Fatal Reckoning Read online

  “Yes, it certainly is.” Sam took down his phone number and left him with their business cards in case he thought of anything else.

  Outside, Sam sucked in badly needed deep breaths.

  Freddie spoke first. “Oh my God. What the hell?”

  Shock reverberated through every cell in her body. This couldn’t be happening. All this time...

  “What do we do?”

  “I’m going straight to the chief with this.”

  “Sam... Let me go with you. You shouldn’t be driving right now.”

  That was when she realized her hands were shaking violently. “Yeah. Okay.”

  They got into her car, with Freddie at the wheel. He did a U-turn and headed for HQ while Sam put through a call to Farnsworth’s cell phone, using a number she’d had for years but had rarely used in all the years she’d worked for him.

  “Sam?”

  “I need to see you right now. Are you still at the office?”

  “I was just getting ready to leave.”

  “Meet me in the morgue parking lot. Ten minutes.”

  “Sam—”

  She closed the phone because she couldn’t say another word until her uncle Joe was standing in front of her, telling her what to do with this bombshell she’d been handed. Another thing her father had told her on day one—If you learn something your superior officers should know, no matter what it is, tell them immediately. Don’t sit on it for even five minutes, or you’re part of the problem.

  She’d taken that advice to heart when she’d stumbled upon the fact that Conklin hadn’t told anyone that retired Captain Kenneth Wallack had gone missing two weeks before Sam talked to his wife as part of the drive-by investigation. And now this... What else did the deputy chief know about his predecessor’s shooting? Her dad had counted Conklin among his closest friends. That he could’ve had this information for all this time... She couldn’t wrap her head around it.

  To his credit, Freddie didn’t say another word on the ride back to HQ, through rush-hour traffic that made the trip ten minutes longer than she’d predicted. Outside the door to the morgue, the chief waited for her, leaning against his department-issued SUV.

  Freddie pulled Sam’s car into the spot next to the chief. “You want me to come?”

  “Yeah.”

  She got out of the car and forced herself to move on legs that felt wooden. Her stomach ached, and she feared she might vomit in front of the chief.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We followed a tip-line lead to a man named Frank Davis, who lives in Adams Morgan. He was on G Street the day of the shooting, saw the cop car pull over another car, heard the gunshot, called 911, ran back and rendered aid. And even though he reported all of this to Conklin, it’s the first I’ve heard of any of it. I’ve never heard the guy’s name before today.”

  “How do you know he reported it to Conklin?” Farnsworth’s shock was apparent in the set of his jaw and the rigidness of his posture.

  “He said he reported it all that day to Conklin. To be certain, we showed him the top brass on the website, and he picked out Conklin.” It took everything she had not to lose her shit completely. She wanted to scream and rage and punch something. “All this time... What else does he know?”

  “I’d like to consult with Malone on this before we proceed. Are you okay with that?”

  “Whatever you think is best.”

  “I’m sorry this happened, Sam. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

  “All this time... Has he known what happened to my father and didn’t tell anyone?”

  “If that’s the case, I’ll see him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

  “What should I do?” She vibrated with rage and energy and hope. In the midst of the shock, hope shone through. Would this be the break they’d been waiting for? Or would it be another dead end.

  “Go home. I’ll call you later.”

  “Chief—”

  “Go home, Lieutenant. I will call you.”

  Sam didn’t want to go home. She wanted to stay and find out why a superior officer she’d liked and respected, a man her father had considered a close friend, would’ve kept this information from her and other investigators for four years.

  Freddie took her by the arm and gave a gentle tug. “Come on.”

  She allowed him to lead her to the car and nudge her into the passenger seat.

  And then he drove her home to Ninth Street, where they were waved through the checkpoint by the agents on duty. He parked in her assigned spot in front of the house, killed the engine and glanced over at her. “We have to trust the chief to handle this properly. He always does the right thing.”

  “Are there, like, three or four people in the entire department who always do the right thing, or does it just seem that way lately?”

  “It’s way more than three or four people. The bad ones are few compared to the good.”

  “How could he have done this to us? To my dad, who was always a good friend to him? He lived with us for a short time when his first marriage ended.”

  “Did he? I’ve never heard that.”

  “My dad dragged him out of a bar and brought him home to our house so he wouldn’t do something stupid and lose his career.”

  Freddie’s deep sigh said it all.

  Desolate and grief-stricken all over again that someone she respected and trusted could’ve done something like this, she couldn’t seem to fully process this new information. “I don’t understand.”

  “Maybe it’ll turn out that he had a good reason.”

  “What possible good reason could he have had?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Sam glanced at her house, where it seemed every light was on, whereas Celia’s home was dark. “I should go in.”

  “Call me if you hear anything?”

  “I will. Take my car home and pick me up in the morning. We’ll get yours then.”

  “Will do. You gonna be okay?”

