Page 46 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

“Don’t get that powder crap all over my car.”

“I’m not.”

“You are!”

“You’re in particularly rare form this morning,” he said, “and that’s saying something since you’re almost always in rare form.”

“I had a long day yesterday, getting called back to work the homicide, and then we had a situation with Elijah.”

“What happened with him?”

Sam glanced at him. “You have to promise not to tell anyone, even Elin.”

“I won’t.”

Since she trusted him with her life, she filled him in on what Elijah had told them the night before and how Cleo’s sister was trying to use his history against him.

“That’s totally lame. How can she do that to a kid who just lost his dad the way he did?”

“We said the same thing. We met them when they came to see the twins—after their parents’ murderers had been caught and not one second before. They were awful people. Eli says Cleo was nothing like her sister and that she didn’t get along with her.”

“I can see why. What a crappy thing to do.”

“What I want to know is why they want the kids so badly. Is it so they can raise them in a loving home or because they’re attracted to the billions their father left them?”

“If I had to guess, I’d say the latter.”

“Me, too.” That gave Sam an idea that had her making a phone call to Andy. After she gave his receptionist her name, she was put right through with the now-predictable level of fawning that came with being the first lady. Sam rolled her eyes at Freddie, who was choking back a laugh.

“Hey, Sam. What’s up?”

“I was telling Freddie about what Cleo’s sister was up to and how I wonder whether they really want the kids or the billions. That led me to question their finances, and I was thinking I could maybe do a run on the family members to get some additional information on that, but I didn’t want to do it without asking you first.”

“Can you do it without alerting them that you’re investigating them?”

“Yep.”

“In that case, I say take a look and let me know what you find.”

“Will do.”

“Be careful, Sam. We have all the advantages thanks to Jameson and Cleo’s very clear instructions on who they wanted to care for their minor children. We don’t want to do anything to mess with that.”

“I got you. Discretion is my middle name.”

Freddie choked on his latest doughnut, sending a cloud of sugar into the air that had Sam scowling at him. “That was not my fault,” he said.

“I’ll be in touch, Andy.” Sam slapped her phone closed and glared at Freddie. “Clean that up! Right now.”

“I’m cleaning it.” He ran a napkin over her dashboard, which only made the mess worse.

“When we get back to HQ, your first order of business is cleaning that up.”

“Yes, ma’am. Can we talk about how discretion is your middle name?”

“What? It is. I can be discreet when I need to be.”

“Sure, but it’s not like you’re known for it or anything.”