In the Name of the Father

by Gerri Hill

  Malone nodded. “Well, I need to see you. You and Hunter both. Where is she?”

  “She’s just over at the lab,” Tony said. “You want me to call her?”

  “Yeah.” He pointed at Sam. “Go change. You don’t even look like yourself.”

  Sam chuckled. “Same to you, Lieutenant. At least take the tie off.”

  When he walked away, her smile faded. He wanted to see them. Not Sikes and Ramirez too. Just them. So that meant it had nothing to do with the case. That meant it was personal. She gripped the bag tighter, her gaze alternating between Sikes and Ramirez.

  “What does he want to see you about?” John asked. “He looked serious.”

  “I have no idea,” she murmured as she went toward the rest-room. She’d really hoped she would have a chance to talk to Tori about what Marissa had said, about them having to split up. She wanted them to be prepared for whatever Malone had to tell them. So, as she slipped out of the skirt and into the navy pants she’d packed that morning, she called Tori’s cell.

  Tori answered on the second ring. “Hunter.”

  “It’s me. Where are you?”

  “Waiting on you.”

  Sam looked at the door and frowned. “Where?”

  “I just got here. I’m chatting with the lieutenant. He said he wanted to talk to us.”

  Sam bit her lower lip as she stared at the ceiling. “Okay. I’ll be there in a minute.” She folded her phone, then tossed it back and forth between her hands, hating the feeling of impending doom that had her in its grips. It would be her, she knew. Tori was too valuable here. No way they would send her somewhere. But Sam, yeah. You’re expendable. Back to Assault, probably. Or worse. They could ship her off to Narcotics.

  She quickly tucked in her blouse, then grabbed the suit jacket she’d worn to the funeral, wishing Marissa Goddard had never told her what she’d overheard. She stopped in mid-stride when she saw Tori, looking so relaxed as she spoke with Malone. She had no idea what was coming.

  He said, “Kennedy, come in. Close the door.”

  Sam nodded as she shut the door. She stood there for a moment, her eyes on Malone. He looked as nervous as she felt.

  “Sit down, Sam,” he said.

  “So, what’s this big news, Lieutenant?” Tori asked impatiently. “We’ve got people to print. Mac’s already sending his guys over there.”

  Malone nodded. “Yeah. Well, as you know, I met with the captain yesterday afternoon. Seems CIU has made a personnel request.”

  Tori frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “They’re looking to promote someone. A detective,” he said, looking at Sam, then Tori.

  Tori’s eyes widened. “What the hell?” She pointed at herself. “Me? You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “Yeah, Hunter, I’d have to be kidding,” he said with a laugh. “I think you’re a little too volatile for CIU. Besides, insubordinate is not one of the qualities they’re looking for.” He paused as he took a sip of his coffee. “They want Kennedy.”

  Tori looked at her and Sam saw the shock in Tori’s eyes. “They want to split us up,” Tori stated. She looked back at Malone. “Why?”

  “You know why, Hunter. Hell, everyone knows why. Did you think they were going to let you keep working together indefinitely?”

  Feeling less than confident, Sam stood. “But, Lieutenant, we’re a good team. And I’m not interested in CIU. They’ll have me stuck at a desk fielding phone calls and shuffling papers. I want to stay here.”

  “Samantha, I’m sorry, but it’s not really a choice. And I think you’ll like the assignment. You know Detective Travis, of course. He’s made lieutenant. He’ll be getting his own team. He personally requested you.”

  “But—”

  “It’s a good opportunity, Kennedy.” He looked at Tori. “It’s for the best. Travis will treat her good. If she’s going to move up, CIU is where she needs to be, not stuck here in Homicide. You know that.”

  Tori stood too, both hands clasping her head, her fingers threading over and over again through her hair. “Wow,” she murmured. “CIU.”

  Sam let out a deep breath, not knowing what to say to Tori. The life they had, the partnership they had here at work—it was comfortable. They were a team. And she knew Tori was terrified. “What are we going to do?” she asked quietly.

