Fatal Consequences

by Marie Force

  Well aware of the power this man yielded on Capitol Hill, Sam swallowed hard. “I have no way to know whether or not you’re responsible for this without investigating further.”

  Outrage mixed with grief as Henry stared at her. “I called you because I thought you could help me! We have to find the person who did this to her!” He looked imploringly at Nick. “Tell her. You know me, Nick. You know I couldn’t have done something like this!”

  To his credit, Nick said nothing.

  “I can’t believe this! You actually think I could’ve done this to her?” He swiped ferociously at the tears cascading down his face.

  She fixed her eyes on his bloodstained shirt. “I need to rule you out as a suspect. You can either help or hinder that process, but either way, you’re not going anywhere, Senator. Do you understand?”

  “Yeah,” he said bitterly. “I get it.”

  “I’d like you both to move to the hallway.” After they stepped out of the room, Sam reached for her cell phone. “This is Lieutenant Holland. I need to report a homicide in Columbia Heights.”

  Chapter 2

  “I’d place time of death at around five o’clock,” said Dr. Lindsey McNamara, chief medical examiner. Due to the senator’s possible involvement, Sam had requested Lindsey be called to the scene. Once again they had a powder keg of a case on their hands, and Sam was leaving nothing to chance.

  She glanced at her watch. It was now nine o’clock, and a long night lay ahead of them—not at all the romantic evening she and Nick had planned. Sam experienced a pang of remorse. They had so little time together that she hated to sacrifice a minute of it. But when she glanced at Regina Argueta de Castro on the floor, she was reminded that some things were more important.

  “Sexually assaulted,” Lindsey said as she turned the body. Bruises marked her back and buttocks. “He was rough with her, the poor thing.”

  Lindsey’s empathetic nature was another reason Sam wanted her on the case. Regina would get far more compassion from Lindsey than she would from some of the deputy medical examiners.

  While Lindsey completed her initial investigation, Sam took more photos before turning things over to the crime scene detectives who would sift through every item in the sparsely furnished apartment. Sam instructed the responding patrol officers to knock on neighboring doors to see if anyone had heard a disturbance coming from apartment 3B earlier in the evening.

  When she was done giving orders, she joined Nick and Henry in the hallway. Nick leaned against the wall while Henry sat on the floor, holding his head in his hands. His shoulders were stooped with exhaustion and grief. Sam glanced at Nick, taking comfort in his steady presence. Whatever needed to be done, he’d be right there with her. For a woman who’d been so fiercely independent most of her life, she was still amazed by how much she’d come to depend on him in such a short time together.

  “Senator,” she said to Henry. “I have some questions for you, and I’d like to conduct the interview downtown.”

  He glanced up at her, his face filled with despair. “Am I under arrest?”

  “Not at this time. However, we need to clear up a few things and until we do, we’ll need to retain you.”

  “Do I need a lawyer?”

  “That’s entirely up to you, but I’d recommend that you cooperate as much as possible at this point so we can figure out what happened to Regina. I have the authority to retain you for twenty-four hours without charging you. In that time, I’m required to produce enough evidence to charge you with a crime. If I fail to do that, I’ll release you. Do you understand?”

  Nodding, he ran a trembling hand through his silky dark hair. “I want to find the person who did this to her.” He glanced up at Sam. “Will it be all over the media that you’re retaining me?

  “We’ll do our best to keep it quiet for now, but I can only do so much. It’s a safe bet that the media will catch wind of your involvement. Even if we don’t file charges, you found the woman who cleans your office dead in her apartment.”

  Sam looked at Nick. His handsome face was set in an unreadable expression, but she had no doubt he was reliving the worst day of his life—when he’d found his boss and best friend dead in his apartment.

  Releasing a resigned sigh, Henry stood up. “Would it be possible to call my wife? I have to talk to her before this is all over the news.”

  “I’ll need to take a statement from you first, but after that I’ll see what I can do.”

  Out of deference to his position and friendship with Nick, Sam didn’t cuff Lightfeather, even though she rarely transported anyone without handcuffs. Once they had Henry settled in the backseat of the car, Nick rested his hand on Sam’s arm to stop her.

  She looked up to find him looking troubled. “What is it?”

  “It may be nothing.”

  “Or it may be everything. Just tell me, and I’ll figure out which it is.”

  “I think they might’ve been involved.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Remember I told you I’d seen him in his office, looking relaxed and very casual at odd hours?”

  Sam nodded.

  “One time, recently, she was there with him. I stopped by his office on my way out late one night. The two of them were having a glass of wine. She was wearing the cleaning crew uniform, but she was sitting on his sofa with her feet up. They seemed to be having a grand old time. When I came in, she got this really guilty look on her face and darted out of there like I’d caught them naked or something.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He shrugged it off and said she looked like she needed a drink.”

  “Did he look like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing?”

  Nick thought about that for a minute and then shook his head. “He was his usual cool, collected self.”

  “So why do you think they were involved?”

  “I only saw them unguarded for a minute, but there was something going on—something more than a glass of wine. I’m sure of it.”

