Page 161 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

“I think it’s the best chance we have to get Lopez for the Worthington murder,” Malone said. “I like the lieutenant’s plan to let him think others have rolled on him. Do we have a list of his known associates from the time of the Worthington murder?”

“Green is working on that.”

Malone opened the door and called for Detective Green. “What’ve you got on Lopez from fifteen years ago?”

“Hang on.” Green returned to his cubicle and came back with a file folder. “I was able to access his high school yearbook and found several photos of him with three other boys.” He handed the list to Sam. “I couldn’t access his sealed juvenile record, but I was able to confirm that all three of the others also have sealed juvenile records.”

Sam scanned the list. “Good work, Green. This is exactly what I need.”

“No problem,” Cam said as he left the room.

Malone closed the door behind him.

“I could take the time to interview each of these men, but the chance of them actually rolling on him is probably slim, especially since they might’ve been involved. Do we agree with the strategy to let him think we talked to them and they gave him up?”

“I think it’s worth a try,” Faith said, “as long as he knows he’ll be charged with the sexual assault of Shanice Williams and no info on Worthington means the murder charge for Carter sticks. That’s nonnegotiable.”

“Agreed.” Sam gathered her notes and the file folder Green had given her. “Let’s get this done.” As she walked the corridors that led to the interview rooms, her spine tingled with the feeling she got anytime she was about to nail a murdering scumbag. And from everything she’d seen and heard about Lopez, not to mention what he’d done to Shanice, he was scummier than most. Nailing him to the wall for Shanice, Calvin and Lenore would bring her pleasure. Getting justice for people like them and taking dangerous criminals off the street was the most satisfying part of an otherwise shitty job.

After Faith and Malone went to observe, Sam burst into the interrogation room, startling the two men who were waiting there. She took tremendous satisfaction in that. Lopez had light brown skin, dark hair and eyes and tattoos on his neck and face.

His lip curled into a sneer. “They didn’t tell me I’d be getting VIP treatment.”

“Shut up, Javier,” the lawyer said.

“They sent in the president’s piece.”

“Shut up,” the lawyer said through gritted teeth.

Sam turned on the recorder and noted who was in the room before sitting in a chair across from them. “Oh, please, Mr. Kincaid. Let your client say whatever is on his mind.”

“He’s got nothing to say.”

“Well, good thing I do, or this might’ve been a rather awkward meeting.” Sam opened the file, shuffled some papers and appeared to be checking her notes when, in fact, she didn’t need notes for this. “You’re aware of the charges you’re facing, Mr. Lopez?”

“I didn’t do nothing to those people.”

“We hear that a lot. It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. But you know what’s funny about that? You can lie to my face, but the DNA doesn’t lie. It always tells the truth, and your DNA was found in Shanice Williams’s vagina and on her skin.”

Lopez cast a nervous glance at his lawyer, who ignored him.

“Are you also aware that simply being present when Mr. Carter was murdered makes you an accessory, even if you weren’t the one who stabbed him?”

“I wasn’t the one!”

“Doesn’t matter. You were there, committing felony assault and kidnapping when the murder went down, which makes you as guilty as the one who plunged that knife into his chest.”

“That ain’t fair. I didn’t touch him.”

“No, but you did more than touch her, didn’t you?”

He had nothing to say to that.

“I’m willing to cut you a deal on the murder charge.”

Both men perked up at that.

“What kind of deal?” Kincaid asked.