Fatal Series 01 - Fatal Affair

available.
    “Detectives?” Elin said as they headed for the door.
    They turned back to her.
    “He wasn’t ‘the one’ for me, but he was a good guy. He didn’t deserve to be murdered.”
    Sam nodded and pushed open the door, thinking the definition of “good guy” was all a matter of perspective.
    “Did you enjoy that?” Freddie snapped the moment they were back in the cold air.
    “Enjoy what?”
    “Making me ask her those questions.”
    Sam stopped and turned to face him. “If you can’t ask the questions, any question, any time, you shouldn’t be carrying a gold shield, Detective.”
    “You’re right.” He sagged a bit as the anger seemed to leave him all at once. “I know you are, but it’s just so freaking embarrassing asking a woman I’ve never met about what kind of sex she had with a dead senator.”
    “You think I like it any more than you do? It’s part of the job. The best way to figure out who killed him is to figure out who and what he was.”
    “You’re right, and I apologize for going queasy on you. It won’t happen again.”
    “Yes, it will,” she said with a sigh. “The day it doesn’t bother you to ask those kind of questions is the day you’re no longer Freddie Cruz. It’s supposed to bother you. Just don’t let it stop you from doing what needs to be done.”
    “I won’t,” he vowed. “See what I mean about learning from you? That’s what I meant. Right there.”
    “Kiss my ass, Cruz.”
    “While that’s a lovely offer and one I take very seriously, I don’t think it would be appropriate in light of our professional relationship. You know, with you being my superior officer and all.”
    She used her best withering look to shut him up. “If you’re quite through, can we go see what Noel Jordan has to say about his wife’s ex?”
    “One thing we can say for Svendsen is that she certainly would’ve had the strength to get that knife through him in one shot.”
    “No doubt. And she had a key.”
    “The part about her breaking up with him threw me, though. I can see her being pissed if he dumped her, like he did with Davenport, but if she’s the one who pulled the plug, what’s her motive in offing him?”
    “That’s only her side of the story. Who knows how it really went down? She can tell us she dumped him because he’s not here to refute it.”
    “Here again, I find myself learning from you.”
    “Keep that up and you’re going to piss me off. I like her for the murder. So far, more than anyone else, I like her.”
    “I liked her, too,” he joked.
    “I could tell by the tongue hanging out of your face, but she’s too scary and experienced for an innocent boy like you. She’d chew you up and spit you out.”
    “And that would be bad how exactly?”
    “Pardon me while I get busy poking out my mind’s eye.”

Chapter 18
    Gonzo called as they made their way toward the Justice Department on Pennsylvania Avenue.
    “What’ve you got?” Sam asked.
    “Nothing so far at the cabin, but I did that run you asked for on Robert O’Connor. Sixty-five years old, lives in Mechanicsville with his wife Sally, age sixty-three. They have three grown children—Sarah, forty, Thomas, thirty-six and Michael, thirty-four. Five grandchildren.”
    “Son of a bitch,” Sam muttered. “They lied to me.”
    “Do you want me to do some more digging?”
    “No, that’s okay. Were you able to get pictures of the kids?”
    “Yeah, I shot them to your e-mail.”
    “Thanks, Gonzo. Let me know if you turn up anything at the cabin.”
    “It’s slow going. I’ll call you when we’re done.”
    “Who lied to you?” Freddie asked when she had ended the call.
    “O’Connor’s parents.” She explained about the photo she had found at the cabin. “I think John had a son they swept under the rug. I’m going to Chicago tomorrow to find out.”
    “Want me to tag along?”
    “No, I can take this one alone. I need you to confirm the info we got from Davenport and Svendsen about the people they were with the night of the murder. I’d also like you to check security at both their buildings. See if you can catch them coming home that night—or more importantly, going back out.”
    “Got it,” he said, making notes. “I would’ve done that run you had Gonzo do.”
    “Don’t pout, Freddie. An investigation of this magnitude requires we make use of all available resources.”
    After navigating building security and handing over their weapons—something