Page 94 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

“I still can’t believe you’re the first lady and Nick is the president,” Gonzo said with a chuckle.

“How the hell do you think we feel?”

“It’s got to be insane.”

“In every possible way. I’m thankful I get to still come here every day where things make sense to me—most of the time, anyway.”

“Anything new with the Tappen case?”

“We’ve discovered she had long-term affairs with two men and one-night stands with two others after the spark went out of her marriage.”

“Huh, that’s interesting.”

“From what I knew of her before I knew she had affairs, I would’ve bet my life that she was the type to suffer through marriage difficulties, but not to stray. My dad once said that no one knows what goes on inside a marriage except the two people who are in it, and that’s the truth. Bob would tell you they were solid. Pam apparently didn’t agree, but stayed in it for her kids and to keep the family together.”

“Life is so fucking complicated.”

“It really is.”

“Do you like either of the long-term guys for her murder?”

“Nope.”

“What about their spouses?”

“One of them was a widower when they got together. The more recent guy’s wife was shocked speechless to hear he was having an affair with her.”

“So you still don’t have a person of interest?”

“Nope.”

“Keep digging. You’ll get there. In the meantime, Jeannie has been working on the Carisma Deasly case and finding that Stahl never did even the barest minimum when she was reported missing.”

“What I want to know is where the commanders were when he was ignoring the report of a missing teenager.” Sam realized that question might encompass her own father if the timing lined up, but it was still a question that would need an answer.

“I think it was at a time when they were severely shorthanded around here. Detectives were working alone, which made it easier to get away with shit.”

“That would explain it, I guess. What time is it?”

Gonzo checked his watch. “Five to six.”

“We’d better get upstairs before Dr. Trulo thinks I forgot, which I didn’t.”

“Did he have to remind you?”

“That’s not the point.”

Gonzo lost it laughing as he followed her up the stairs. “Crazy about Ramsey, huh?”

“Yeah, I can’t believe I no longer have to worry about running into him up here.”

“I know, but you need to worry about running into him elsewhere.”

She flashed him a cheeky grin. “That’s where Secret Service protection comes in handy.” They stepped into a room packed with people. “Holy crap, Batman.”

“No kidding. Looks like your group’s a hit, Lieutenant.”

Sam saw a swarm of faces she recognized from past cases, people who’d come last time and some new ones, including Charles and Diana Weber, parents of Tara Weber, who’d been murdered recently.

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