“We need a new system.”
“Do you think?”
Sam rolled her eyes at him as she made the call to Matteo Ramos, director of adult probation in the U.S. Probation Office’s DC division, which fell under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Courts. Because the District’s cases were handled by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, the probation unit landed at the federal level.
When Ramos’s voicemail picked up, Sam left a message. “Please call me back on an urgent matter involving one of your parolees.”
As they pulled onto the Aherns’ street, her entire system was in an uproar of nerves and emotion as she contemplated this dreadful meeting. As the commander of the Homicide division, she tried to see the families of all their victims and to make herself available as their cases wound their way through the courts.
That was often a multiyear process that required a tremendous amount of support for the families.
Vernon brought the SUV to a stop a block from the Ahern home. “Give us a couple of minutes to clear the way,” he said.
“Okay.” She hoped they were quick, because exhaustion was winning the war.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Agent Q stayed with them while Vernon consulted with other agents who must’ve been summoned to support them as they took her into a home that was overrun with people.
“Have you heard anything from Jimmy?” Sam asked Q, wanting to take her mind off what she was about to do.
“I talked to him yesterday. He’s up and about and itching to come back to work—literally, he said. The wound is itchy, and it’s making him crazy.”
“Glad to hear he’s on the mend, but sorry to hear about the itching. When will he be able to come back?”
“In about three weeks. You’re stuck with me until then.”
“Happy to have you, but I wish Jimmy hadn’t gotten hurt protecting me.”
“I shouldn’t say this, and Vernon would have my head for it, but… In our line of work, saving a protectee leads to a certain amount of, shall we call it… swagger?”
Freddie chuckled. “In other words, Jimmy will always be the guy who saved the first lady.”
“That,” Q said. “Exactly.”
“Thank you for elaborating, Detective Cruz,” Sam said sarcastically. “I doubt I could’ve ascertained his meaning without your help.”
“Please. You’re about to fall over. It would’ve taken you two days to piece that together.”
“Don’t tell Vernon I said that, okay?” Q said. “I’d never want to be quoted as saying getting injured on the job is a good thing.”
“What happens in the SUV stays in the SUV,” Sam reminded him. “But I’m glad to know that saving my ass might’ve given Agent McFarland some bragging rights.”
“For the rest of his life,” Q said.
Sam would’ve been amused by that at any other time, but a visit with the parents of a murdered child cast a pall over everything. By the time Vernon came to retrieve them, she’d worked herself into an anxious mess.
“Sorry it took so long,” Vernon said. “We asked the visitors in the house to wait outside while we bring you in.”
“I don’t like disrupting them that way.”
“I understand, but it was too many people, and they were fine with it. They said the parents want to see you.”
She walked with Vernon and Freddie to the Aherns’ front door, where they were let in by a woman with dark hair and red, swollen eyes. It took a second for Sam to recognize her as the woman on the porch who’d freaked out the first time they met.
“I’m Court’s sister, Janelle. Thank you for coming by.”
“Of course. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
