I’ll run it up the pole, which I will.” She stood, gathered her keys, phone and notebook and put on her coat. “Let’s hit it.” As they walked toward the morgue, Sam said, “Talk to me about Haverson.”
“He’s the president of a community bank in Bethesda.”
Sam groaned. “So we have to drive to freaking Bethesda?”
“We do.”
“Why did I know you were going to say that?” Sam asked, resigned to an hour in the car. Nothing chapped her ass more than wasting time. Well, receptionists chapped her too. And needles. And flying. Her ass was chapped a lot, if she were being honest. And what did that even mean? Chapped the ass. She huffed out a laugh at the direction her thoughts had taken.
“Do I dare ask what’s so funny?”
“I’m thinking about things that chap my ass.”
“I withdraw the question due to lack of interest in the things that chap your ass, or anything involving your ass.”
“I have a very fine ass. Just ask Nick.”
“Stop it right now.”
Sam cracked up laughing at his testy tone. She loved nothing more than to drive him crazy any way she could. When they were in the car, she said, “Tell me more about Mr. Haverson.”
“He’s fifty-four, married with three college-aged kids. Lives in Gaithersburg.”
“How did he know Ginny McLeod?”
“I’m still trying to figure that out. I did a deep dive on her social media accounts but didn’t see anything connecting her to him. That’s at the top of my list of questions for him.”
“So you have a list of questions. That’s good. One of us should.”
He shook his head and released a long-suffering sigh. “You’re lucky you have me around to make you look good.”
“Indeed, and I know it. Cam is making me look pretty good lately too. He did a shit ton of work yesterday that saved me from being up all night, which saves you from dealing with Cranky Sam today.”
“Thank God for that. He’s one of the best detectives I’ve ever worked with. I learn from him every day.”
“Not as much as you learn from me, though, because if you say it’s more, we’re done.”
“You continue to amaze and inspire me on a daily basis, Lieutenant.”
“Are you being sarcastic? It pisses me off when I can’t tell for sure.”
That made him laugh—hard. “I like to keep you on your toes.”
It took more than an hour to get to Bethesda, by which time Sam was on the verge of full-on rage at the waste of valuable time. “I’m ready for George Jetson travel anytime now.”
“You’d be a psycho in one of those flying cars.”
“People would get the hell out of my way. I should’ve used the lights.” She tended to save them for actual emergencies, and last she checked, her time being wasted wasn’t an actual emergency to anyone but her.
Inside the First National Bank and Trust on Arlington Road, Sam was greeted by one of her favorite things—a receptionist. Even better, this one did a double take when she recognized Sam.
“Mrs. Cappuano,” she said, practically sputtering. “Welcome. What can I do for you?”
Sam flashed her badge to remind the woman what Mrs. Cappuano did for a living. “I need to see Mr. Haverson, please.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
That was one of Sam’s favorite questions. “Nope. What I do have is a dead body and a homicide investigation. Tell him I’m here, and I’d like to speak to him.”
Her eyes went wide as she got up to see to Sam’s directive.
“I like when people do what I tell them to.”
“I like when they ask the appointment question. In my head, I’m counting down. Five, four, three, two…”
Sam laughed to herself at what an absolutely perfect partner he was, not that she could ever let him know that. He was already borderline unmanageable.
The receptionist returned a minute later with a gray-haired man wearing a dark suit and a scowl on his face. “What do you need?”
“Lieutenant Holland, Detective Cruz, Metro PD. We need a minute of your time. Either here or at our place. Your choice.” No one ever chose their place, which was a crying shame. She loved nothing more than taking smug, entitled people into custody and didn’t get to do it nearly often enough. “What’s it going to be?”
“Come in.”
Figured you’d say that.
Sam and Freddie followed him past cubicles of workers who reacted with surprise when they recognized her. Haverson’s spacious office in the back had glass walls so he could see the goings-on in all corners of his little