Sara took the card from her.

“We’ve yet to contact all of her family,” Sam said, “so if we could ask for your discretion in the meantime, we’d appreciate it.”

“I’m not going to call the TV stations, if that’s what you’re insinuating.”

“It’s not, but we appreciate your discretion just the same.”

“I’m sorry,” Sara said. “I’m upset. She was my friend for a long time. We drifted apart during the years she was off the rails with that dirtbag Rex, but we’ve come back to each other recently.” Her voice broke and new tears tumbled down her cheeks.

“We’re very sorry for your loss,” Freddie said.

“Thank you.”

As they left the house, Freddie shook his head. “That never gets any easier.”

“Never will.”

“So I guess we’re going to Baltimore?”

“If we can track down Hughes.” In the car, she waited for Freddie to find the guy on his phone. “Can you explain the appeal of online dating to me? I mean how does anyone trust that they haven’t agreed to a date with a serial killer?”

“It’s possible your perspective on the issue may be somewhat skewed by your profession.”

“I hate to admit you’re right about anything, but...”

He laughed. “Painful for you, is it?”

“Excruciating. Still, I can’t imagine hooking up with a guy I met on the Internet.” She shuddered. “Super creepy.”

“I hate to remind you that you found a creep in your own apartment.”

Thinking about her ex-roommate, who was now her psychotic ex-husband, made Sam shudder. Four years of her life she’d never get back. “Damn, you’re on a roll of rightness today.”

“I love that. I’m going to let it go straight to my head.”

“Don’t injure yourself,” Sam said.

“I can’t hear you. I’m busy enjoying how right I am.”

“Get over yourself and find this guy she was cyber-romancing.” Sam took advantage of the opportunity to place a call to Archie. “Did Crime Scene bring in our vic’s computer from her house?” she asked when he answered.

“Not yet.”

“Apparently she had something going with a guy she met on DateFinder. I’d like access to that account ASAP.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as it’s in the house.”

“Thanks. Anything on the video?”

“Nothing but darkness and shoes. I’m taking screenshots for you. Whoever disabled the cameras knew how to dodge them so he or she wouldn’t be seen.”

“Great.” There went that lead up in smoke. “I’ll hit you up when I get back from Baltimore.”

“Baltimore? WTF?”

“Following the leads.”

“Ugh, better you than me.”

“Thanks, you’re a pal.” She hung up to the sound of Archie’s laughter. “Everyone’s a comedian today.”

“You bring it out in us.”

“Did you find our guy?”

“I think so. Head north up the parkway.”

“I’d like to be on record as saying I’m doing this under extreme duress. Metro police do not go willingly to Baltimore for any reason other than good Italian food.”

“Unless potential murder suspects live there.”

“What you said.”

“Perhaps a delicious Italian lunch might be in our future?” he asked hopefully.

“You just ate breakfast.”

“That was hours ago, and I’m a growing boy.”

“While you’re busy growing, give our friends in the Baltimore PD a heads-up that we’re coming. See if our guy Hughes has a history with them and let them know we’d appreciate their backup.”

“But we don’t need their backup.”

“You know that, and I know that, but we still have to suck their dicks.”

“Ugh, Sam! For crap’s sake.”

“What’d I say?” The traffic came to a complete stop around the Route 32 exit for the National Security Agency. “Why? Why, why, why? Are the Caps playing up here too?”

He consulted his ever-present link to the outside world. “Nope, but the Ravens are playing at home today.”

“Motherfucker. I hate this day with the fiery passion of a thousand hemorrhoids.”

Freddie squirmed in his seat. “Ouch. That burns.”

Sam’s phone rang and she took the call because it gave her something to do besides ruminate on the wonders of traffic and hemorrhoids. “Holland.”

“Happy New Year, Mrs. Vice President.”

Sam nearly groaned out loud when she realized it was Darren Tabor from the Washington Star. Make that a million hemorrhoids. “What’d you want, Darren? I’m busy.”

“I heard. Caught a homicide this morning. Hell of a way to start the new year.”

“Just another day in paradise for us.”

“Also heard an interesting thing about the possibility of an inside job on this one?”

“What? What’re you talking about?”

“A source told me you’re looking at Gonzales in the murder of his baby mama.”

Sam almost drove off the road. “What? That is not true. Do you hear me, Darren? It’s categorically untrue. Gonzo is not a suspect.”

“Is it true your vic is his baby mama?”

“No comment.”

“Come on, Sam. You gotta give me something.”

“No, I don’t, and if you run with Gonzo as a suspect, I’ll sue your ass off and make sure he does too.”

“My source is solid on this.”

“More solid than I am as the commander in charge of the investigation of which you speak? And who is this so-called source of yours anyway?”

“You know I can’t tell you that.”

“Listen to me, Darren. Believe it or not, I think of you as one of the good guys in your field. If you print anything that even hints of Gonzo’s involvement in a homicide, I’ll make sure you never get another quote from any member of the Metro PD or any member of the vice president’s team. Am I clear on that? And if you think I can’t do it—”

“Ease up, Sam. I’m not going to run with it. For now anyway.”

“You better not run with it ever. You’ll be ruining the career and the life of a man who deserves better after taking a bullet in the line of duty and nearly dying a very short time ago. Remember that?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“And do you remember how I got you the very first exclusive interview with him after he was out of danger?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“You want those sorts of favors to dry up faster than a virgin’s vagina?”

“Oh my hell, Sam,” Freddie said with a groan that matched Darren’s on the other end of the phone. “That’s disgusting.”

“Did it get the point across?” she asked Darren while looking at Freddie, who scowled at her.

“You’re a piece of work, Mrs. Cappuano,” Darren said.

“I also better not see any mention of the VP’s wife talking about virgin’s vaginas in the paper.”

“And here I thought I was getting hungry for lunch,” Darren said. “Thanks for ruining my appetite and my story.”

“Happy to be of service. Don’t screw me over on this one, Darren. I’ve got a very long memory when it comes to people dicking with my team.”

“This is going to seem like a hideously horrible segue, but how’s Jeannie holding up with the trial coming soon?”

“That’s the worst segue in the history of bad segues, and I’m going to forget you asked it like that when I tell you she’s holding up fine, and she’ll hold up fine all the way through to sentencing for that son of a bitch who attacked her.”

“The trial’s gonna be a circus.”

“We’re fully aware of that.”

“When she’s ready to talk, you know how to find me.”

“I’ll keep you in mind, provided you stick to our deal on the Gonzo thing.”

“Will you call me when you’re ready to release the vic’s name?”

“If I can, I will. That’s all I’m giving you.”

“Good enough for now. Anything you want to say about the situation with the chief?”

Sam laughed and laughed and then laughed some more. “Behave yourself, Darren.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re worse than my mom.”

“On that note...” Sam slapped the phone shut. “Who in the hell is calling the fucking press and telling them we’ve got an inside job with Gonzo as our chief suspect in a murder?”

“What the hell is right.”