They returned to Sam’s office, closing the door for a private discussion before they brought in the rest of the team.
“Where do we even begin?” Sam asked when she was seated behind her desk.
“Let’s get everyone involved—Crime Scene, ME, IT, your team,” Malone said. “Full-court press. Interview King Robinson’s friends, the neighbors, teachers, coaches, anyone who knew him. We’ll have Crime Scene take the house apart. I’ve already requested warrants for the parents’ phones and other devices. I’ll ask the judge to expedite them in light of our time limit.”
“Did your warrant include work computers and phones?” Hope asked.
“Yes,” Malone said. “I always make the requests comprehensive, so we don’t have to go back for more leeway later.”
“All right,” Sam said. “Let’s summon the troops and get on it. We’re on the clock.” She picked up the phone to ask IT Lieutenant Archelotta to come to an emergency meeting and to bring his outstanding Sergeant Walters with him.
“What’s this about?” Archie asked.
“I’ll brief everyone in ten in the conference room.”
“We’ll be there.”
“Haggerty is on his way in,” Malone said of the Crime Scene lieutenant.
“We’re going to need Amara to give us a list of King’s friends, as well as the other people in his life, and where we’d find them today,” Hope said.
“How do we get that from her without tipping her off to trouble in the case?” Sam asked.
“Tell her it’s routine,” Malone said. “Filling in the blanks.”
“Yeah.” Sam hated the thought of adding to Amara’s trauma in any way, but she’d do whatever it took to get justice for King—and for his sister. “I want to know if the Department of Child and Family Services had a file on these people.”
“Amara would know that,” Malone said.
“I guess I’ll have to ask her,” Sam said.
“It’d be easier to get the info from her than to get a warrant in the time we have.”
“If she can give us the name of a caseworker, that’d be a good place to start,” Hope said.
Sam picked up her desk phone to call Lindsey.
“Hey.”
“Don’t take her home yet.” Sam updated Lindsey on the development with McDermott and how Amara would need to be interviewed again shortly.
“She actually ordered them released?” Lindsey asked, keeping her voice down.
“She did.”
“Jeez. I’ll pull everything we have on the case and make copies for the team.”
“Do you think Morganthau would come in?” Sam asked.
“I bet he’d love to be summoned.”
“I’ll call him. Thanks, Linds.”
“I’ll be over shortly.”
Sam put down the desk phone, found Dr. Norman Morganthau’s number in her contacts and placed the call.
“Isn’t this a lovely surprise on a random Monday? To what do I owe the honor, Lieutenant?”
