Fatal Chaos

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 British accent. “You catch all the killers. You’ll catch my Sri’s killer.”

“I’ll do my very best.”

She wiped her face with the sheet. “He can’t be dead. It’s not right. He was fine.”

“Can you tell us what happened?”

Rayna pressed a button to raise her bed slightly. “We... We were out at a club with some friends. People we know from school. It was our first time going out with them or going to a club. Sri, he said we needed to learn how to have fun, that no one should study as much as we do. I didn’t want to go, but I went because he asked me to. Why didn’t he listen to me? I knew we shouldn’t have gone.”

“Why did you feel that way?”

“I don’t know.” She stared at the far wall where the nurses had recorded her information on a dry-erase board. “I had a feeling we shouldn’t go.”

“Had something happened to make you feel that way?”

“Nothing in particular. I get these feelings.” Rayna rubbed her abdomen. “Here. Often they turn out to be sound. I wish this wasn’t one of those times.” She broke down again, her sobs echoing through the small room.

Sam felt awful for pushing her to recount the most traumatic moment of her life, but she needed to know. “So, you were walking home...”

Rayna nodded and wiped her face again. “We were walking on P Street. I wanted to take a cab, but Sri said the fresh air would be good for us after being in the club. He talked me into walking. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘It’s a beautiful night.’ He’s very convincing when he sets his heart on something.” Her face crumpled when she seemed to realize she had spoken of him in the present tense. “He... He was talking about a big presentation he had to make this week at school. There was a loud noise and everything happened at once. He staggered and fell onto me, and I went down with him. I couldn’t tell what was happening until I felt the blood. There was so much blood.” She shuddered and hiccupped as another sob erupted from her chest.

“When did you realize he’d been shot?” Sam asked.

“I didn’t know that until the police came. They told me that’s what happened.”

“Were you injured in the fall?”

“I sprained my wrist,” she said, raising her arm to show Sam the brace she wore.

“Did you see the car or anything that might help us catch the people who did this?”