  “I might need you to make a formal statement about what you saw that night. Would you be willing?”

  He winced. “Could we wait and see if you need it?”

  Sam studied that handsome, earnest face she loved so much. He’d been through the wringer lately with two close friends murdered in the scope of weeks. She’d do anything she could to spare him more pain. “Yeah, we can do that. Want me to drop you off at home before I go to HQ? Could be a long night.”

  “I’ll hang with you in case you need me.”

  Sam smiled. “I always need you.”

  “That’s why I’m sticking with you.” He stole a quick kiss and laughed at her reaction. She hated his public displays of affection, especially when other cops were around, which of course was why he loved to do it.

  “Give me a minute to report in to Malone.” She drew her cell phone from her coat pocket. The frigid air stole the breath from her lungs as she paced the sidewalk and waited for her mentor, Detective Captain Malone, to pick up.

  “Lieutenant,” he said, sounding slightly buzzed. “What had you hightailing it out of your father’s wedding so quickly?”

  “A little thing called murder.”

  She could picture him sitting up straighter at that news. “What’ve you got?”

  Sam relayed what she knew thus far and told him she had taken the senator into custody but had not arrested him.

  “What’s in the water lately? All these powerful people involved in murders.”

  “I wish I knew. It’s gonna be another hot one.”

  “At least this one doesn’t involve your personal life.”

  “Well,” Sam said, grimacing. “It could. Lightfeather is a friend of Nick’s.”

  “Of course he is,” Malone said.

  Sam laughed. “Who isn’t, right?”

  “No kidding. The guy’s nothing if not well connected. Want me to send over some of the A-team?”

  “Nah, I
didn’t call them because I knew they’d been partying all day. Let them have their night off. I’ll do what I can tonight, and then we’ll hit it hard in the morning.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll let them know they have a curfew.”

  “I’m sure they’ll appreciate that. How’s the groom holding up?”

  “His new wife took him home about an hour ago. He was starting to get a little tired, but it was a good day for him. Nice to see him so happy.”

  “Yeah.” After all her father had been through with her mother leaving him for another man and then the shooting that had left him a quadriplegic, Sam couldn’t agree more.

  “You and Cruz are still working the angle on the stuff you found in Reese’s house, right?”

  “We’re trying.” Every time they had a lead in her father’s two-year-old unsolved shooting, they hit a new roadblock. “We’re having trouble tracking down the guy who rented the house before Reese. We can’t find the landlord so we can’t even get a name. The neighbors claim to not remember who lived there before Reese. We think they’re stonewalling us for some reason.”

  “Don’t give up,” Malone said. “If you keep asking the questions, eventually you’ll get an answer.”

  “I sure hope you’re right.” After Clarence Reese murdered his family, detectives had uncovered newspaper clippings and photographs related to Skip Holland’s shooting. Reese had claimed the box of clippings belonged to the former tenant who had never come back to get some of the things he’d left behind. Now, if they could just figure out who the former tenant was. Sam couldn’t bear the frustration of being unable to solve the most important case of her career. It didn’t help that one high-profile murder case after another sucked up all the time she wanted to be spending on her father’s case.

  “Keep me posted on the senator and the dead woman.”

  “I’m going to retain him at least until the morning to confirm his alibi, so you might want to let the chief know that the senior senator from Arizona will be our guest in the city jail for the evening.”

  Malone snickered at her choice of words. “Will do.”

  Detective Freddie Cruz helped his girlfriend Elin Svendsen into his dilapidated Mustang and caught a glimpse of long, muscular leg as she settled herself into the seat. Imagining that long leg wrapped around him had his cock surging with anticipation. But then he remembered his mother, sick at home with the flu, and decided to go by and check on her before he attended to more pressing concerns.

  The instant he slid into the driver’s seat Elin’s tongue was in his mouth and her hand was cupping his balls. Freddie wrapped his arm around her and gave into the carnal kiss for several heated minutes. She had him on the verge of a fast and embarrassing release when he once again thought of his sick mother.

  Moaning with frustration, he pulled himself free of Elin’s embrace. “I have to go by my mother’s before we go home.”

  “Why?” Her fingers trailed up and down his inner thigh, and he grabbed her hand before she could reach her destination. “We were just there before the wedding.”

  “That was hours ago, and she’s really sick.”

  Elin’s face twisted into a petulant pout. “Doesn’t she have any friends who can check on her?”

  “Sure she does, but she only has one son.”

  “Who is a total mama’s boy.”

  “Guilty as charged. She did everything in the world for me all my life, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. You’d better get used to that.” The animosity between his mother and Elin had escalated over the last few weeks, which was the only black spot on an otherwise satisfying time in Freddie’s life. After holding true to a vow of celibacy for twenty-nine long years, he was enjoying the hell out of his first sexual relationship—except for the fact that his beloved mother hated his new girlfriend and did very little to hide her contempt.

