Page 43 of State of the Union (First Family 3)

“I’m going to venture into the lion’s den with this info and turn it over to them.”

“Go with God, Lieutenant,” Jeannie said.

The three of them laughed.

“Listen, Jeannie,” Sam said. “This was a remarkable bust, and you need to be proud as hell for what you did for Carisma, her family and the nine other kids and their families. Don’t let any of the bullshit take away from that. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you for your support.”

“You got it. I’m damned proud of what you did here, and you should be, too.”

“Me, too,” Gonzo said. “Very good work, Jeannie.”

“Thanks, guys. Although… I’m never going to forget the condition Carisma and the others were in,” Jeannie said, her eyes filling with tears. “It was horrifying. How human beings can treat others that way… The murders are tough, but this was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“I want you and Matt to spend some time with Dr. Trulo,” Sam said, referring to the department’s psychiatrist.

“I don’t think we need that.”

Sam would like to think she’d learned from past mistakes. She would always regret not doing more to support Gonzo after Arnold’s murder. “Nonnegotiable,” she said to Jeannie. “Make the appointment. Together or separate. You decide.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m going to see Malone. If I don’t come back in thirty minutes, send reinforcements.”

“Will do,” Gonzo said, chuckling.

Sam left the pit and headed for the captain’s office, surprised to see the door closed, which was rare. She knocked.

“Enter.”

She opened the door. “Do I need my vest to come in?”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes, Holland.”

“I’m aware. The question was serious.”

“Come in and shut the door.”

She did as she was told.

He was seated behind his desk, one leg raised by bracing his foot on an open desk drawer. “What do you want?”

She laid the reports on his desk.

“What’s that?”

“Reports that Stahl filed in the early days of the Worthington and Deasly investigations. They were separate from the files we pulled.”

Malone held her gaze for a beat before reaching for the reports.

Sam stayed as still as she possibly could while he reviewed them.

“Where did you find these?”

“Gonzo asked Archie to do some digging. They were archived separately from the case files.”

“What are these?” he asked, sifting through the papers.

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