everyone else. He was my boss. I felt like a bad cliché.”
“So no one else knew?”
“Nick had figured it out, but I didn’t know that until after the senator was…killed,” she said, her voice trailing off.
“Why didn’t you leave?” Sam asked, working hard to contain her fury at Nick for keeping this from her.
“Because he needed me. He said he’d be lost without me.” Christina shrugged. “I know that sounds so pathetic, but it was better than nothing.”
“Was it?” Sam asked.
“If you’re implying I killed him because he didn’t notice me as a woman, you’re way off.”
“People have killed for less.”
“I didn’t. I loved him. Receiving that phone call from Nick was the single most devastating moment of my life.” After a long moment of silence, Christina started to push back her chair. “May I go?”
“Before you do,” Freddie said, “let me ask you this—you say you kept his schedule and managed his life. Did I get that right?”
“Yes.”
“So wouldn’t you know who he was seeing outside the office?”
Christina’s jaw clenched with tension.
“Is that a yes?” Freddie asked.
“There were several,” Christina finally said.
“We’ll need a list,” Sam said. “I’d also like a list of anyone else you know of who had a key to his apartment and his appointment calendar for the last six months—by the end of the day, please.”
With a curt nod, Christina got up.
“Stay available,” Sam said before the other woman could leave the room.
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly what you think it means.”
The moment the door slammed shut behind Christina, Sam turned to Freddie.
“I know what you’re going to say.” He counted off on his fingers. “A break in the alibi at the same time as the murder, a key to the apartment, unrequited love…”
“It’s almost enough to arrest her,” Sam said.
“Except?”
Sam sighed. “I believed her when she said his death was the most devastating thing that’s ever happened to her.”
“Doesn’t mean she wasn’t responsible for it.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“I’ll do some digging around in Ms. Billings’s background.”
“Freddie, you read my mind. We also need to look into who would stand to gain financially from the senator’s death.”
“Would the chief of staff know that?”
“He might. He’s next. Do you want to go grab some lunch before we get to him?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Freddie stretched, rubbing his belly with glee. “Something for you?”
“A salad.” She slapped a ten-dollar bill into his hand. “Low-fat dressing.”
He made a disgusted face. “Coming right up.”
The moment he was gone, Sam marched into Nick’s office and slammed the door.
“Well, good afternoon to you, too, Sergeant,” he said with a small, private smile that let her know he’d been thinking of her since they’d kissed the night before.
“Save the charm for someone who’s interested.”
He raised a swarthy eyebrow in amusement. “Oh, you’re interested. But if you want to play hard to get, don’t let me stop you.”
“What happened last night can’t happen again.”
“It can, and it will.”
“Not until this case is closed, Nick. I mean that.” Deciding it was time to move past their personal debate, she planted her hands on her hips. “Were you planning to mention that your deputy was in love with the senator?”
Nick looked stricken. “She told you that?”
“I got it out of her. One of my special talents.”
“I’ll bet,” he said dryly.
“Why didn’t you think it was important enough to share with me?”
“It was personal, and I didn’t see how it was relevant.”
“ Everything is relevant, Nick! This is a homicide investigation!”
“I’m sorry. It never occurred to me that it would matter.”
“She left here to get food at the exact time the M.E. has placed the time of death. She had a key to his place. She was in love with him.”
Nick’s
“So no one else knew?”
“Nick had figured it out, but I didn’t know that until after the senator was…killed,” she said, her voice trailing off.
“Why didn’t you leave?” Sam asked, working hard to contain her fury at Nick for keeping this from her.
“Because he needed me. He said he’d be lost without me.” Christina shrugged. “I know that sounds so pathetic, but it was better than nothing.”
“Was it?” Sam asked.
“If you’re implying I killed him because he didn’t notice me as a woman, you’re way off.”
“People have killed for less.”
“I didn’t. I loved him. Receiving that phone call from Nick was the single most devastating moment of my life.” After a long moment of silence, Christina started to push back her chair. “May I go?”
“Before you do,” Freddie said, “let me ask you this—you say you kept his schedule and managed his life. Did I get that right?”
“Yes.”
“So wouldn’t you know who he was seeing outside the office?”
Christina’s jaw clenched with tension.
“Is that a yes?” Freddie asked.
“There were several,” Christina finally said.
“We’ll need a list,” Sam said. “I’d also like a list of anyone else you know of who had a key to his apartment and his appointment calendar for the last six months—by the end of the day, please.”
With a curt nod, Christina got up.
“Stay available,” Sam said before the other woman could leave the room.
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly what you think it means.”
The moment the door slammed shut behind Christina, Sam turned to Freddie.
“I know what you’re going to say.” He counted off on his fingers. “A break in the alibi at the same time as the murder, a key to the apartment, unrequited love…”
“It’s almost enough to arrest her,” Sam said.
“Except?”
Sam sighed. “I believed her when she said his death was the most devastating thing that’s ever happened to her.”
“Doesn’t mean she wasn’t responsible for it.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“I’ll do some digging around in Ms. Billings’s background.”
“Freddie, you read my mind. We also need to look into who would stand to gain financially from the senator’s death.”
“Would the chief of staff know that?”
“He might. He’s next. Do you want to go grab some lunch before we get to him?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Freddie stretched, rubbing his belly with glee. “Something for you?”
“A salad.” She slapped a ten-dollar bill into his hand. “Low-fat dressing.”
He made a disgusted face. “Coming right up.”
The moment he was gone, Sam marched into Nick’s office and slammed the door.
“Well, good afternoon to you, too, Sergeant,” he said with a small, private smile that let her know he’d been thinking of her since they’d kissed the night before.
“Save the charm for someone who’s interested.”
He raised a swarthy eyebrow in amusement. “Oh, you’re interested. But if you want to play hard to get, don’t let me stop you.”
“What happened last night can’t happen again.”
“It can, and it will.”
“Not until this case is closed, Nick. I mean that.” Deciding it was time to move past their personal debate, she planted her hands on her hips. “Were you planning to mention that your deputy was in love with the senator?”
Nick looked stricken. “She told you that?”
“I got it out of her. One of my special talents.”
“I’ll bet,” he said dryly.
“Why didn’t you think it was important enough to share with me?”
“It was personal, and I didn’t see how it was relevant.”
“ Everything is relevant, Nick! This is a homicide investigation!”
“I’m sorry. It never occurred to me that it would matter.”
“She left here to get food at the exact time the M.E. has placed the time of death. She had a key to his place. She was in love with him.”
Nick’s
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