Fatal Reckoning (Fatal #14)(86)

“I suppose anything is possible, but I have full confidence in you and your team. If anyone can figure this out, you all can.”

“I want to go over to City Hall and confront him.”

“Don’t do that, Joe. If he is involved, you’d be risking the case, not to mention the damage he could do to your career.”

“Sam said essentially the same thing.”

“She’s right and so am I.”

“I hate that son of a bitch.” Hate wasn’t a word he threw around lightly, but in this case and a few others it was the only word that fit.

“I know you do, and with good reason, but you have to keep your head about you. Your team will take their lead from you.”

“Have I ever told you that marrying you was the best thing I ever did?”

Her laughter made him smile. “Only a few thousand times, and I’m always happy to remind you of it when you forget.”

“I never forget.”

“I know you don’t, and I love you more than anything. I hate to see you struggling.”

“I want justice for Skip so badly I can taste it.”

“I want that too. Just as badly. But you can’t sacrifice who you are as a man and a cop to get there. There’s never been a time to be more ‘by the book’ than this.”

“Thanks for talking me down. I was ready to go over to City Hall and have it out with him.”

“If the trail leads to him, you’ll know it soon enough.”

“I guess so,” he said, sighing. “I think I’m getting closer to having had enough of this place.”

“Oh yay.”

Joe laughed. “Tell me how you really feel.”

“I’m ready to have you all to myself, but not until you’re ready.”

“I’m getting there.”

“I’ll be here waiting for you when the time is right. Keep me posted on what’s happening?”

“I will. I’ll try to be home for dinner.”

“See you then. Love you.”

“Love you too.” He ended the call feeling calmer than he had before he talked to her. She was right—he had to play Skip’s case completely by the book to ensure that no mistakes were made that prevented them from getting long-overdue justice for him and his family. But if the trail led to Roy Gallagher… God help that son of a bitch.



* * *



WITH THE REST of her team sequestered in the conference room digging through Conklin’s digital and paper trail, Sam took the opportunity to reach out to Officer Matt O’Brien, asking him to come to her office when he got a chance.

He showed up a half hour after she called him. “You wanted to see me, Lieutenant?”

“Come in. Shut the door.” She gestured for him to have a seat in her visitor’s chair.

“What’s up?” He had light brown hair, brown eyes and a rugged, muscular build that indicated many hours spent in the gym.

“As you know, we have an opening in the Homicide squad, and I wondered if you might be interested.”

He smiled widely. “Hell, yes, I’m interested.”

“Before you commit, I just want to make you aware that due to my higher-than-usual profile, which I hate in case you wondered, the squad is under the microscope far more often than we used to be. That can cause heartburn not only for me, but for the rest of you too.”

“That’s not a concern to me. It’d be an honor to work with and for you.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“Positive.”

“We’re still putting the pieces back together after losing Arnold. We have good days and bad days.”

“I get it, and I totally understand. We were all affected by his death.”

“I’ll put in the paperwork and run it up the flagpole.”

“I really appreciate the opportunity.”

Sam stood to shake his hand. “I’ll look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise, Lieutenant.”

“Keep it between us until the department makes it official.”

“Will do.”

After he left, Sam filled out the requisite forms to request that Patrolman Matthew O’Brien be promoted to detective to fill the vacancy left by Will Tyrone’s departure earlier in the year and sent it to Malone for his approval.

With that task accomplished, she sat back in her chair to think, puzzling through the case and picking through each detail, letting her mind loose to ponder the various possibilities. She thought it through from every angle and sat up straight when an idea occurred to her that had her picking up the phone to call Malone.

“Need to see you. Your place or mine?”

“Mine.”

“Be right there.” Sam launched out of her chair and made a beeline for the captain’s office, knocking on his door two minutes later. When he waved her in, she shut the door behind her.

“I got your email about O’Brien. Good choice. I’ll send it through.”

“Thank you.”

“What’s up?”

“Conklin’s wife.”

“What about her?”

Sam leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. “You said he made three calls after you and the chief were there the other night. One of the calls was to his wife. What if he was giving her instructions to get rid of things, such as the messenger bag?”