  “What choice do I have?” She got out of the car, and though she desperately wanted to see Nick, Scotty and the kids, she walked over to Celia’s, aching at the knowledge that her dad wasn’t there and never would be again. How she wished she could share what she’d learned today with him. But in a way, she was glad he would never know what his friend had done—or failed to do.

  She went up the ramp and rested her hand on the doorknob, prepared to walk in the way Celia had always insisted, but uncertain of her welcome, she stopped short of opening the door. Raising her hand, she knocked and waited.

  Celia opened the door. “Why are you knocking? You know the rules.”

  “I...I wasn’t sure if the rules had changed.”

  “They haven’t.” Celia turned and led the way into the kitchen, where a glass of wine sat on a table covered in cards and other piles of paper. “Drink?”

  “I’d love one.”

  Celia poured her a glass of chardonnay.

  “What’re you doing?”

  “Thank-you notes.”

  “The girls and I can help with that.”

  “Eh.” She waved her hand. “Gives me something to do.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’ve been better. I’m sure you have too.”

  “I’m sorry, Celia. I know you’re angry with me about what happened and how it happened, and I honestly can’t bear to think that I made this worse for you in any way.”

  “It was the right thing. I couldn’t see it at the time, but you were right to intervene. It was what he would’ve wanted, even if I didn’t agree.”

  Hearing her say that filled Sam with relief so profound it nearly permeated the shock of what she’d uncovered about Conklin.

  Celia looked up at her. “It took a lot of guts for you to do the right thing for him. I’m
glad one of us was thinking clearly. I certainly wasn’t.”

  “He was your husband and you loved him. I hope I never have to confront what you did that day.”

  “I hope you don’t either. Even knowing it was the best thing for him... It’s the worst thing for me.” She teared up and used her sleeve to dab at her eyes. “Just when I think I’ve shed all the tears I’ll ever have, there’re more.”

  Sam sat next to her and held out her arms.

  Celia leaned into her. “He loved you so much.”

  “He loved you just as much.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Celia laughed. “He had a soft spot a mile wide for you.”

  “We were both lucky to be loved by him.”

  She patted Sam’s arm. “Thank you for what you said about me at the service.”

  “I meant every word of it. You gave us four years we wouldn’t have had without you.”

  “Even when it was awful—and it was awful a lot of the time—they were the best years of my life.”

  “I think he would say the same.”

  “Not sure that’s true...”

  “He loved every minute he spent with you. We all saw the way he looked at you.”

  “You’re going to figure out who did this to him, right?”

  “Our entire team is devoted to new leads, and we’re very determined.” Sam hesitated to say more, but she had to prepare her stepmother for the possibility that they could still be unsuccessful, even after the bombshell they’d uncovered that day. She couldn’t say anything about that until they knew more, but she wished she could share it with Celia. “Four years is a long time. The case is cold. But we’re going to do everything we can.”

  “That’s all I can ask. It won’t bring him back, but the thought of someone out there enjoying his or her life while he’s dead and buried...”

  “I know. Believe me. I get it.”

  Celia sat up and wiped her face. “Sorry to be such a waterworks.”

  “Don’t apologize.”

  “It’s good of you to come by and see me. Scotty was here earlier. That boy is such a gem.”

  “I know. He adores you. You won’t be getting rid of any of us.”

  “That’s fine with me. I’m not sure what I’d do without you.”

  Sam finished her wine and leaned in to kiss Celia’s cheek. “You want to come over for dinner? I have no idea what we’re having, but I’m sure Shelby left something.”

  “She was over earlier with Noah and the twins. They brought me enchiladas, so I assume that’s what you’re having too.”

  “Yum.” Sam’s stomach growled. “She’s the best.”

  “Yes, she is. We’re surrounded by good people and lots of love that will get us through this.”

  Sam nodded. “I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  As she got up from the table, Sam had to force herself not to look in the dining room for someone who wasn’t there anymore or listen for the whir of the wheelchair. As she walked out the door, she realized it wasn’t her dad’s house anymore. It was Celia’s house now. A while ago, he’d talked to Sam and her sisters to let them know he was taking steps to ensure Celia was cared for in the event of his death. Sam was glad that he’d seen to those details, because Celia deserved to be well cared for after having given so much to Skip and the rest of them.

  Sam went up the ramp to her house, one of the ramps they no longer needed. They’d become such a regular part of her daily routine that she barely noticed them, but she couldn’t imagine the street without them anymore.

  Nate, the agent working the door, nodded to her. “Evening, Mrs. Cappuano.”

  “Hi, Nate.”

  She stepped into bedlam, Scotty on the floor with Alden as Aubrey danced around them.

  Nick watched over them, beer in hand and a smile on his face.

  It occurred to Sam that her husband finally had the family he’d always wanted, which made her happy on a day that had left her numb with shock. Even in the midst of despair and sorrow, joy crept in to remind her that life went on even when you didn’t think it possibly could.

