Fatal Reckoning Page 20

  “Love you too. I’ll text you after.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Thanks.” After he ended the call, Nick let Terry know they had the green light from Sam. Then he reviewed the statement a couple more times until he knew it more or less by heart. Terry would have it put on the teleprompter, but Nick didn’t like to rely on that. Once he had a handle on the statement, he turned his attention to his email and the day’s briefing materials.

  Terry knocked on the door an hour later. “They’re ready for you in the press room.”

  Nick brought his copy of the statement with him when he went with Terry to the briefing room, which fell silent when he walked in. The president’s press secretary was there, as was Trevor.

  Nick stepped up to the podium. “I asked for a minute of your time to make a statement about the ongoing story many of you are running about the children my wife and I recently took in.”

  As he read the statement, he made eye contact with reporters from the outlets who’d gleefully reported the news about the taxpayers having to foot the bill for the Cappuanos’ new wards. Two of them looked away after his gaze landed on them.

  After he was finished reading the statement, he said, “I’ll take a couple of questions.”

  A reporter from the New York Times raised her hand and Nick called on her. “Do you think it’s fair that the taxpayers have to pay the cost of protecting two children that you voluntarily brought into your home?”

  “I would answer your question with a question—is it fair to judge us for how we choose to add to our family? As you know, my wife has suffered from infertility, and after we adopted Scotty, we hoped to have another opportunity to expand our family. As you also know, Sam encountered Alden and Aubrey at the worst moment of their young lives and stepped up for them in such an amazing way. She had my full support—and Scotty’s—in bringing them to our home when they needed somewhere to be. We could’ve applied to adopt and been given the opportunity to adopt twins, and the result would’ve been the same—two more children in our home and our family who require protection due to the nature of my job. To us, it doesn’t matter how they came to be there. What matters is that we love them and we’re committed to providing them with a home for as long as they need one.”

  Another reporter raised his hand. “The children have aunts, uncles and grandparents on their mother’s side of the family. Why are they not residing with family members?”

  “Their brother, Elijah, is their primary legal guardian. He makes the decisions on their behalf, and he chose to keep them with us when he saw how well they were adjusting to our home and our family. We’ve surrounded them with love and support and have agreed to help Elijah for as long as we’re needed.” Nick wasn’t about to throw their mother’s family under the bus by saying they were initially unwilling to take the children and in fact hadn’t even asked about them after learning their parents had been killed.

  But, oh, how he wanted to say that.

  “Do you understand the concern people have about taxpayers footing the bill to protect children that do have other family members who could care for them?”

  “I absolutely understand the concern, but I hope you can understand that because the children will be part of my family for some time to come, they need to be protected from those who would harm them simply because of what I do for a living. Keeping them safe and protected is one of our primary roles as their guardians.” He paused, trying to decide if he should say more. Why the hell not? What did he have to lose? “One thing I’ve learned in my life is you never know what’s right around the next corner. Did Sam and I plan to add to our family right now? No, but when the twins came into our lives, it felt meant to be from the beginning, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have the honor of taking care of them at this difficult time in their lives. Alden, Aubrey and their brother, Elijah, have become family to us. It’s that simple. That’s all for now. If you have other questions, please contact Trevor and he’ll see that I get them. Thanks for your time.”

  They were still shouting questions at him when Nick exited through the door that Terry held for him.

  “I think that went well.”

  Nick wasn’t so sure. “I guess we’ll find out.” His phone rang, and he took the call from Elijah. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “I saw you on TV just now. I had no idea you were taking that kind of flack about the kids. I feel really bad.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m not and neither is Sam. It’ll die down in a day or two. These things always do.”

  “I just hate to cause you any heartburn when you are doing such a huge thing for me and the kids.”

  “Let me tell you something, Eli. They could run me out of office, and that would be fine with me if it meant we got to keep Aubrey and Alden with us. We love them very much. They’re part of our family now, as are you.”

  “I honestly can’t tell you how much it means to me to know they are well cared for and loved when I can’t be there. I’ll never be able to thank you and Sam for all you’ve done.”

  “They’ve given us as much as we’ve given them. Don’t worry about anything. It’s all good. I promise.”

  “Thank you again.”

  Nick ducked into his office, nodded to Terry and closed the door. “Could I ask you something else?”

  “Sure.”

  “Sam and I were talking the other night about what’s going to happen when you finish school.”

  “About the kids, you mean?”

  “Yeah. We’re, um, well... We’re getting attached to them, and it’s just that the thought of them leaving...”

  “I’d never take them away from you guys after all you’ve done for them—and for me. My goal is to find a job in DC so I can help out, spend time with them and be part of their lives. Maybe they can spend some weekends with me or something like that.”

  Nick took a deep breath and closed his eyes. That was a plan he and Sam could live with. “That’d be perfect.”

  “I know how easy they are to love.”

  “They really are. Don’t you have class at one?”

  Eli laughed. “Yeah, I do. You sound like my dad.”

  “Well, get going. You don’t want to be late.”

