Page 46 of State of the Union (First Family 3)

“Very nice job, Detective,” Farnsworth said, shaking Jeannie’s hand.

“Thank you, sir. I’m, ah, sorry about the fallout.”

“I’ll take care of that. Let’s do this.”

The chief led them through the main doors and into the media scrum that gathered there every day. Reporters started shouting questions at them the second they crossed the threshold.

One stood out among the others: “Lieutenant, did the president give you a ride home from Camp David on his helicopter?” Shit, she’d have to give Nick a heads-up about that question being asked multiple times.

Farnsworth held up his hands to quiet them. “Detective McBride has a statement, and then we’ll take any questions you have.”

Jeannie stepped up to the stone podium that served as their briefing spot in all seasons.

Sam glanced up at the dark clouds that hung overhead, wondering about the weather forecast.

“Following the conviction of former Lieutenant Stahl, we’ve given some of his cold cases a fresh look,” Jeannie said.

Sam could hear the nerves in her friend’s voice.

“One of them was the disappearance of then-thirteen-year-old Carisma Deasly. I approached the investigation as if it was a new case, speaking to Carisma’s mother, LaToya, and other people who were close to the family at that time. I quickly became focused on Daniella Brown, a friend of LaToya’s, who lived with the family and who also went missing around the same time. LaToya always believed that Daniella took her child, and that’s the lead I followed in my investigation.”

“Was she angry that the MPD didn’t do more at the time her child went missing?” one reporter asked.

Jeannie looked to the chief.

“We’re taking a close look at the early part of the investigation hoping to answer those questions,” Farnsworth said.

“I spoke to a former boyfriend of Ms. Brown’s,” Jeannie said, “who told me he believed she was living in Richmond. He was critical to us finding her, Carisma and the other children who were rescued. After my partner and I visually identified Ms. Brown, we consulted with the marshals, who oversaw the raid that led to the arrest of Ms. Brown, the rescue of Carisma Deasly and nine other children.”

“Did you suspect there would be other victims in addition to Carisma?” a reporter asked.

“No, we had no idea. That was a shock to us as much as everyone else.”

“How’s it possible that you were able to solve this case so quickly after so long?” Darren Tabor from the Washington Star asked.

Normally, Sam liked him. As much as she hated the question, if she were him, that’d be her first question, too.

Farnsworth stepped up to the podium alongside Jeannie. “We’re looking into a number of disgraced former Lieutenant Stahl’s cold cases and finding some irregularities, including reports on investigative work that we now know was never done.”

“Will Stahl face additional charges?” a reporter asked.

“That hasn’t been determined yet,” Farnsworth replied. “We’re in the earliest part of our investigation.”

“Will other cold cases be examined?”

“Yes, they will.”

“How was it possible that Stahl’s commanders at the time, including yourself, the late Deputy Chief Holland and others, were unaware of him cutting so many corners?” Darren asked.

“During the time in question, the District was experiencing an intense budget crunch that had detectives working alone, largely on the honor system. Frankly, it never occurred to me, Deputy Chief Holland or any of the other commanders that a detective in our department would pretend to investigate a case while in fact doing nothing. We’re horrified by these discoveries and will do everything in our power to get justice for the victims of these crimes. Make no mistake about it—Leonard Stahl is a criminal, and he has been for much longer than we first suspected.”

“What does it say about you, Chief, that you had a criminal working for you for all this time?”

“I’m well aware that the buck stops with me, and I’m as appalled as anyone at his behavior—the things we already know and the new things coming to light. This department is full of hardworking, dedicated law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line for the people of this District every day. Are there some bad apples? Absolutely. But there’re far more honorable officers than not. We can’t change the past, but we’ll do everything within our power to right these terrible wrongs. That’s all we have to say for now.”

He gestured for Sam and Jeannie to precede him inside. “That went as well as it could under the circumstances,” he said once the doors were closed.

“I’m sorry for any angst my investigation has caused,” Jeannie said.