  “Doesn’t look like we have a choice.” Tori stared at Malone. “Done deal?”

  “Afraid so.”

  “And there’s nothing you can do? I mean, Stan, we’re good together. Hell, you know me and partners.”

  “I know you’re good together. And believe me, I do know you and partners. But you’re in a relationship,” he said. “And as much as we were willing to let that fly here, the brass is not.” He shuffled through papers on his desk, finding the orders he had been given. He handed it to Sam. “You’ve got the weekend off. On Monday, you report to Travis at CIU. Simple as that.”

  “Monday? But what about our case?” Sam asked.

  “Our case consists mainly of Hidalgo now.” He took another sip of his coffee, no doubt cold by now, Sam thought. “After the final M.E.’s report, they want Special Victims involved.”

  Tori spun around. “What the hell? Jackson said no sexual trauma. There wasn’t indication of assault. You read the report.”

  “I know that, Hunter. But it wasn’t what the chief wanted to hear.”

  Sam watched Tori, saw the disbelief on her face, no doubt matching her own.

  “They’re making Jackson alter his report? Are you kidding me?”

  “No. They haven’t stooped that far yet. But if they involve Special Victims, it will appear to the public as if he was assaulted, whether it was the truth or not.”

  “Unbelievable. So they’re just taking over our case?”

  He shook his head. “Not exactly. They’re sending over one of their detectives. They’ll work with us on the case. Goddard will mention it in her next news briefing on Monday. From what I gathered, they want it done this week. Father Michael was assaulted during his murder. Hidalgo is the murderer. Case closed.”

  “This is just fucking unbelievable,” Tori said, her voice rising. “It’s as if our own department is doing a cover-up, not the church. And here comes Special Victims. They’ll wrap this case up in a week and make us look as incompetent as I feel right now.”

  Sam hesitated, Marissa’s words still echoing in her brain. But she’d promised her their conversation was off the record so she said nothing. She would discuss it with Tori later.

  “Look, there’s nothing I can do about it, Hunter. Now, we’re still going to match the prints. It’s still technically our case. And we don’t know who killed Hidalgo. We’re not just sweeping that one under the rug, you know.”

  “Not yet. But if our prints turn up something, no doubt that’ll turn into a cold case quick.”

  Malone sighed. “Drop it, Hunter.” He looked at Sam. “Did you get anything at the funeral? I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.”

  “Actually, I spent most of the time talking with Marissa,” she said with a glance at Tori. “We had an out-of-the-way spot to watch.”

  Tori stared at her. “Out-of-the-way?”

  “They used to have the cry room upstairs,” she said. “It’s no longer used.”

  Tori smirked. “I see. And what did the devious Ms. Goddard have to say?”

  Sam shrugged. “Nothing pertinent, really. She assumed I wanted to observe, so she took me someplace where I could monitor it in secrecy.” She looked back at Tori. “She was… friendly.”

  Malone watched the staredown between them, finally clearing his throat before speaking. “Well, we won’t have much more to go on until the crime lab gets those prints. Hunter, why don’t we pick it up again on Monday? Give the lab time to do their thing.” He said to Sam, “Take a long weekend. I know this change is a shock to you both. And we’re going to all miss you being around here, Kennedy.”

  Sam nodded, loo
king out his windows into the squad room.

  “Do they know?”

  “No. I was just informed late yesterday. I haven’t told anyone.”

  She nodded again. She’d miss it here as well, and not just because of Tori. Sikes had become a good friend to them, Tony too. And Malone, for all his gruffness, was like a father to them. No matter what, he stood by them, had stood by Tori for all those years. So she reached across his desk and took his hand, squeezing hard. “Thank you for all you’ve done, Lieutenant. For me.” She glanced at Tori. “For us.”

  “Hell, Kennedy, it’s not like we won’t see you around, right?”

  She smiled. “Of course.”

  He stood, then surprised her by pulling her into a hug. “You’ve been good for us, Samantha,” he said. “I wish you nothing but the best.”

