by Marie Force
“No kidding. I’ve got to run. Graham is here to say hello, and I have another meeting after that.”
“Okay, I’ll see you at home. Love you.”
“Love you too, babe. Thanks for calling.”
“Pleasure was all mine.” She ended the call to the sound of his laughter. God, he was the best. In her wildest dreams, she never could’ve imagined finding a guy who got her the way he did. His love made it possible for her to cope with all the crap that constantly flew her way and to not let it get to her the way she would have in the past.
* * *
FILLED WITH RELIEF after getting the official word from Sam, Nick put his phone on the desk and gave himself a couple of minutes to regroup before his meeting with Graham O’Connor. Thank God she hadn’t been indicted. That would’ve been another nightmare on top of the one they were already dealing with—and he liked to operate on a one-nightmare-at-a-time policy.
When—not if—Ramsey sued her, that’d make for more salacious headlines, but Nick wasn’t concerned about the civil suit or the headlines. Ramsey had deserved exactly what he’d gotten from Sam, and any rational person would agree. The civil suit would probably be as much of a nonstarter as the criminal case had been, but it bothered him that she’d made another fierce enemy within the department, especially since the last one had nearly killed her.
He tried to shake off his worries about her safety, reminding himself once again that she could more than take care of herself. Exhibit A: Punching Ramsey in the face and sending him flying down a flight of stairs. Recalling her comment about how he should have a nice, sweet wife who served tea to campaign contributors made him smile, and then laugh as he tried to picture Sam presiding over tea parties. She’d probably stab someone with her ever-present rusty steak knife.
Still smiling at the idea of Sam the Stepford Wife, Nick went to the door to greet Graham, who waited for him in the reception area. His mentor, who’d been like an adopted father to him, jumped up and greeted Nick with a big smile and a hug.
“You’re looking well, Mr. Vice President.” Graham’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Tanned and rested.”
Nick ushered him into the office and shut the door. “I’ll give you tanned, but the rest has been a little hard to come by lately.”
“I can only imagine.”
Graham took a seat on one sofa while Nick settled on the other, loosening his tie.
“You want a drink?”
“No, thank you. Laine doesn’t want me drinking at all when I’m driving. Something about my new blood pressure medicine or some such nonsense.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her that you were on your best behavior.”
Graham replied to that with a feisty scowl that made Nick laugh. At eighty-one, the retired senator showed no signs of slowing down.
“Tell me the truth. Have you been sent here on a mission by the DNC?”
“Not officially.”
Nick raised a brow, hoping he’d elaborate.
“They’re concerned about whether you’ll be ready to step up should the need arise.”
“I’m the vice president, Graham. Being ready to step up should the need arise is at the top of the job description.”
“You know what I mean. They want you to vet VP candidates and be ready for whatever might happen.”
“I’m not willing to do that until I have to. If word gets out that I’m vetting VP candidates and putting together an administration, that’ll only add fuel to an already out-of-control fire.”
“I understand why you feel that way, and I agree. But this could happen very quickly. If it does, you’ll need to have your ducks in a row.”
“I’ll give it some thought, but there will be no vetting or anything else. Not yet.”
Graham studied him, his head tilted to the side and his eyes fierce. “You’re one cool customer, Mr. Vice President.”
“Is that how it seems?”
“Indeed. In your shoes, anyone else would be shitting a brick.”
“Sam and I have agreed to take this one step at a time. Spinning ourselves up with thoughts of what if or what might be is counterproductive. The hearings are just getting started and could drag on for weeks. I refuse to spend all that time locked up in speculation. Nelson isn’t going down without a fight, and anyone who thinks he is doesn’t know him very well.”
“There’re many within the party leadership who’d like to see him resign to save us the spectacle of possible impeachment.”
Nick’s stomach knotted at the thought of the president resigning. “Is it only talk?”
“For now, but if the hearings start to go south, it’ll be more than talk.”
“I can’t imagine any scenario that has him resigning. He’s been steadfast in his denials that he had anything to do with Christopher’s scheme.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s true.”
“Granted, but I’m going to let the hearings play out and see what happens. Please pass along the message that no amount of pressure will change my mind about how I plan to handle this situation. If I’m required to step up, I’ll do it when the time comes. But I’m not interested in talking about what-if scenarios in the meantime.”
After a long pause, Graham said, “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything you want.”
“Do you aspire to be president at some point in the future?”
And there was the one question he couldn’t avoid for much longer. “I don’t know if I do.”
Graham’s face went slack with shock. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“I would never joke about something so important.”
“But you’re the heir apparent, the presumptive nominee, the great hope of the party. You have to know that.”
“I do.”
“And you don’t want it?”
“I have no burning desire to be president, especially after having lived under the watchful eyes of the Secret Service for the last ten months. You can’t begin to know how restrictive it is to be stuck inside the gilded cage until you’re in there looking out at the rest of the world.”