  Aubrey let out a happy shriek when she saw Sam and ran over to her.

  Sam scooped up the little girl, who smelled of peanut butter, and kissed her soft cheek. “What’s going on here? I left you in charge of the boys.”

  Aubrey giggled. “Scotty tickled Alden and then that happened.”

  Alden had Scotty pinned. “Admit defeat.”

  “Never!” Scotty toppled Alden, which restarted the wrestling and the screaming laughter from the little boy.

  His laughter was one of the best things Sam had ever heard, especially after the days of silence that had followed the deaths of his parents.

  Aubrey squiggled in her arms. “I need to help Alden.”

  “Don’t hurt my Scotty.”

  Aubrey dashed over and landed on top of them, drawing a loud ooph from Scotty.

  Sam glanced at Nick, who slid an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “Should we be allowing this?”

  “They’re working off the last of their energy. They’ll sleep well.” He looked down at her. “How’d it go today?”

  “I’ll tell you after we get the kids in bed.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “Yeah. I heard there’re enchiladas?”

  “You heard correctly, and they’re amazing.”

  “You got this? I need to eat.”

  “I got it. Go ahead.” He gave her another kiss and released her. “Five minutes to bath time.”

  “Haha.” Scotty playfully headlocked Alden. “You gotta take a bath.”

  “You have to take a shower,” Nick said to Scotty.

  Alden laughed and stuck his tongue out at Scotty.

  Amused by their sibling-like banter, Sam went into the kitchen to eat while Nick supervised baths. She finished eating the delicious enchiladas and went upstairs in time to snuggle up to Alden while Nick read them a story about hungry bears breaking out of a zoo and running free in a neighborhood. The story and the voices Nick used to read it made both children laugh.

  While she was physically present with her family, her mind was still on the situation with Conklin as she wondered if she would hear from the chief tonight.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  THE FIRST THING Joe Farnsworth did when he parted with Holland and Cruz was call Jake Malone. “Where are you?”

  “Almost home. What’s up?”

  “I need to see you right away.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Ah, fuck. What now? You want me to come back to HQ?”

  “Meet me at my place in twenty?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  As he drove home, Joe took a call from Marti. “Hi, honey.”

  “Hi there. I’m leaving for a meeting at church, but I left dinner in the oven for you. It’s on low, but if you leave it there too long it won’t be any good.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “All right. I’ll be home by eight.”

  “See you then. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  He told himself that no matter what kind of shit show was about to blow up around him and his department, he would still have her, and she made everything bearable. When he arrived at home, he saw Malone waiting for him on the porch, illuminated by the glow of the light Marti had left on for him.

  Joe got out of his SUV and went up to the porch.

  Malone eyed him warily. “What fresh hell is upon us now?”

  “Holland and Cruz followed up on a lead called into the tip line from a guy named Frank Davis. Ring any bells?”

  “Nope. Should it?”

  “Apparently, he was on G Street at
the time of Skip’s shooting and gave a detailed statement to Conklin the same day.”

  Malone tipped his head as if he hadn’t heard the words correctly. “He gave a statement to Conklin.”

  “That’s what he told Holland and Cruz. To be sure, they showed him the page of department leadership from the website, and he identified Conklin as the officer who’d taken his statement. Apparently, Davis rendered aid to Skip after the shooting and perhaps saved his life by putting pressure on the wound until the paramedics arrived.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

  “You have no idea how much I wish I was.” Joe sighed. He should’ve retired years ago. Then this latest nightmare wouldn’t be his problem.

  “Did Davis see the shooter or the car?”

  “No. He only remembers seeing the cop car pull over another car, but he had moved past them when he heard the shot.”

  “Jesus.”

  “First Wallack and now this. What else is there?”

  “I don’t even want to know.” Crossing his arms, Jake looked at Joe. “What’re we going to do about this?”

  Joe expected nothing less of the colleague and friend who always had his back. “We need to go talk to him.” Joe needed someone there to witness whatever transpired, and he trusted Jake to help him navigate this situation.

  Jake checked his watch. “He’s probably home by now.”

  “Let me go turn off the oven and then we can go.” Dinner would have to wait.

  Twenty minutes later, they crossed the 14th Street Bridge in bumper-to-bumper late-day traffic on the way to Conklin’s home in Alexandria. Normally they’d be talking sports or politics, but today they coexisted in tense silence. It took forty-five minutes to make the five-mile trip.

  “What’s our plan?” Jake asked when they pulled into a guest spot in the condo complex.

  “Let’s ask him to come out and talk, so we can’t be overheard.” Conklin was remarried, but none of them knew his second wife that well. She didn’t often socialize with them.

  “I’ll do that,” Jake said.

  While Joe stood next to the car, Jake went up the stairs to the front door and rang the bell. A minute later, the inside door swung open. Conklin seemed surprised to see Jake. He pushed opened the storm door.