Page 105 of State of the Union (First Family 3)

Derek, Trevor, Christina and George left a few minutes later, leaving Nick alone with Terry.

“What’re we hearing from the Hill on Gretchen’s meetings with the senators?”

“It’s going well so far. We’re getting the expected pushback on her inexperience, having never held elected office and sitting a heartbeat from the presidency, but no one can quibble with her education, her political pedigree or her command of the issues.”

“Inexperience is looking to be the theme of our administration.”

“You have an opportunity to show the world that inexperience doesn’t mean incompetence.”

“Let’s hope we can pull that off.” Nick would never admit to anyone, even his closest aide, that the weight of the matters that crossed his desk every day had him running on anxiety-fueled adrenaline as he considered a wide range of issues with impacts that couldn’t be easily measured or articulated. The responsibility of it all sat on his shoulders like a boulder every moment of every day and night.

Sam arrived at HQ at the same time as FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Avery Hill.

“You’re getting around better,” he said to her.

“Better every day. I’ll be glad to lose the cane.”

“I’m sure.”

“Have you come to ruin our lives?”

“Not at all.”

“Well, that’s a relief, I guess.”

Avery walked at her pace as they made their way to the chief’s suite, where a large group of lieutenants and captains had gathered in the conference room.

Lieutenant Archelotta raised his chin at her. “Good to see you, Holland.”

“Good to be seen. Note to self—don’t break your hip.”

“I’ve heard it’s a bitch.”

“You’ve heard right.” She sat in the chair Captain Malone held for her. “Thanks, Cap. Nice to see you all.”

“Welcome back,” Higgins from Explosives said.

“Thanks.”

“Glad to hear the FBI caught the bomber,” Higgins added.

“Me, too.”

“Agent Hill,” Chief Farnsworth said, “this is your meeting.”

“Thanks, Chief. I want to thank you all for your cooperation over the last few months as my team conducted its investigation. It’s never easy to be under scrutiny, especially outside scrutiny from a rival agency. Our report will reflect that spirit of cooperation and genuine effort on the part of leadership to identify and address problems while supporting the diverse workforce that makes up this department. We spoke with numerous people at all levels and roles, from the librarian and psychiatrist to Patrol to SVU to IT to Homeland Security to Internal Affairs. What we found is a group of hardworking, dedicated professionals who strive to provide the best safety and security possible for the District, its residents and the many visitors who come each year to visit the nation’s capital.

“That said, we found deficiencies as well. Some of them you’re aware of, including a deep backlog of untested rape kits, unsolved kidnappings, assaults, burglaries and murders dating back at least a decade or more in some cases. We’re painfully aware that not every crime is solved in a way that brings satisfaction to the victims and their families. We’ve identified several former officers with the greatest percentages of unsolved cases, and in light of the recent successful conclusions to the Worthington and Deasly cases, we recommend the department employ significant resources to resolving as many of these cold cases as possible.

“Within the outstanding cases, we found a disproportionate number involved minority victims, and I expect that when the report is released, that could be the headline the media fixates on. I wanted the opportunity to tell you, face-to-face, that racial disparity is an area that needs work throughout the department. As you know, this is an issue of concern in departments and law enforcement agencies across the country. We recommend additional training in the areas of diversity, implicit bias, cultural assumptions and fair and impartial policing.

“We found no other significant deficiencies in the areas of leadership or command and recommended that the new deputy chief be hired from within the ranks of the current department. If you have any questions, I’m happy to take them.”

“Thank you, Agent Hill, for taking on this project and for your fairness and open-mindedness,” Farnsworth said. “As with any agency made up of thousands of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, we have our strengths and weaknesses. We’re more than willing to address the weaknesses to improve our track record in the areas of concern identified by your team. I speak for everyone in this room when I assure you that your recommendations will be received in the spirit in which they’re intended and will be taken seriously by all levels of command.”

The meeting ended a short time later with the chief vowing to implement enhanced training for all personnel and to take a hard look at unsolved cold cases.

“Could’ve been much worse, I suppose,” Archie said as he and Sam walked toward the pit.