"I heard they're keeping the 2G network alive just for you and that old flip phone of yours."

"Couldn't resist, huh?"

"Nope."

The phone rang and rang. Just when she was about to give up on Gonzo, he picked up.

"What's up, Cruz?"

"It's Sam."

"Oh, Lieutenant. Sorry. What's going on?"

"We've caught a homicide. Willie Vasquez."

"Get the fuck outta here."

Now that was the kind of language she expected from her officers at times like this. "Keep a lid on it. I'm not looking for the city to erupt again."

"Right. Of course. What can I do?"

"I know you're just off an overnight, but Cruz told me they're airing out the game on the radio. I need you to monitor sports talk this morning. Get a handle on what's being said about the game, about him, about the fans. Take note of anyone who seems a little too angry, if you catch my drift."

"Will do. What else?"

"Dig into his life. I need all the usual info, including financials."

"Got it. Where'd you find him?"

"In a Dumpster behind Air and Space."

"Whoa," Gonzo said. "Tossing him in the trash. That makes a statement, huh?"

"Sure does. Freaking sports in this country. Totally out of hand."

"No kidding. I'm on it and will report in when I have something. So Farnsworth released you from time-out, huh?"

"Um, not exactly."

Gonzo's bark of laughter made Sam smile. "I love it," he said.

"Get to work, Detective." She ended the call and passed the phone back to Freddie, who handled it gingerly before jamming it into his coat pocket. "Where the hell is McNamara?"

"Here I come," Lindsey called. "Sorry for the delay. The streets are a mess. What've we got?"

Sam filled Lindsey in and then told Cruz to help the M.E. into the Dumpster.

As she came over the top, Lindsey's nose wrinkled at the scent. Her ponytail bobbed from side to side as she landed next to Sam. She took a series of photos of the victim. "Help me turn him over."

Sam held her breath at the stench as she took his feet while Lindsey worked the shoulders. His face was unmarked, but a huge pool of blood covered what had once been a white dress shirt.

Lindsey took more photos. "Looks like a stab wound," Lindsey said, moving in for a closer look.

"Only one?"

"I can't tell for sure until I get him back to the morgue."

"No defensive wounds on his hands," Sam said.

"No other visible injuries." After she encased his hands with paper bags to seal in any evidence, Lindsey signaled for her team to bring over the stretcher and body bag. "Let's get him out of here."

Sam and Lindsey worked together with Cruz's help to lift Willie out of the Dumpster into the waiting hands of two members of the medical examiner's staff.

One of them was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes that bugged when he recognized the victim.

Sam repeated her tight lid orders to Lindsey and her team. "Don't tell anyone about this. That means no one."

"Y-yes, ma'am," the blond kid said. He and his partner zipped Willie into a body bag.

With her hands on the edge of the Dumpster, Sam jumped down to the alley, narrowly missing Cruz, who scooted out of her way. He'd been watching the removal of Willie's body and hadn't seen her coming. She flashed him a grin as he recoiled from the smell of her.

"Commandeer a patrol car to take me home to change," she said to her partner.

"Do I have to go with you?"

She dropped her keys into his hand. "After you get my phone out of the car, you can bring it to HQ."

"Oh, thank God," he said as he walked away to break the bad news to one of the patrolmen.

Sam reached up to help Lindsey down.

When she was back on terra firma, Lindsey pulled off her latex gloves. "This is going to be huge."

"Aren't they all?"

"Some are bigger than others."

"True." Sam's mind raced, putting together a dog-choking to-do list. She'd wanted a juicy murder to sink her teeth into. This was about as juicy as it got. Maybe there was something wrong with her, but she lived for this shit.

Before the word got out about their victim's identity, she needed to consult with the department brass about making sure the city was as locked down as it could be to prevent more rioting and violence. However, the minute she contacted Farnsworth she'd probably be put back in time-out. That couldn't happen, she thought, mulling the dilemma as she walked with Lindsey from the alley to Independence Avenue.

She saw Freddie point to her, and the patrol officer he was talking to shook his head. Sam nearly laughed at the pained expression on the officer's face.

"I'm going home to change. I'll see you at the morgue shortly."

"I'll get right on it," Lindsey assured her.

"Thanks, Doc."

