Page 36 of State of Retribution (First Family #9)

And Archie… She needed to contact him about what she’d learned and the link to Offenbach. Had he taken Harlowe and assaulted her to get back at Archie? If so, how would her friend ever live with knowing that?

She had more questions than answers.

Such as why now? Why had they chosen this moment in time to come for her?

Could it be because Tom Forrester, who’d once been accused of protecting her in the case involving Ramsey, was now dead and out of their way?

Or was it because they had a beef with her husband and wanted to bring them down for some reason?

She should be working on getting answers to all those questions, but she’d been forbidden to work on any case, even one that involved her. She couldn’t call Freddie or Gonzo and ask them to do it for her, because she wasn’t allowed to talk to her two closest friends and colleagues.

As the SUV rolled through the White House gates, it occurred to her that Nick could call Freddie if it came to that.

That scenario made her feel slightly better, that she could do something to fight back against an accusation that threatened to ruin her career and reputation. That she wasn’t allowed to speak about the situation publicly, to take responsibility for her mistakes, would only make everything worse.

If that was even possible.

“Thank you, Vernon.”

“I’m here if I can do anything.”

“That means a lot to me.”

“Sam.”

She turned to him.

“Stay strong.”

“I’ll try.”

George was working the door and had a smile for her as she came in and handed over her coat. “Afternoon, ma’am.”

“Afternoon, George. Is the president in the Oval?”

“No, ma’am. I believe he’s in the Situation Room.”

“Okay, thank you.” Bummed that he wasn’t available at the moment, she went upstairs to the residence and went straight to the liquor cabinet in the kitchen to pour herself a glass of vodka straight up.

When that wasn’t enough, she drank straight from the bottle.

She was still standing there, bottle in hand, when her mother walked in and stopped short, startled to see her there with a bottle of booze in hand.

“Sam! You scared me. What’re you doing home, and why are you drinking vodka straight from the bottle?”

“I take it you haven’t seen or heard any news today?”

“Not since this morning. I went right from Pilates to lunch with my friend Diana. Do you remember her? She’s your old friend Caroline’s mom.”

“I remember her.”

“Anyway, we got so caught up with chatting, I was running a little late to get here. I never took the time to turn on the radio.” Brenda put water on to boil and got a tea bag from the cabinet. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve been suspended from work for two weeks.”

Brenda gasped. “What happened?”

Sam’s phone rang, and she pulled it from her pocket. She signaled her mom that she needed to take the call. “Sam Holland.”

“Lieutenant, this is Celeste Sweeny, Lorraine Sweeny’s daughter.”

“Yes, hello. What can I do for you?”

“The story on the news… They’re saying you’ve been suspended by the department for two weeks.”

“Yes, I have.”

“What does that mean for my mother’s case?”

“My team is actively working on the case, and they’ll continue to do so in my absence.”

“We want you on it. You’re the best detective on the whole force, and everyone knows that.”

Her words had tears stinging Sam’s eyes. “That’s so very kind of you to say, but unfortunately, I’m not allowed to work on any cases during my suspension. The detectives on my team are outstanding, and I have every confidence they’ll continue to do everything possible to find your mother’s killer.”

“This is so upsetting on top of everything else. I told my dad after you were here the other day that I felt better knowing you were on the case.”

Sam winced. “Hopefully, I’ll be back on the job soon.

In the meantime, I want you and your family to think about joining our grief group at headquarters.

We meet on the second Tuesday of the month, and everyone is welcome.

Our members have taken great comfort in being able to talk to others who understand this journey. ”

“We’ll get there. Eventually. We’re still in the disbelief stage.”

“I understand. It’ll be there for you when you’re ready, and I promise I’ll never give up on finding your mother’s killer. This is a temporary setback.”

God, she hoped that was true.

“Thank you for your kindness. I appreciate you taking my call.”

“Reach out any time.”

“Thank you again.”

“Take care of yourself and your family.”

“I’m trying.”

After they said their goodbyes, Sam closed her phone with a feeling of utter defeat.

Those people were counting on her to get them answers, and she’d been taken off the job right when she was most needed.

She didn’t blame the chief for suspending her.

She would’ve suspended herself if she were him.

But the timing sucked. Not that there’d ever be a good time for a suspension.

“You’re exceptionally good at your job, Sam.”

She’d almost forgotten her mother was seated at the table, sipping her tea. “Thanks.”

“It’s what you were born to do, just like your father.”

“That means a lot to me.”

“You’ll be back at it soon. Take this break as a moment to breathe and think about who might be trying to harm you and your career.”

“I’ve been suspended for something I did on the job, Mom. I have only myself to blame. It’s possible, though, that someone is pulling the strings on publicizing the issue in an effort to make the consequences worse.”

“Why in the world would they be doing such a thing?”

“They hate me cuz they ain’t me, or something like that.

They hate the attention I get, the success I’ve had.

They think the only reason I am where I am is because of my dad and his best friend.

They hate me because I’m a woman doing a man’s job, and they think they could do it better.

One of them hates me because I caught him having an affair when he was supposed to be at a conference.

He got demoted, and the mother of his six children divorced him. Apparently, that’s my fault.”

“That’s outrageous.”

“Yep, but it’s nothing new. If I had to guess, several of them are in cahoots, hoping to bring me down and maybe Nick, too. I’m not sure what their ultimate goal is, but so far, they’re succeeding.”

“They won’t succeed,” Nick said when he came into the room and walked straight over to wrap his arms around her.

“I’ll be downstairs to greet the kids,” Brenda said as she left the room.