She walked with him to the pit and passed along the captain’s orders. “Get back here as soon as you can. We need all hands on deck with the Robinson case. We have twenty-four hours to prove the parents did it, or we have to release them.”
“What’s that about?” Gonzo asked.
“Our new USA has arrived.”
“Oh shit.”
“Well said. We heard she’d be tough, so it’s not really a surprise.”
“I listened to Amara’s statement,” Gonzo said. “There’s no doubt a jury would believe her.”
“Agreed, but I’m not the one we need to convince. Go on out and work this new scene and get back as soon as possible. Ask Lindsey to send Byron and keep me posted on the details.”
“Will do.”
Sam wanted Lindsey on the Robinson case.
“Freddie, will you please set up the recording of Amara’s statement to play in the conference room?”
“Yep.”
“I’m going to talk to Amara for a minute. I’ll be right back.”
She went to the morgue and sat down with Amara. “Can you give me a list of King’s closest friends and where we might find them now?”
“They’re all in college.”
“Anyone local?”
She gave Sam the names of two boys who’d gone to George Mason in Northern Virginia. “Was Child and Family Services ever involved with your family?”
“Not that I know of. Would I have known?”
“You would’ve met with social workers asking questions about what went on in your home.”
“No, there was nothing like that.”
“All right. Thank you for the additional info.” To Lindsey, she said, “Hang tight for a bit.”
“Will do.”
Sam returned to the pit as Archie and Walters arrived from upstairs. She welcomed them to the conference room, where Freddie had Amara’s statement ready to go on the screen at the front of the room.
Sam glanced at Archie while they waited for the others, looking for an indication of how he was doing. His new girlfriend had been assaulted by a former colleague, Dylan Offenbach, and had been recovering from her injuries at Archie’s home. He was grappling with feelings of guilt over how his job had led to her attack. Sam worried about her close friend and colleague concluding that the job wasn’t worth the risk to his loved ones. Since his expression gave nothing away, she said, “How’s Harlowe?”
“Better. She’s hoping to get back to work next week.”
“And you?”
He shrugged. “Day to day.”
Sam wanted to dig deeper, to offer support, to be the good friend to him that he always was to her, but this wasn’t the time. “I’m here if you need me.”
“I know. Thank you.”
Lindsey came in, carrying a stack of stapled autopsy reports that she distributed around the table.
Lieutenant Haggerty arrived and took a seat.
