Page 112 of State of Bliss

“I’ll be the face of this story for the department,” Farnsworth continued. “No one else is to speak to the media. Please make sure your teams are aware of that directive, as I have no doubt every member of the department will be subjected to public commentary and potential reporter interest. I’m the only one authorized to speak to the media. Full stop.

“Thank you all for your attention to this matter and for your support this week. It’s meant a lot to me, Deputy Chief McBride, Captain Malone, Lieutenant Haggerty and his team as we work our way through this process. I also want to remind everyone that Dr. Trulo is available to anyone who needs him.

“We understand this is a lot for the men and women of our department to absorb. It’s always extra disappointing when we learn that one of our own isn’t on the same team as the rest of us. We’ve had more than our share of that lately, but I assure you that I’m committed to rooting out the rot in this department. That’s all I wanted to say. Thank you.”

“Thank you, Chief,” McBride said. “And may I echo everything the chief said. We’re here to support our team in any way we can, and we’ll get through this together.”

“That’s all,” Malone said. “We’ll put out an all-staff message summarizing this meeting. Let us know if there’re any questions or concerns from your people.”

Sam signed off the meeting and sent a text to Joe Farnsworth’s personal cell phone.Just wanted you to know I’m thinking of you, and as always, you have my full support. Thank you for your determination to stay in the fight. We need you right now, but please take care of yourself in all this.She added a heart emoji and sent the text.

Then she went downstairs and turned on the TV, looking for coverage of the chief’s news conference.

Capital News Network covered it live. The chief read the statement Public Affairs had drafted and then added his own sentiments, including much of what he’d said in the commander’s meeting.

“What do you have to say to Caren Hans’s sister and all the other families?” a reporter asked.

“I empathize with all the families affected by this man’s actions. My own family, right here in this building, has been impacted by him. Lieutenant Holland and her sisters were like nieces to my wife and me as they grew up. Their father was my closest friend. When Stahl attacked her, he attacked my family.”

Sam winced even as his words touched her deeply. The last thing she needed was more reminders to the rest of the department of how close her family had always been to the chief and his wife. That closeness had led to an ongoing feeling, among some of her colleagues, that she benefited from nepotism. Even though her father had died, her “uncle” Joe was still the chief. To which she said,Whatever. She worked her freaking ass off on the job and always had. At times, she felt as if she worked harder than most so she wouldn’t be accused of favoritism.

In her opinion, her last name had caused her more trouble than any benefit it might’ve provided. Stahl hated her because he hated her father. Others had accused her of unfair advantages, and she was always up against the challenge of being a woman in a largely male profession.

“My department is taking these new allegations against Stahl extremely seriously. We will stay on this case until every victim has received the justice they deserve.”

“What would you say to people who consider your department incompetent?”

“The MPD is made up of four thousand hardworking men and women. In any organization of that size, you’ll have a few who don’t play by the rules. We will fully prosecute anyone who breaks the law after having sworn to uphold it. Our recent arrest of former IT Lieutenant Bill Gibbons is an example of that. He’s someone I considered a friend until it was learned that he assisted Stahl in some of his criminal activities. We have a zero-tolerance policy for lawlessness within our own ranks, and I assure the public that the rest of us are hard at work every day to protect this city and its citizens. As disgusted and revolted by these new allegations as you are, I promise you that we are more so.”

He paused, resting his hands on the podium. “I’ve devoted my entire adult life to the District of Columbia and its residents. It’s been the greatest honor of my life to wear this uniform and this badge in our nation’s capital. Most of the people who work with me in this department feel the same way I do and show up every day to do a difficult, often thankless job.

“Do we always get it right? Absolutely not. We screw up far more often than we’d like to, but most of us come in each day with the best of intentions and the goal of doing the right thing. Twelve of our officers have made the ultimate sacrifice on the job. Others have been severely injured, their lives changed forever by a bullet or a knife or even a car intentionally hitting them. Many have been traumatized by things they’ve seen and experienced in the line of duty. We see things… every day… things that change us forever.

“I hear the drumbeat of people calling for my ouster, who want to blame me for every law-breaking cop who ever came through these doors. I understand the desire to hold me accountable for the misdeeds of those who report to me. I accept responsibility for the good, the bad, the terrible, the heartbreaking and everything in between that happens on my watch. You can lead the charge to remove me, but I promise you that won’t deter people who are determined to break the law while the rest of us work to uphold it. Those people will always exist. A new leader won’t share my intense commitment to right the wrongs of the past. This is personal to me in a way it wouldn’t be to someone else. Trust me when I tell you that every ounce of my energy and fortitude is directed toward ensuring every victim of Leonard Stahl’s—and their families—receive justice long denied. That’s all I’ve got to say at this time. I’ll update you the minute we have new information.”

Sam wiped tears off her cheeks as she watched him walk through the main doors to HQ.

“We’ve just heard from Metro PD Chief Joseph Farnsworth,” the anchor said, “who’s expressed his determination to stay on the job despite the growing calls for his resignation or ouster as the full extent of imprisoned former Lieutenant Leonard Stahl’s crimes comes to light. Dan, what would justice look like to families of the missing women? He’s already serving two life sentences with no chance of parole.”

“For many of them,” Dan said, “I’d imagine justice would come from their bodies being found after all this time, of Stahl being tried and convicted specifically for taking their lives. I spoke to Cristen Hans Reid earlier, and this is what she had to say about that.”

“For me,” Cristen said in a recorded clip, “it doesn’t matter that he’s already in prison. I want him to stand trial for killing my sister. I want a jury to find him guilty of that particular crime. I want him punished specifically for her death. And if others within the MPD knew what he did, I want them punished as well. I won’t rest until the people who took my sister from me pay for their crimes.”

Nick sat next to Sam on the sofa and rested his hand on top of hers. The heat from his hand made her realize how cold hers was. “Are you okay, babe?”

“I think so.”

“What do you think of what she said?”

“I agree with her. Just because he’s in prison for what he did to me doesn’t mean his other victims have gotten justice. I’m glad he’s going to be charged for all the other things he did, including the burying of reports and cases he didn’t feel like dealing with. So what if he’s already serving life in prison? I want him found guilty for what he did to Calvin Worthington’s family and Carisma Deasly’s and for framing Eric Davies on rape charges. I want him convicted for everything he’s done. I want justice for all his victims.”

“I’m worried about the toll this is taking on you.”

“It’s not about me.”

“Samantha, come on. Of course it’s about you. This has to be bringing everything you went through with him back to the surface, although I’m sure it’s never far from your mind.”

Sam had chosen not to tell him about her recent dream because it would upset him, and she couldn’t bear to relive it. “I try not to ever think about him or what he did to me.”

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