  “Thanks, Lieutenant. That means a great deal to me.” She pulled away, telling herself she wouldn’t choke up. “I think we might take you up on that offer of a long weekend.” She turned to Tori. “Okay?”

  Grim-faced, Tori nodded. “Sure. Whatever you want. But you better let the guys know.”

  She left without another word, and Sam turned to Malone. “She’s not going to take this well.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. She didn’t throw a chair or anything.”

  Sam paused at the door. “Do you already have someone in mind for her new partner, Lieutenant?”

  “Actually, you’re not the only one leaving the squad, Samantha. Ramirez got tabbed to be a part of a taskforce. Little Mexico.”

  “Drugs?”

  “Yeah. The taskforce won’t report to Narcotics though. They’ll report straight to CIU.” He looked past her out the window. “He doesn’t know it yet.”

  “And Sikes?”

  Malone chuckled. “Never thought I’d live to see this day, but he and Hunter are going to be partners.” He met her eyes. “You think it’ll work out?”

  She imagined Sikes and Tori as partners and nodded. “I don’t think you could find anyone better. They get along fine now, Lieutenant. I think they’ll be great together.”

  “Well, I don’t know about great.” He held the door open for her. “You better go find Hunter.”

  “Tori,” Sam called as she pushed the door to the ladies’ room open. Tori was at the sink, staring into the mirror, her face still wet where she’d splashed it. Sam studied Tori’s eyes in the reflection of the glass. Worried eyes. “You okay?”

  Tori grabbed a couple of paper towels and patted her face dry, then sighed. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she finally said. “You?”

  Sam moved closer, pausing to rest one hip against the sink. She folded her arms, watching Tori. “I’m not sure. It’s a bit of a shock.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, it is.” Tori turned. “But like he said, it’s a good opportunity for you. And you know, Travis, he’s a good man. He’s honest. He’ll do right by you.”

  Sam nodded but didn’t say anything for a moment. She was a little troubled by what she saw in Tori’s eyes. Doubt. Insecurity. Things she hadn’t seen in a very long time. She had an idea. “You know, I was thinking. It’s supposed to be a nice weekend, not too cold. Maybe we could head out to the boat, spend the weekend.”

  “Like now?” Tori asked, her eyes brightening just a little.

  “Yeah. I mean, I know you wanted to clean out your apartment this weekend, but maybe that could wait.”

  Tori turned away. “Well, I may just keep it. You know, never know when I might need it.”

  Sam frowned. “Need it? Why in the world would you need it?” She shoved off the sink and moved beside Tori. “You tired of living with me already?” she asked lightly.

  “No, Sam. Nothing like that.” Tori took a step away, nervously glancing around the room. “But you know, things are going to change, be different.”

  Sam stared at her. “Change? You mean, you think I’ll get tired of living with you?”

  Tori shrugged. “You might.”

  Sam wondered what had brought on this line of thinking. “Then you obviously have no idea how much I love you.” She came closer, their bodies nearly touching. “Whether we work together or not, Tori, that won’t change.” Resting her hand at Tori’s waist, she felt her tremble at her touch, and she moved closer. “Let’s go to the boat,” she whispered. “We need to be alone. No interruptions.” She slid her hand down to Tori’s hip. “Can we?”

  Tori closed her eyes for a moment, the expression on her face one of uncertainty. Finally, she let out her breath and opened her eyes, nodding.

  “Good.” Sam leaned closer, gently brushing her lips against Tori’s. “Because I want to make love to you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “It’s going to be a beautiful night,” Sam said as she pulled their chairs out on the deck after Tori had docked in their favorite cove. “We haven’t sat out and watched the moon in forever.”

  “Kinda hard in the city,” Tori said.

  “Which is why we need to come to the lake more often.” She took the wineglass Tori handed her. “Thanks.”

  Tori sat down beside her, and they watched the night sky in silence, the moon already rising over the trees on this short January evening. Really, it was the time of year Tori hated. No green, no vibrancy. No peepers, no crickets, no sound. Just the quiet splashing of the water as the boat bobbed gently on the surface.

