Fatal Series 01 - Fatal Affair

“Something for you?”
    “A salad.” She slapped a ten-dollar bill into his hand. “Low-fat dressing.”
    He made a disgusted face. “Coming right up.”
    The moment he was gone, Sam marched into Nick’s office and slammed the door.
    “Well, good afternoon to you, too, Sergeant,” he said with a small, private smile that let her know he’d been thinking of her since they’d kissed the night before.
    “Save the charm for someone who’s interested.”
    He raised a swarthy eyebrow in amusement. “Oh, you’re interested. But if you want to play hard to get, don’t let me stop you.”
    “What happened last night can’t happen again.”
    “It can, and it will.”
    “Not until this case is closed, Nick. I mean that.” Deciding it was time to move past their personal debate, she planted her hands on her hips. “Were you planning to mention that your deputy was in love with the senator?”
    Nick looked stricken. “She told you that?”
    “I got it out of her. One of my special talents.”
    “I’ll bet,” he said dryly.
    “Why didn’t you think it was important enough to share with me?”
    “It was personal, and I didn’t see how it was relevant.”
    “ Everything is relevant, Nick! This is a homicide investigation!”
    “I’m sorry. It never occurred to me that it would matter.”
    “She left here to get food at the exact time the M.E. has placed the time of death. She had a key to his place. She was in love with him.”
    Nick’s handsome face went pale. “You can’t possibly be suggesting—”
    “I can, and I am.”
    “There’s no way, Sam. She adored him. She was devoted to him. She could never have harmed him.”
    “How well do you know her?”
    “I’ve worked with her for five years. She’s a great colleague and friend.”
    “What do you know about her background?”
    “She grew up in Oregon, came here for college, and has been working for the legislative branch since she graduated. She’s worked her way up from the admin level.”
    “You trust her?”
    “Implicitly.”
    “What level clearance does she have?”
    “Secret.”
    Sam tugged the notebook from her back pocket and made a note to get a hold of the background check Christina Billings would’ve been required to undergo for a government security clearance. “What about you?”
    “Top secret.”
    “As of when?”
    “As of the senator’s appointment to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Before that it was secret.”
    “Who else has top secret?”
    “Only the senator.”
    “Who’re his heirs?”
    Nick considered that. “Well, I suppose it would be his niece and nephew, Emma and Adam.”
    “But you don’t know for sure?”
    He shook his head.
    “Who would?”
    “Probably his father and their attorney, Lucien Haverfield.”
    Sam wrote down Haverfield’s name.
    Freddie came into the room carrying two bags of take out. “Start without me, boss?”
    “We’re talking heirs,” Sam told him. “Mr. Cappuano believes it’s most likely the senator’s niece and nephew.”
    “Makes sense,” Freddie said. “Are we doing this here or in the conference room?”
    Nick gestured to a small table. “Here is fine with me.”
    “Let me grab the recorder,” Freddie said.
    “Do you mind if we eat in here?” Sam asked Nick. “Detective Cruz gets cranky if he doesn’t get his mid-day influx of grease on time.”
    Nick smiled but Sam noticed his eyes were tired and sad. “No problem. I eat at that table more often than I do at home.”
    “Speaking of home, did you notice anything else out of place or missing?”
    He shook his head.
    “Let me know if you do.”
    “So you believe me? That someone broke in.”
    She replied with a small nod and had trouble meeting his intense gaze, startled to realize she was afraid of what she might find in those incredible hazel eyes.
    “Am I interrupting something?” Freddie said when he returned with the recorder.
    Sam cleared her throat. “No. Let’s get this done. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today.”

Chapter 9
    After a quick stop at the Chinese restaurant on Capitol Hill where they confirmed that Christina Billings had in fact picked up take-out around eleven the night before last, Sam drove Freddie back to the office.
    “So,” he said. “Do you want to tell me what that was all about before?”
    “What?”
    “You and Cappuano. I felt like a third wheel on a hot date.” Sam shot him a glance. “What the hell are you talking