  When he’d picked up Elin earlier and gotten his first glimpse of a black dress cut low enough that the cupid tattoo on her left breast was visible, he knew he would be the envy of all his cop friends at Skip’s wedding. Sure enough, he’d gotten lots of nudges and winks from the guys who’d barely tried to hide the fact that they were lusting after his girl. Freddie loved that she was his and his alone. If only he could convince his mother to give Elin a chance. That was the only thing standing between him and true happiness. Well, that and the fact that his partner Sam could barely tolerate Elin, either. Two of the most important women in his life didn’t much care for the third one, and their disapproval was taking something away from his enjoyment of the relationship. How he wished he could be the type of guy who could tell his mother and Sam to piss off, but that was so not him. It mattered that they disapproved, and he hated himself for letting it get to him.

  He pulled up in front of his mother’s apartment building, located just a few miles from his own place.

  “Leave it running,” Elin said. “Since she was so pleasant earlier, I’ll wait here this time.”

  Freddie leaned over to kiss her. “I’ll be quick.”

  “You’d better be. I’m losing the mood.”

  Freddie laughed. “When have you ever lost the mood?”

  “If you don’t hurry up, you might find out.”

  “I’m going. Lock the doors.” He waited until he heard the click of the doors locking before he jogged into his mother’s building. Since it was quicker than waiting for the elevator, he ran up the four flights, taking the stairs two at a time. His still-recovering shoulder made a small protest at the rapid movement. Freddie ignored it but wondered just how long it took for a bullet wound to fully heal.

  Using his key, he let himself into his mother’s neat, cheerful apartment. He found her propped up in bed sipping a cup of tea.

  “Hi there.” Even though her voice was heavy with illness, she still managed to work up a smile for her only child. “I didn’t expect to see you again tonight.”

  “I couldn’t go home without making sure you’re doing okay.”

  “You’re such a good boy.”

  He sat next to her on the bed and leaned over to kiss her warm forehead. In her early fifties, Juliette Cruz was still a beautiful woman. “I’m told I’m a mama’s boy.”

  Juliette’s expression hardened. “By your girlfriend, no doubt.”

  Freddie shrugged. “It’s not like it isn’t true.”

  “It’s never been an issue before.”

  “Still isn’t.”

  His mother put down her tea and reached for his hand. “She’s all wrong for you, Freddie.”

  “So you’ve said. A few times now, in fact.”

  “I just don’t get what you see in her.”

  He laughed. “Really? You don’t? The other guys at the wedding had no trouble getting what I see in her.”

  His mother frowned. “You’ve never been one to let your head be turned by a pretty face and a killer body. There’s a hard edge to her that I don’t care for.”

  “I know you don’t, Mom. Believe me, I know.”

  “I hope you’re being careful…about protecting yourself.”

  He stared at her, incredulous. “Are we really having this conversation? I’m twenty-nine years old!”

  “Don’t think you’re fooling me, Frederico Cruz.”

  “I would never presume to fool you.” He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed the back of hers. “Don’t worry about me. I’m a big boy, and I can take care of myself.”

  “You think you can. You have no experience whatsoever in dealing with people like her.”

  Okay, that hurt. Was she forgetting what he did for a living? He released her hand, stood up and fought for control of his temper. She had given him everything, had sacrificed everything for him and he had no doubt her concerns were coming from a place of unconditional love. But he was a grown man—a mama’s boy all the way—but a grown man nonetheless.

  “I’m glad you’re feeling well enough to lecture me, Mom, but I like her, and I’m asking you to
let me make my own decisions. This guilt trip you’re laying on me is making me crazy. You haven’t even given her a chance, and you’ve already decided you don’t like her. That’s not how you brought me up, and I have to say I’m kind of disappointed you’re acting this way toward a friend of mine—a really nice girl who you haven’t bothered to get to know before judging her.”

  Juliette’s face flushed with uncharacteristic chagrin.

  “Don’t hate her just because you’re pissed I broke the vow,” he said softly. “That’s what this is really about, and you know it.”

  She looked up at him, her expression pained. “That’s part of it. I won’t lie to you. I’m disappointed in that.”

  Raised a devout Christian, he had taken a vow of celibacy at fifteen and stuck to it for fourteen long years—until he met Elin during the O’Connor investigation.

  “Okay so we’re both disappointed. It would mean a lot to me if you would give her a chance. That’s all I’m asking.”

  Juliette studied him. “I’ll try.”

  “Thank you,” Freddie said. At this point, he’d take whatever she was willing to give toward keeping the peace. “Call me if you feel worse during the night.”

  “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

  “I’ll always worry.” He bent to kiss her forehead one last time. “That’s what makes me a good mama’s boy.”

  “You’re a very good boy, Freddie. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

  “I won’t. Sleep well.”

  “You, too.”

  From the doorway, Freddie flashed a rakish grin and winked. “I hope I don’t sleep too well.”

  She threw a pillow at him and just missed his head.

  He tossed it back and blew her one last kiss. Laughing at how he’d managed—for once—to get the last word with her, he locked her in and hurried back to Elin.

  Chapter 3

  “I wish you’d tell me what’s been bothering you all day,” Christina said.

  From the driver’s seat, Metro Detective Tommy “Gonzo” Gonzales glanced over at her and then returned his eyes to the road.