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything—to anyone—for now. If Nelson manages to hang on, we won’t need to have this conversation again for another year. By then I may feel differently. But if I had to decide right now, today? There’s no way I’d run.”
“I’m truly shocked to hear this—and the party would be too.”
“I understand the expectations, and I appreciate their faith in me, but if I’m going to put myself and my family through a lengthy campaign and all the crap that goes with it, I’d have to have the fire in the belly, and I’m not feeling the burn.”
Graham continued to stare at him before clearing his throat. “I think maybe I’ll have that drink now.”
Nick got up and went to the credenza where he kept a bottle of bourbon and a couple of glasses. He poured a drink for each of them and delivered Graham’s to him without comment about his wife’s instructions.
Graham took a sip and set the glass on the table. “Listen to me. I know you still have some misguided idea that you’re only where you are because my son was murdered and you were tapped to take his place in the Senate. But that’s total bullshit. You’re where you are because you’re one of the most naturally gifted politicians of this or any other generation. People connect to you. They like you. If you want the job, it would be yours to lose, and you’re too smart to lose. Do you know how many people would sell their souls to the devil to be in the position you’re in with sky-high approval ratings and the kind of popularity we rarely see any more in this town?”
“I know. I get it. But that doesn’t mean I want it.”
“I don’t even know what to say to you right now.”
Nick laughed at Graham’s unu
sual befuddlement. “I’m sorry to shock and distress you.”
“You’ve done both those things.”
“Come on, Graham. It can’t come as a total surprise to you, knowing how much I dislike being VP and dealing with the Secret Service and everything else that comes with it.”
“You dislike the job because Nelson is so threatened by your popularity he refuses to give you any opportunities to shine.”
“It’s not that so much as the increased attention on me and my family, the confines of being surrounded by Secret Service agents and losing the freedom to do what I want when I want, not to mention everyone in the world knows who my wife is and what she does for a living—without Secret Service protection. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t be having this conversation for another year or more, so it’s nothing anyone needs to worry about right now. If Nelson is forced out, I’m prepared to step up. That’s all you need to tell the DNC. I really don’t want them all over me about the next election cycle. Not now.”
“I understand. Well, I don’t really but I’ll respect your wishes.”
“I’m sorry if this is hard for you to understand, but try to see it from my point of view. I’m doing my thing as chief of staff to a senator and then, overnight, I’m the senator, and then less than a year later I’m the vice president. Some days I feel like I’ve been swept up in a riptide, and I don’t recognize my own life.”
“It’s been a fast, wild ride. I’d never deny that, but it sort of feels like destiny in a way, doesn’t it?”
“I suppose, but I want to be intentional about my decisions going forward and not so caught up in the current that I don’t take a minute to breathe.”
“I hear you.”
“I hope you know how much I appreciate your support. It’s meant everything to me, from the first day we met, through everything that’s happened since. I couldn’t have done any of this without you in my corner.”
“Aw, hell, that’s not true.”
“Yes, it is, Graham. I never would’ve considered this career without your encouragement. I certainly wouldn’t be vice president without you.”
“If you want to believe that, I won’t argue with you.”
“That’s a first,” Nick said with a laugh.
Graham laughed with him, and then got up to leave. “No matter what you do or don’t do, I’ll always be proud of you.”
Nick stood to shake his hand. “That means everything to me.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ONCE AGAIN, THE FRIGID HQ air was a welcome relief after the walk through dense humidity. She should’ve let Freddie pick her up. Sam found her entire squad gathered in the pit, along with Malone and Deputy Chief Conklin. Everyone turned to face her, looking for info.
She flashed a big smile and thumbs-up.
Her team erupted into cheers and applause that was interrupted by shouts from the other corridor that led to the pit.
“You fucking smug bitch!”
Ramsey. Another officer held him back from storming the pit.
“Go ahead and have your celebration, but I’ll have your ass and your badge before this is over.” Ramsey broke free of the hold the other officer had on him and charged toward her.
Freddie, Gonzo, Malone and Green stopped him, pushing him back.
“This is not over, you fucking cunt!”
Sam completely ignored him while the others forced him backward into the other hallway. “Anyone have an update on the shooting case for me?” Sam asked.
Jeannie looked up at her with big eyes.
Sam smiled and winked at her.
Flustered, Jeannie blinked and consulted her notes. “As you requested, I looked into the couple that witnessed Melody Kramer’s shooting, and they both check out. No criminal record for either. Same with Jamal’s sisters. I took the liberty of running the financials for everyone involved and something sort of odd popped on Joe Kramer’s report.”
Sam’s stomach took a dive, the way it often did when they were on to something. “What’ve you got?”
