into the pile they planned to trash. “He was totally devoted to her, which was way more than she deserved.”
“That’s what he wanted you to see, but who knows what really happened?”
Sam stared at him. “You can’t seriously be defending her.”
“I don’t even know her. I’m only saying there could be more to the story than what he’s told you.”
Before Sam could respond to that outrageous statement, her cell phone rang. Seeing Jeannie’s number on the caller ID, Sam took the call. “Hi, Jeannie.”
“I’m sorry to call so late, Lieutenant, but I thought you’d want to know I found another one.”
Sam let her head fall forward as she absorbed the implications. No longer was this about a single threat. Rather, they were dealing with a calculated, intentional campaign. “What’s it say?”
“‘Rose are red, violets are blue, bang, bang you’re dead, who will miss you?’”
Images of the massive crowds Nick’s campaign had been attracting flashed through Sam’s mind, leaving a sick, nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Lieutenant?”
“I’m here.”
“Like the other, this one smelled like flowers—carnations, I think, and there was confetti.”
“Bag it all.”
“Already done.”
“Who was it addressed to?”
“Nick.”
Sam ran her fingers through her hair, hoping to buy a minute to absorb this latest development before she had to face him.
“Are you okay?” Jeannie asked.
“Yes, just thinking. Have you been working all this time?”
“Except for a dinner break.”
“Thank you, Jeannie. I appreciate the help.”
“I appreciate the nudge.”
“Any time you’re ready to come back…”
“I might be getting closer. It felt good to be back in the game today, even if it was from the sidelines.”
And that, Sam thought, had been the goal of involving the traumatized detective. “I’m glad. I’ll be by in the morning to pick up the card.”
“I’ll be here.”
Sam put her phone down on the table.
“What’d it say?” Nick asked.
She relayed the message, glancing at the handsome man who’d become the center of her world. And now someone was threatening his life. But why? “You need security.”
“So do you.”
“This one was directed at you. They’re talking about shooting you.”
“Why would someone want to shoot me? I haven’t been in office long enough to piss off anyone that badly.”
“If it’s someone I’ve put in jail and they’re out for revenge, what better way to get at me than to have someone take a shot at you?”
“Or if it’s someone who’s bitter that I got handed a Senate seat without doing a damned thing to earn it, what better way to get at me than to take a shot at you?”
She scowled at him. “I carry a gun. I work with a partner who carries a gun. I’m trained to be observant and vigilant. It’s not the same thing.”
“I’ll request security only after you tell me what special measures the department is taking to protect you—and not one minute before.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
“God, I’m tired.” She contemplated the two or three hundred unopened cards that remained in the pile. “My eyes are crossed.” While they finished going through the remaining cards, Nick polished off the wine.
“Can we go to bed now?” he asked when the last card had been opened.
Even though she was itching to go get that card from Jeannie, she said, “I guess so.” Back in the day she would have rushed off to take care of something that would keep until morning. But now she had a good reason to stay home—the best reason.
She followed him upstairs, going through the routine of brushing her teeth and getting undressed as she ran through the disturbingly long list of people who might want to do her—and her husband—harm. Tomorrow she’d start looking into the whereabouts of each and every one of them as well as others she’d no doubt forgotten all about.
In bed, Nick reached for her and brought her into
“That’s what he wanted you to see, but who knows what really happened?”
Sam stared at him. “You can’t seriously be defending her.”
“I don’t even know her. I’m only saying there could be more to the story than what he’s told you.”
Before Sam could respond to that outrageous statement, her cell phone rang. Seeing Jeannie’s number on the caller ID, Sam took the call. “Hi, Jeannie.”
“I’m sorry to call so late, Lieutenant, but I thought you’d want to know I found another one.”
Sam let her head fall forward as she absorbed the implications. No longer was this about a single threat. Rather, they were dealing with a calculated, intentional campaign. “What’s it say?”
“‘Rose are red, violets are blue, bang, bang you’re dead, who will miss you?’”
Images of the massive crowds Nick’s campaign had been attracting flashed through Sam’s mind, leaving a sick, nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Lieutenant?”
“I’m here.”
“Like the other, this one smelled like flowers—carnations, I think, and there was confetti.”
“Bag it all.”
“Already done.”
“Who was it addressed to?”
“Nick.”
Sam ran her fingers through her hair, hoping to buy a minute to absorb this latest development before she had to face him.
“Are you okay?” Jeannie asked.
“Yes, just thinking. Have you been working all this time?”
“Except for a dinner break.”
“Thank you, Jeannie. I appreciate the help.”
“I appreciate the nudge.”
“Any time you’re ready to come back…”
“I might be getting closer. It felt good to be back in the game today, even if it was from the sidelines.”
And that, Sam thought, had been the goal of involving the traumatized detective. “I’m glad. I’ll be by in the morning to pick up the card.”
“I’ll be here.”
Sam put her phone down on the table.
“What’d it say?” Nick asked.
She relayed the message, glancing at the handsome man who’d become the center of her world. And now someone was threatening his life. But why? “You need security.”
“So do you.”
“This one was directed at you. They’re talking about shooting you.”
“Why would someone want to shoot me? I haven’t been in office long enough to piss off anyone that badly.”
“If it’s someone I’ve put in jail and they’re out for revenge, what better way to get at me than to have someone take a shot at you?”
“Or if it’s someone who’s bitter that I got handed a Senate seat without doing a damned thing to earn it, what better way to get at me than to take a shot at you?”
She scowled at him. “I carry a gun. I work with a partner who carries a gun. I’m trained to be observant and vigilant. It’s not the same thing.”
“I’ll request security only after you tell me what special measures the department is taking to protect you—and not one minute before.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
“God, I’m tired.” She contemplated the two or three hundred unopened cards that remained in the pile. “My eyes are crossed.” While they finished going through the remaining cards, Nick polished off the wine.
“Can we go to bed now?” he asked when the last card had been opened.
Even though she was itching to go get that card from Jeannie, she said, “I guess so.” Back in the day she would have rushed off to take care of something that would keep until morning. But now she had a good reason to stay home—the best reason.
She followed him upstairs, going through the routine of brushing her teeth and getting undressed as she ran through the disturbingly long list of people who might want to do her—and her husband—harm. Tomorrow she’d start looking into the whereabouts of each and every one of them as well as others she’d no doubt forgotten all about.
In bed, Nick reached for her and brought her into
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