  Tori pulled her gaze from the moon, watching Sam. Sam finally turned her head, meeting her eyes. “You going to tell me what you learned today?”

  “What makes you think I learned something?”

  “Because you made a point to tell Malone you didn’t.”

  Sam nodded. “I see.” She took a sip of wine, hesitating. “You want to talk about Marissa first, or you want to talk about me leaving?”

  Tori turned back to the moon, afraid. “I’m not sure I ever want to talk about you leaving,” she said. “It’s a little frightening, to be honest.”

  Sam entwined her fingers with Tori’s. “Nothing to be frightened about. I promise.” She squeezed Tori’s hand. “You trust me, don’t you?”

  Tori nodded. “Yes.”

  “Okay.” She squeezed her hand again before releasing it. “We’ll talk about me leaving tonight. In bed,” she added.

  Tori stared at the moon, hating that she felt insecure, hating that she was afraid their life was about to change. And it was a life she now knew she couldn’t live without, a life where she felt happy, complete, content—all those things she never thought she deserved before.

  “Sam?”

  “Hmm?”

  Tori hesitated for only a moment. “I love you.”

  She watched as Sam took a sharp breath. Sam always did. Three little words. But still, they were three words she rarely said. She still couldn’t forget her childhood, was still afraid she would be left behind, left alone. And on those occasions when something touched her, when something made her utter those words—like tonight—she knew Sam felt the true meaning of them. Not just three words that were spoken so casually by most, three words tossed about without thought. When she spoke them, they came from her heart. Totally.

  She felt Sam reach between them again, felt Sam slide her hand across her arm to her hand, their fingers joining. They said nothing, just sat quietly holding hands. Finally, she relaxed. “Now, are you ready to tell me what Marissa said?”

  Sam laughed. “Time to get back to business?” She held out her wineglass. “Fill me up, please.”

  “Are you enjoying keeping me in the dark?” Tori said as she topped off the wineglass. “And just how friendly did Ms. Goddard get?”

  Sam laughed again. “Oh, my God, you’re not jealous, are you?”

  “Of course not. It’s just that I would never consider her friendly, that’s all.”

  “Actually, she was quite nice and, surprisingly, quite forthcoming.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “We talked, Tori.” Sam looked at her. “We talked… off the record.”

&nb
sp; “What does that mean?”

  “That means we can’t tell anyone.”

  “Tell anyone? What the hell did she say?”

  Sam took Tori’s hand again. “I’m serious, Tori. What she told me was off the record.”

  Their eyes held in the dim light, Tori realizing that Sam was serious. “Okay, fine. Off the record.”

  “Okay, good. Then get this. The church didn’t bring Marissa in. We did,” she said.

  “What the hell?”

  “At the request of the mayor.”

  “Buy why?”

  “Because Mayor Stevens and Father Michael were brothers.”

  “What?”

  “And the sex scandal they’re trying to prevent has nothing to do with protecting the church and everything to do with Stevens’s political future.”

  Tori stood and walked to the railing, looking out over the dark lake, seeing nothing. Goddamn politics. “Unbelievable.” She turned back around. “What political future?” she asked. “Is he planning on running for governor or something?”

  “U.S. Senate,” Sam said.

  Tori frowned. “What the hell does that have to do with his brother?”

  “Marissa didn’t say directly, but I assumed that Stevens knew his brother was having an affair. So when he was found naked, Stevens figured it would come out.”

  “So, short of telling us and the crime lab to alter evidence, he ties our hands with the media.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Isn’t that going a bit far? We all know cover-ups eventually come out. And for what? I still don’t see how this affects his political career.”

  “I don’t either, but what do we know about politics?”

  “And why the hell did she share this with you?”

  “Because, Tori, she really does want to help with the case.”

  “Oh, Sam, come on. Surely you’re not that naïve? She doesn’t care about this case. She’s here to make this case go away.”

  Sam grabbed her hand and pulled her back into her chair. “I just think she can be an ally, Tori, if you let her. There was just something about her demeanor today. I mean, she didn’t have to tell me any of this. I think there’s a part of her that really hates what she’s doing.”