  “I’m walking as we talk. I’ll let you go. Tell the kids I’ll call them before bed.”

  “They’ll look forward to it. Take care, Eli.”

  After he ended the call, Nick composed a text to Sam, giving her the gist of their conversation.

  * * *

  SAM AND FREDDIE watched Nick on the TV in the conference room, her stomach churning the entire time, waiting to see how the reporters would react. She breathed an audible sigh of relief when he stepped away from the podium.

  “He handled that really well,” Freddie said. “But that’s no surprise. He’s exceptionally good at this stuff.”

  “Yes, he is. Way better than I am.”

  “You said that, not me.”

  She laughed. “It goes without saying that he’s far more diplomatic than I’ll ever be.”

  Freddie snorted and then covered it with a cough. “Yes, he is.”

  She elbowed him in the ribs. “Quit laughing at me right to my face.”

  “How else should I laugh at you?”

  “Laughing at your superior officer isn’t the best career move you can make.”

  Her phone dinged with a text from Nick, telling her about his conversation with Eli. She read it twice, thrilled with what she was seeing as she typed her reply to him. Well, that’s a big fat fucking relief.

  My gorgeous wife has a way with words. I can live with that plan. Can you?

  Hell, yes.

  See? It’s all working out the way it’s meant to.

  I’m so happy that we’ll get to see them grow up.

  Me too, babe. Back to work for
both of us. See you later.

  Love you.

  Love you too. Xoxo

  She no sooner read the text when her cell rang with a number she didn’t recognize. “Holland.”

  “Hey, it’s Kevin Viera. Branson said you were by and wanted to talk to me?”

  “Yes, thanks for calling.”

  “No problem. I was at the gym so I just got his text. What can I do for you?”

  “We’re taking another look at my dad’s case with fresh leads coming into the tip line.”

  “I was really sorry to hear he’d passed. He was a good man.”

  “Yes, he was. Thank you. One of my colleagues mentioned the messenger bag he used to carry back and forth to work, and I realized I’d forgotten about it in all the chaos after the shooting. I know it was a long time ago, but I wondered if you have any recollection of there being a beat-up leather bag at the scene of his shooting?”

  After a long period of silence, he asked, “Was it brown leather?”

  “Yeah.” Sam held her breath.

  “I remember it. After he was taken from the scene, I found it on the street, realized it belonged to Chief Holland and grabbed it so it wouldn’t get lost.”

  Sam’s mouth had gone dry, her hands were sweaty and her legs wobbly. She dropped into a seat at the conference room table while Freddie stood with his hands on his hips, watching over her. “What did you do with it?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  “I gave it to Conklin and asked him to get it to the family.”

  Like Alice falling into Wonderland, Sam felt like a trapdoor had opened beneath her, sending her hurtling through space.

  “He gave it to you, right?”

  “No, he didn’t.” She forced herself to take a deep breath and do what needed to be done. “Listen, I know you just got off an overnight shift, but I need you to come to HQ right now. Immediately. Can you do that?”

  “Ah, yeah. I guess. I’ll be right there.”

  Sam closed her phone. “Go get Farnsworth and Malone. Hurry.”

  “Sam—”

  “Go.”

  He went.

  Sam took a series of deep breaths as the words holy fucking shit ran through her mind on continuous repeat. She’d found someone who could not only put Conklin at the scene of her father’s shooting, but who could attest that he’d given Conklin the messenger bag that should’ve been returned to Skip’s family and never was.

  What the actual fuck is going on?

  She continued to force air into lungs that felt compressed by the weight of the information that had landed on her in the last few minutes.

  Malone came rushing into the room. “What?”

  “I’ve got a first responder who can put Conklin at the scene of my dad’s shooting, and who says he gave Conklin my dad’s messenger bag to return to the family after my dad was transported.”

  Malone stared at her, not blinking or seeming to breathe as he absorbed what she’d said.

  Freddie returned with Farnsworth a minute later, and Sam told the chief the latest.

  For a long, awful moment Farnsworth stood perfectly still, his sharp gray eyes giving nothing away. “Jake, take the deputy chief into custody—quietly. No cuffs, no spectacle. Make sure to read him his rights. Dot every i and cross every t.”

  After another long, pregnant pause, Malone cleared his throat. “Yes, sir.” He turned and left the room.

  Sam looked up at the chief. “What happens now?”

  “I’m calling in the FBI to interview Viera.”

  Every part of Sam wanted to reject that plan, but she didn’t say a word, sensing that anything she said would be unwelcome.

  “Behind the scenes—and I mean so far behind the scenes there’s no chance your fingerprints will be anywhere near this, I want your team to take a close look at Conklin’s activities in the six months before your father’s shooting. Look at everything—email, phone calls, reports he filed, personal. Everything. Bring Archie in but no one else outside your squad. Pull any footage we have from the day of the shooting and go over it again, looking for any sign of Conklin at the scene. Put Green’s name on the reports. He wasn’t here then and has no personal connection to Conklin. Work quickly and don’t tell anyone else in this department what you’re working on. Don’t breathe a word about this inside or outside HQ, not even to spouses. Am I clear?”

