Sam made eye contact with everyone in the room—Freddie, Gonzo, Jeannie, Archie, Malone and the captain from the Gang unit. What was his name again? “Every one of these four people was alive this time yesterday. Jamal was at an IMAX movie at the Air & Space Museum because he was fascinated with space. Melody was walking on air because she and her husband finally had a child on the way. She joked about going to happy hour for a friend’s birthday and how it wouldn’t be quite so happy now that she couldn’t have a drink. Sridhar was brilliant. A chemistry doctoral student at Georgetown. Think about what that probably entailed. And Caroline... Doing what thousands of other people do in this city every day—walking home from work. She had a can of pepper spray rolled into her hand so she could fend off any would-be assailants.”
Sam took a moment to let that poignant detail register with the others.
Jeannie looked down at the table while Freddie stared at the back wall where Malone stood next to Chief Farnsworth.
“Witness accounts indicate we’re looking for a black sedan,” Sam said.
“I took the liberty of printing up a list of all the cars that meet that description in the DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia area,” Jeannie said, holding a half-inch thick report.
“We’ll start in the city and work our way out.” To Malone and Farnsworth, she said, “We’re going to need help from Patrol and overtime approved for our people.”
“Done,” Farnsworth said. “Whatever you need to catch these bastards before they can hurt anyone else.”
“I don’t think this is over yet, whatever it is,” Sam said.
“I’d tend to agree with you,” the Gang captain said.
His name sat on the tip of her tongue. “What’s your theory, Cap?” she asked.
“This feels like some sort of initiation ritual,” he said. “We’ve seen it before. I’ve got my team talking to their contacts and seeing what they can find out.”
“While I agree that’s a theory, to me this feels more professional. I’d like to look into a possible military or law enforcement angle.”
“What’re you thinking, Lieutenant?” Jeannie asked.
“Whoever is doing this is one hell of a good shot if they can take someone out from a speeding car and hit with deadly accuracy each time. There were no stray shots. In each case, there was only one, and it did the trick. Something tells me we’re looking at more than your average gangbangers here.”
“I’d tend to agree,” the Gang captain said. “But we’re going to put our ears to the ground anyway and see if we hear anything.”
Sam nodded in agreement with his plan. “Please keep us in the loop.”
“Will do.”
“Archie, what’ve you got from the Georgetown and Woodley shootings?” she asked.
“We’re still sifting through our footage as well as the security footage we’ve pulled from multiple other sources in all four neighborhoods. It’s a big job, and we’re moving as fast as we can.”
“I’ll let you get back to it,” Sam said.
Nodding, he said, “I’ll let you know the second we find anything useful.”
“Appreciate it.”
He left the room, and Sam returned her attention to her own team. “We need someone to sift through the social media accounts of all our victims,” Sam said.
“I did it overnight,” Gonzo said, producing a written report that he handed to her.
Sam raised an eyebrow in his direction.
“Couldn’t sleep,” he said with a shrug that had her wondering if he was okay. “I didn’t see anything that stood out on any of their accounts. All routine mundane stuff. Nothing that would get them murdered.”
“Thanks for closing that loop,” Sam said.
“No problem.”
“Let’s divide up the black sedans in the District and start there.” To Malone, she said, “I’d like to borrow Beckett and O’Brien from Patrol to help us today. Detective Green starts tomorrow,” she said of Cameron Green, the detective she’d hired from Fairfax County after working with him on a case earlier in the summer. He would replace Detective A.J. Arnold, who had been killed in the line of duty last winter.
Sam fully expected the arrival of Arnold’s replacement to reopen the wound they had carried with them since the night he was killed right in front of Gonzo, his partner. That could be why Gonzo suddenly wasn’t sleeping well again. She’d have to keep an eye on her sergeant and close friend.
“Sure,” Malone said. “We can make that happen.”
“Before we head out,” she said to her team, “I want to make sure you’re paying extra-close attention to your surroundings. If these guys are looking to make a big score, a cop would be one hell of a prize. Watch your backs.”
They replied with “Yes, ma’am,” and “We will.”
Jeannie handed sheets of paper to Freddie, took a stack for herself and Gonzo and made another pile for the two Patrol officers Sam had requested.
“I’ll give the rest to Captain Hernandez,” Jeannie said of the Patrol commander.
“Ask him to make this their top priority and to keep us informed.”
“Yes, ma’am. Will do.” Jeannie left the conference room.
“Someone needs to brief the media,” Malone said. “They’re foaming at the mouth for info about the shootings.”
“They’re always foaming for something,” Sam replied. “Can you handle it today? I’m too much of a distraction these days.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Cruz, let’s get to it.”
“I’m with you, Lieutenant.”
* * *
THEIR FIRST STOP was the George Washington University Hospital where they found Rayna Kapoor in a fifth-floor room guarded by a Patrol officer Sam didn’t recognize. She produced her badge, and Freddie did the same. The officer took a close look at them, as he was required to do. She took advantage of the opportunity to glance at his name tag, which said Keeney.
“How is she?”
“Not great. They gave her something to help her sleep, but she’s awake now and hysterical from what I can hear.”
“Is anyone with her?”
He shook his head. “I asked if she wanted me to call someone for her, and the nurses did too. She said she wants Sri. No one else.”
Sam steeled herself to contend with Rayna’s heartbreak before knocking on the door and entering the room where the blinds were drawn. Other than a small light over the bed, the room was dark. Rayna lay on her side, her arms wrapped around a pillow as she sobbed helplessly.
“Rayna,” Sam said, speaking softly. “I’m Lieutenant Holland, Metro PD, and this is my partner, Detective Cruz.”
“I know you. I’ve seen you.” She spoke with a distinctive