“He’s deeply in debt. To the tune of two hundred fifty thousand dollars.” Jeannie handed her a sheet of paper that detailed the debts, mostly lines of credit.
“What the hell? He just told us an hour ago that there was nothing in their lives, including their finances or investments, that we needed to know for the investigation. Looks like we’ll be paying him another visit.” From the lobby area, Sam could hear Ramsey continuing to scream and make a scene. If he kept that up, he’d get himself suspended, which wouldn’t break her heart.
“Maybe there’s a reasonable explanation for it,” Jeannie said, casting a nervous glance at the lobby.
“I hope so. I’ve been feeling kind of sorry for the guy after losing his pregnant wife the way he did. I’d hate to think it happened because of something he’s into. Good work, Jeannie.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” She looked toward the lobby again. “Are you… Are you all right?”
“He doesn’t bother me. Don’t worry.” Sam went into her office and placed a call to Darren Tabor.
“Sam… To what do I owe the honor of this unexpected phone call?”
“How does an exclusive sound?”
“About the Nelson situation?”
“Nope. About the grand jury deciding not to indict me on assault charges for punching Sergeant Ramsey, who’s currently losing his shit in the MPD lobby.”
“Tell me everything.”
Sam gave him a full rundown on her meeting with Forrester and what the USA had said about the grand jury proceedings.
“You must be relieved,” Darren said.
“I’m glad to not be indicted, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m relieved. While what I did technically constituted assault, most rational people probably would’ve done what I did under the same circumstances. I’d just been nearly killed at the hands of a fellow officer. I wasn’t really in the mood to hear from yet another colleague that the first one should’ve finished me off when he had the chance.”
“I probably would’ve punched him too.”
Sam laughed. “Look, I want to say that as a fourteen-year member of the MPD, I don’t condone violence of any kind. I’m not proud of my actions that day, but it happened, and now I’m ready to put it behind me.” She decided to “forget” to mention Ramsey’s plan to sue her for damages.
“Should the public conclude that the incidents involving you, Stahl and Ramsey are an indication of strife within the department?”
“Not at all. These are isolated instances of men who resent me for being a successful woman on a job traditionally held by men. I get it. They’re threatened by me. Fortunately, it’s just a few people who feel this way. I work harmoniously with many other men in this department, both above and below me in rank.”
Darren snorted with laughter. “Ramsey will go ballistic when he sees that quote.”
“Let him. If you could hear the racket he’s currently making, you’d know he clearly has anger management issues. I’m the least of his concerns.”
“Can you give me anything on the shootings?”
“We’re working every lead, and we encourage the public to call our tip line if they hear anyone bragging about the shootings or if they have anything at all that they think we ought to know. Sometimes it’s the littlest detail that can break a case like this wide-open.”
“Do you think we’ve seen the last of the shootings?”
“We hope so, but we have no way to know that for sure. We believe we’ve recovered the vehicle that was used and are having it fully processed by the lab. Until we apprehend the people responsible for the shootings, we continue to encourage residents to stay off city sidewalks, especially side streets, unless they absolutely have to be outside.”
“That’s a tough order this time of year.”
“Can you give me anything about Nelson and the hearings, Sam? I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give me.”
“I’ll just say this… Like everyone else in America, Nick and I are watching the democratic process play out, and we won’t have any further comment.”
“I guess that’s something,” he said glumly.
“It’s all I’ve got.”
“You guys are tough cookies to be staying so calm and collected through all of this.”
“If you say so. I gotta get back to work. Don’t screw me over, Darren.”
“Have I ever screwed you over, Sam?”
“Not yet, and that’s why I called you. Don’t let me down.”
“I won’t. Thanks for this. I appreciate it.”
“Gotta go.” Sam closed her phone and sat back in her chair, hoping she’d done the right thing adding fuel to the fire with Ramsey by talking to Darren. Oh well, what was done was done. “Let’s have our meeting,” she said when Freddie, Gonzo and Green returned to the pit.
“Malone suspended him,” Gonzo said. “Told him to go home for a week and not to come back until he could control himself.”
Freddie picked up the story. “To which he said, ‘The way she did?’”
“He’s not our problem,” Sam said. “Finding a shooter who’s gunning down people in our city—that’s our problem. Conference room, everyone.”
Her team followed her into the conference room and took seats around the table. “Jeannie ran the financials on everyone involved with the case and has discovered Joe Kramer is in debt to the tune of two hundred fifty grand.”
Freddie’s eyes widened in surprise. “He just told us—”
“I know. We’ll be having another conversation with him after this. What else did we get today?”
One by one, the detectives reported in about who they’d spoken with and what they’d uncovered, which wasn’t much of anything. Green impressed her with his brief but thorough report on what he and Gonzo had done.
“This case is pissing me off,” she said, releasing her hair from the clip that contained it during the workday.