Page 138 of State of Retribution

“I get it.”

“That’s because you’re fluent in the language known as Sam Holland.”

“One of my special gifts.”

Sam made the call to Archie.

“Hey.”

“So, listen, I have an update, and it ties right back to Offenbach and the day you and I figured out he was in Atlantic City with his mistress when he was supposed to be in Philadelphia.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s exacting revenge, Archie.That’s the connection to Harlowe.”

“Sam…”

“I know.It’s horrible, but it’s not your fault.”

“Who the fuck’s fault is it, then?Here I was thinking it could be her ex-husband, and you’re saying this happened to her because ofme?How in the hell am I supposed to live with that?”

Green came into her office, brows raised, expression tense.

“Hang on, Archie.What’s up?”

“Ramsey’s wife has a white Nissan Altima with District plates.”

“Holy shit.”

“Malone is requesting a warrant for their house.”

“Did you hear that?”Sam asked Archie.“We’ve got a witness that puts a white Nissan Altima with District plates at the scene of one of the weekend homicides.We’ve tied that make and model to Ramsey’s wife.”

Understandably, Archie didn’t give a shit about Ramsey.“He… He raped her, Sam.”

Sam’s heart broke for her friend.“I’m so sorry to have to tell you this.”

“I… I don’t even know what to do with this info.”

“Don’t do anything until we know more.I wanted you in the loop as soon as we started to put this together.”When he didn’t reply, she said, “Archie?Are you still there?”

“I’m here.”

She could hear him weeping and wished she could hug him.“Archie, listen to me.This isn’t your fault.You’d be doing yourself and Harlowe a huge disservice if you blamed yourself for what a deranged criminal did to her.”

“He took her because ofme.Herapedher because ofme.How do I not blame myself for that, Sam?”

“I was thinking about how you told me before all this that you weren’t sure she was being straight with you about her past.Do you know any more about why you felt that way?”

He paused to catch his breath before he replied.“I think it was because she’d gotten out of a bad marriage she hadn’t told me about and didn’t want to talk about that in a new relationship.I know all about that now, but it has nothing to do with any of this.What’s being done to find Offenbach?”

“Everything humanly possible.The FBI is about to raid his property, and we’ve requested a warrant for Ramsey’s car and home.We suspect they’re working together on the larger scheme.It’ll happen fast.”

“How is it possible that we work with people like this?Like these two and Stahl and Conklin?”

“I wish I had an answer for that, but all I can say is in a department of more than four thousand people, they’re the minority.”

“Are they, though?Or are there more of them hiding in our midst, pretending to do the job while evil lives in them?”

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