  Sam swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”

  Freddie nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “Get on it.” Farnsworth turned and left the room.

  Sam sat staring at the wall, unseeing, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of this.

  “Sam.”

  She looked up at her partner.

  “What’re you thinking?”

  “I don’t know what to think. This is so...” She shook her head. “It’s beyond my ability to comprehend.”

  “Mine too. If it’s too much, the rest of us can see to the chief’s orders. You don’t have to be here. Anyone would understand.”

  “I’d go crazy at home waiting to hear what was happening.” Sam forced herself to stand, to get her shit together, to find her legendary mojo, to do what needed to be done. If justice for her father led to one of his closest friends, then so be it. At least then they’d know. She opened the conference room door. “Everyone in here. Now.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  FBI SPECIAL AGENT in Charge Avery Hill, head of the Criminal Investigations division, was in his office when his assistant told him Joe Farnsworth was on the phone.

  Avery picked up the call on the first ring. “Good morning, Chief.”

  “I need you at HQ immediately.”

  To call this request from the chief of the Metro PD unusual was putting it mildly. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ll let you know when you get here. Can you come right now?”

  “I’m on my way.”

  The line went dead. Holy crap. Whatever was happening, it had to be huge for Farnsworth himself to call in the FBI. And it was most likely internal. What other reason would the chief have for making that call?

  “I’m going to Metro PD HQ,” Avery told his assistant. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be. Text me if you need me.” He was already through the door and in the corridor before he finished speaking. Moving quickly, he got lucky with the traffic and arrived at HQ fifteen minutes after receiving Farnsworth’s call.

  The chief himself was waiting for him in the lobby and gestured for Avery to follow him to his office.

  Avery nodded at Helen, the chief’s admin, who watched them go by with wide eyes that fed Avery’s curiosity. He’d never seen Helen with wide eyes before.

  “Close the door.”

  Avery closed the door.

  “We’ve arrested Deputy Chief Conklin.” Before Avery could absorb that bombshell, a knock sounded. “Come in.”

  U.S. Attorney Tom Forrester and Assistant U.S. Attorney Faith Miller entered the room.

  Avery nodded to them both.

  “Thank you for coming.” Farnsworth seemed cool and composed when he had to be completely undone on the inside. “I was just informing Agent Hill that we’ve arrested Deputy Chief Conklin.”

  Avery gave the chief credit for holding it together, for doing the job, for taking charge of a potentially explosive situation.

  Neither Forrester nor Miller seemed as stunned by this news as Avery was.

  “So you were able to connect him to Skip Holland’s shooting?”

  What? Holy shit!

  “We have a first responder coming in now who will attest to the fact that Conklin was at the scene on G Street that day. Lieutenant Kevin Viera, a paramedic, gave Conklin the messenger bag that Skip carried to and from work and asked him to return it to Skip’s family. That never happened. Lieutenant Holland has been trying to track down the bag
, which is what led her to Viera and the other first responders who were there. Two days ago, Conklin looked me and Captain Malone in the eyes and told us that after receiving the call about Skip’s shooting, he went right to the GW ER, which we now know was not true. At this juncture, I’m turning the investigation of Deputy Chief Conklin’s actions pertaining to the shooting of Deputy Chief Skip Holland over to Agent Hill and the FBI. I have a team gathering internal information pertaining to Conklin from six months prior to the shooting and will turn that evidence over to Agent Hill the moment it is compiled.”

  Farnsworth glanced at Hill. “I believe we’re looking at a matter of hours, maybe less, before word gets out that our deputy chief has been arrested.”

  Avery nodded. “Understood.”

  Another knock sounded at the door. Helen ducked her head in. “Lieutenant Viera is here for you, sir.”

  “Show him in.” Farnsworth pocketed his cell phone and came around the desk. “I’ll relocate for the time being so you can use this office.”

  Forrester shook hands with Farnsworth. “You’re doing the right thing here, Joe.”

  Farnsworth nodded and left the room.

  Avery glanced at Forrester and Miller, who seemed equally stunned by what was happening.

  Viera came into the office, stopping short at the sight of an FBI agent and U.S. Attorneys. “Um, I thought I was talking to Lieutenant Holland?”

  “As the case in question pertains to her father, we’ll be conducting the interview.” Avery extended his hand. “I’m Agent Hill, and this is U.S. Attorney Tom Forrester and Assistant U.S. Attorney Faith Miller.”

  Viera shook hands with them. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Have a seat and we’ll tell you.” Hill gestured to the conference room table on the other side of Farnsworth’s office.

  Hill sat at the head of the table. “Take us through what happened on G Street the day Skip Holland was shot.”

  “We received multiple 911 calls about an officer shot in the neck and responded within three minutes of the shooting. When we arrived, a man was providing aide to Deputy Chief Holland by keeping pressure on the wound. I believe that man’s actions saved Chief Holland’s life.”