Page 59 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

“She’d better not say anything like that.” The very thought of it was enough to make Sam sick. “I’m coming in on Monday, and I’m reopening Calvin Worthington’s case. I have a Secret Service meeting at La Casa Blanca on Tuesday and the funeral for Nelson on Thursday. Other than that, I’ll be at work. I’ll take annual leave for the funeral and the meeting and anything else that comes up respective to the new situation.”

“Do what you need to do, Lieutenant. I’m fairly confident we owe you thousands of hours in overtime that you’ll never get paid for.”

“Tens of thousands.”

“We’re going to need to work out some sort of formal arrangement that allows you to successfully juggle your various duties in a way that works for everyone.”

“Ugh. That is my word of the day. I’ve said it a hundred times today.”

“One hell of a holiday weekend, huh?”

“You said it, Captain.”

“Make sure you file a report on what went down in Fairfax.”

“I’ll get right on that too.” She hated doing reports almost as much as she hated being the subject of meetings at City Hall and the White House. “Talk to you Monday, if not before.”

“I’ll look forward to that.”

Sam laughed as she slapped the phone closed. Would they require her to have a different phone too? Crap, she hoped not. Her phone rang again with a call from her partner. “What’s up?”

“That’s what I was going to ask you. Everyone is looking for you.”

“So I heard. I just helped to defuse a hostage situation in Fairfax. Gigi’s ex took her mother, sister and nephews hostage. He asked for me, so I went. I guess that’s now a federal offense.”

“I think it’s more that you went without a detail.”

“I didn’t want to wait for them! People’s lives were at stake, lives that matter a great deal to one of my detectives. Would you want me to dick around if your family was being held?”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“There you have it. I did my job, and now everyone’s in my face about it.”

“Including your husband?”

“Beginning with him.”

“What’d he say?”

“That we need to talk. Nothing good ever comes from an appointment to talk.”

“I think you guys will figure this out. It might take some time, but you’ll get there. Concessions will need to be made on both sides. You’re going to have to compromise, Sam.”

“I’m willing to compromise, but how far will I have to go?”

“You’re going to have to let them protect you.”

“I don’t care about that, but I’m not going to wait around for them when there’re lives at stake. That’s my line in the sand.”

“I understand that, but you’re going to have to make them understand too. And you’re going to have to do it in a way that wins them over to your way of thinking.”

“Are you saying I have to charm them?”

“Um, well… Charm isn’t exactly your strong suit.”

“Exactly! So how am I supposed to do that?”

“Talk to them about what the job means to you, how you serve the people by protecting them, by locking up murderers. Nick knows, but the others don’t. Make them see why this matters to you and to others.”