Fatal Reckoning (Fatal #14)(102)
“Did you feel personally threatened by that statement?”
“Not in a physical sense, but I definitely felt he was threatening my career.”
“And did he have the power to hurt your career?”
“Absolutely. He was the lieutenant in charge of Internal Affairs at that time, so he could definitely make trouble for me. And he outranked me as a more senior lieutenant.”
“Did anyone else hear him threaten you?”
“Yes, my partner, Detective Cruz, heard it.” As she spoke, Sam felt the heat of Stahl’s gaze on her, but she continued to look at Nick while ignoring the hatred coming from Stahl.
“What was the second reason you were brought up on IAB charges?”
“Stahl overheard one of my officers joking about having to work while the rest of my squad attended my wedding. He decided to make something of that.”
“Did it go anywhere?”
“No.”
“And what was his reaction?”
“He was pissed and seemed to increase his efforts to try to get me in trouble, always inferring that my father’s friendship with the chief was the only reason I hadn’t been fired.”
“Did you argue with him?”
“All the time. I will admit that I often enjoyed needling him. I enjoyed watching his face turn purple with rage every time he was anywhere near me, but I never imagined he’d take it as far as he did.”
“Objection, Your Honor. Could you ask the witness to stick to the questions and quit the editorializing?”
“Sustained. Lieutenant, please answer the questions and leave it at that.”
Was she allowed to tell the defense attorney to fuck off? Probably not… “Yes, Your Honor.”
“Lieutenant Stahl was arrested for tipping a reporter off to a detail you had withheld from the public during an investigation. Can you tell us about that?”
“Yes, when we investigated the murder of DC Feds player Willie Vazquez, we didn’t disclose that his body had been found in a dumpster. I heard from Darren Tabor, a reporter with the Washington Star, that he’d received that information in an anonymous tip. Working with IT Lieutenant Archelotta, we determined the tip was made by Stahl in a call from the Lieutenant’s Lounge at MPD Headquarters. Lieutenant Archelotta produced video that showed Stahl making the call. Upon seeing the video, the chief ordered that Stahl be relieved of his weapon and shield and that he be arrested.”
“How did Stahl react?”
“He blamed me, even though the video plainly showed him disclosing information we had deliberately withheld from the public reports.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“Yes.” Sam had memorized this part too. “His exact words were ‘You’re going to pay for this, Holland! You’d better watch your back, little girl! That stupid bitch set me up! This is all her fault!’ After he said that in front of myself, Chief Farnsworth, Deputy Chief Conklin and Captain Malone, Stahl was charged with a felony count of threatening a public official.”
“Did he make good on that threat?”
“He did. After he was released on bail, he showed up at my house and attacked me on my front porch.”
“Can you please describe the attack?”
“He arrived in uniform and wrapped an arm around my neck, squeezing so tightly I couldn’t breathe. Luckily, I was able to knee him in the groin and then kick him in the knee before my son’s Secret Service detail intervened.” The two agents who’d been there were scheduled to testify to what they’d seen.
“Were you injured?”
Sam nodded. “My neck was black-and-blue and very painful for some time afterward.”
“Was it your feeling that he intended to kill you?”
“Yes, I believe he would’ve killed me if I hadn’t been able to defend myself or had help from the agents.”
“Objection.”
“Overruled.”
“When was the next time you saw Stahl after the attack on your doorstep?”
“I next saw him at the home of Marissa Springer during an investigation.”
“What was he doing there?”
“I learned he was in cahoots with Marissa, who blamed me for the death of her son Billy. Our investigation into the murder of Marissa’s youngest son, Hugo, implicated Billy. He was later killed by police after he took hostages.”
Faith led her through the details of that day—arriving at Marissa’s house to ask her a few more questions pertaining to the investigation, realizing she’d made a critical mistake going there alone, watching Marissa kill her maid with a shot to the forehead, being marched to the basement that had been a crime scene and made to sit in a chair to await her fate.
“What happened once you were in the basement?”
“Marissa made a call, said she’d gotten me to come back and to get over there.”
“Did you know who she was talking to?”
“Not until he showed up.”
“You’re referring to the defendant?”
“Yes.” Sam would never be able to properly articulate the shock she’d felt when Stahl had arrived, and she’d put two plus two together to figure out that Marissa had paid his bail on the assault charges and entered into some sort of unholy alliance with him.