Lindsey shook her head, dismay stamped into her expression. "Just think, this time yesterday he was getting ready for the biggest game of his career, and now he's dead."

"Sad to think that one error in a distinguished career could've led to this."

"Some disgruntled fan probably decided to teach him a lesson."

"Probably," Sam said, although she'd learned to look beyond the obvious when investigating murder. "See you back at HQ."

"See ya there."

After Lindsey got into the passenger side of the medical examiner's van and it sped away, Sam called Cruz over. "Get crime scene here and have them do a thorough search of all the Dumpsters and nearby trash receptacles. We're looking for the murder weapon, most likely a knife. Remember-tight lid. This can't get out until we're ready to let it out."

"Yes, ma'am," Cruz said, sucking up as always, but she could count on him to manage the scene until the CSU detectives took over. He handed her phone over.

"I'll meet you back at HQ in an hour." When she was satisfied that he had the situation under control, Sam went to make the day of the patrol officer Cruz had tapped to drive her home.

Once settled in the back of the patrol car with an extremely disgruntled patrolman driving her home with all the windows open, Sam made the call to Hill.

"What's up?" he asked when he answered.

"WV is dead," she said, keeping her voice as low as possible so the patrolman wouldn't hear her.

"What? I can't hear you."

"The person we spoke of during the night... Dead."

"Oh, fuck. Seriously?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Stabbed in the chest and tossed in a Dumpster behind Air and Space."

"Christ."

"I'm on my way home to shower after digging him out of the Dumpster, and then I'm heading back to HQ. I could use your help on gaining access to the team if you're game. No pun intended."

"Sure, yeah. I can help with that."

"Let me get with my brass and figure out how we're going to play this one, and then I'll get back to you."

"Thanks for letting me know."

"I'm sorry to say you were right about this."

"Hell of a thing to be right about."

"Judging from his appearance, he's been dead a while."

"Where do we even begin to get to the bottom of this one?" Hill asked, his tone weary.

"I haven't the first clue, but we'll get it done. We always do."

Gonzo arrived at the apartment he shared with his fiancee, Christina Billings, and his young son. Alex crawled to the door when he heard Gonzo come in. The crawling was new, and while keeping track of the baby had become more complicated since he'd figured out how to get around on his own, Gonzo loved watching his son grow and thrive.

"Dada," Alex said, raising his chubby arms.

Gonzo's heart melted as he scooped up the dark-haired little boy who looked just like him and spun him around.

"Careful," Christina said, emerging from their bedroom in one of the sharp, sexy suits she wore to work as Nick's chief of staff. Her blond hair was tamed into a sophisticated twist that Gonzo loved to mess up when she got home from a long day on Capitol Hill or on the campaign trail. "He's got a belly full of oatmeal that won't look good all over you."

"Ohhh," Gonzo said to Alex, "Mama saves the day." Rather than swing the little guy around, Gonzo tickled his belly, drawing a deep chortle from Alex. "I love that laugh."

"And you go to astonishing lengths to make him do it," Christina said, sliding into sky-high heels as she smiled at them.

"Want me to take him to Ang?" Gonzo asked. Sam's sister Angela watched Alex for them during the day.

"It's on my way. I don't mind dropping him off." She came over to him, caressed Gonzo's scruffy jaw and kissed him.

Alex made a kissy face that made them both laugh.

"Long night, huh?" Christina said.

"Very long and not over yet." Because he trusted her with his life as well as his son, he told her about Willie.

"Oh my God, you're kidding."

"Wish I was."

"God," she said again. "What's wrong with this world?"

"Too many things to list when you've got somewhere to be."

Her wistful expression had him wondering what she was thinking, but Alex yanked on his hair, wanting his attention. Gonzo kissed his son's neck until he was giggling madly. "You need to go see Ang and the kids, buddy."

"Jack," Alex said. Angela's son's name had been the boy's first word, which had been an endless source of hilarity to all of them. No mama or dada for his boy. Nope, he was already out making friends.

"You'll see Jack after school, but baby Ella will be there," Gonzo said as he handed Alex over to Christina. "Thanks for watching him, babe." He still felt guilty when his work kept him away from home for long hours.

"You know I love him as much as you do."

"I know." He kissed her cheek and then her lips. "We need a night alone. Soon."

"I'd be all for that. Name the time and place, Detective."

"I'll work on that."