW. I have some calls to make.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

When she was belted into the passenger seat, she put through a call to Dr. Anderson, her friend at GW. His voice mail picked up, so she left a message. “Hey, it’s Sam Holland wondering how to find one of your colleagues in the maze you call a hospital. Call me if you get this message in the next twenty minutes or so.”

She ended that call and put through another to Captain Malone.

He answered on the second ring. “Hey, how’s it going?”

“We might have a small break.” She explained what they’d learned from Pam’s best friend. “We’re on our way to talk to one of the other guys and operating under the assumption that the two one-night stands aren’t worth pursuing. Right now, anyway.”

“And you’ve ruled out the wife of the current guy and Pam’s husband?”

“Both were legitimately shocked to learn of their affair. Josie Ouellette had no idea, and Bob Tappen said Pam couldn’t stand Mark, or so she said. He and his children were stunned to hear that she’d been having an affair with him, ‘of all people,’ as they put it.”

“This is very strange. The person who did this wanted her to suffer, so who else would have motive besides the spouses?”

“Their children would, if they found out about the affair and were revolted by it, but a crime like this takes a certain level of sophistication. Luring her from her home without leaving a digital trail, tying her up in a way that would keep her from being able to help herself, abandoning her in a freezing car and waiting to hear she was dead. A full-on sociopath did this.”

“I’d take a low-level look at the kids and see if anything stands out.”

“Will do. Tomorrow. After we see the third guy, a doctor at GW, we’re going to call it a day. We’ll get back to it in the morning.”

“Don’t you have your grief group meeting tonight?”

“Shit, fuck, damn, hell.”

Captain Malone cracked up laughing. “I won’t tell Dr. Trulo that you forgot.”

“I didn’t forget. Exactly.”

“Sure, you didn’t. See you when you get back to the house.”

“What are you SFDHing about?” Freddie asked.

“I may or may not have forgotten that grief group is tonight.”

“Ah, right. I should’ve reminded you.”

“I shouldn’t need a reminder.”

“But alas…”

“Stop enjoying this so much. That’s also irritating.”

“Adding it to my growing list.”

“You keeping a list of things that irritate me is also irritating.”

“Duly noted.”

“Am I allowed to skip the grief group that I founded?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why did I know you were going to say that? Ugh. I have so much to do and no time to do any of it.”

“What else do you have to do?”

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