'Something like that,' I said.
'Yeah, okay. I can run it by CJIS,' he said. 'Shouldn't take too long.'
CJIS stands for Criminal Justice Information Services, a part of the FBI that's based in Clarksburg, West Virginia. This was one of those loopy situations – calling halfway around the world to access something so close to home, but it wouldn't be the first time.
Less than two hours later, Carl was back with some discouraging news.
'Your boy's not U.S. military, Alex. Not FBI or Secret Service either. And I hope you don't mind, but I ran it through ABIS at Defense while I was at it. He's never been detained by U.S. forces, and he's not a foreign national who's ever had access to one of our bases. I don't know if that helps or not.'
'It gets rid of some of the obvious possibilities anyway. Thanks, Carl. Next time you're in DC -'
'Drinks and all that, sure thing. I look forward to it. Take care, Alex.'
My next call was to Sampson, to share the news, such as it was.
'Don't worry, sugar, we're just getting started,' he told me. 'Maybe this print didn't even come from our guy. That crime scene was crawling with our people the other night – and you can bet not everyone was wearing gloves.'
'Yeah,' I said, but a different possibility had already wormed its way to the front of my mind. 'John, what if it is the shooter's print, and he wanted us to find it? Maybe it gets him off, knowing we're going to waste our time chasing it down -'
'Oh man, no. No, no, no.' Sampson knew just where I was headed.
'And maybe that gives him exactly the confidence he's looking for – when it comes time to do it all over again.'
Chapter 16
I WAS THERE for Bree outside of Penn Branch when she got off that afternoon. I couldn't wait to see her, and when she finally came out of the building, it brought a big smile to my face.
'This is a nice surprise,' she said, and gave me a kiss. We'd stopped trying to draw a line around that stuff at work anymore. 'To what do I owe the pleasure? This is a treat.'
'No questions,' I said, and opened the car door for her. 'I want to show you something.'
I'd been planning this for a while now, and even though work was starting to pile up again, I was too stubborn to give up on my scheme. I drove us along North Capitol Street, over to Michigan, and then to the edge of the Catholic University campus, where I parked.
'Um, Alex?' Bree looked out the windshield – and almost straight up. 'When we talked about a small wedding, I think I should have been a little more specific.'
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is one of the ten biggest churches in the world and, for my money, the most beautiful in Washington, maybe in the whole country.
'Not to worry,' I told her. 'We're just passing through. Come on.'
'Okay, Alex. I guess.'
The Romanesque-Byzantine architecture inside those walls is almost overwhelming, but it's unbelievably peaceful in there, too. The soaring arches make you feel tiny, while the million little gold mosaic tiles in the artwork fill every corner with a kind of amber light I've never seen anywhere else.
I took Bree's hand and walked her up one of the side aisles, through the transept, and into the wide area at the back. It's enclosed from behind with a row of arched stained-glass windows, and open to the whole length of the cathedral at the front.
'Bree, can I see your ring?' I asked her.
'My ring?'
She smiled, a little puzzled, but gave it to me anyway. Then I got down on one knee, and I took her hand again.
'Is this a proposal?' she asked me. 'Because I've got a little news for you, sweetie. I'm already there.'
'In front of God, then,' I said, and took a breath because I realized suddenly I was a little nervous.
'Bree, I didn't need you before we met. I thought I was doing okay – I was doing okay. But now… here you are, and I have to think that's for a reason.' I hadn't rehearsed any speech, and it felt like I was stumbling over my words, not to mention the lump in my throat. 'You make me believe, Bree. I don't know if I can explain what that means for someone like me, but I hope you'll let me spend the rest of my life trying. Brianna Leigh Stone, will you marry me?'
She was still smiling, but I could see her fighting back tears now. Even here, Bree was trying to stay tough.
'You know you're a little crazy, right?' she said. 'You know that?'
'If lovin' you is wrong,' I whisper-crooned to her, 'I don't want to be right.'
'Okay, okay, anything but the singing,' she said, and we both laughed like a couple of kids cutting up in the library. But it was laughter through tears, for both of us.
Bree knelt down with me, put her hand gently over mine, and slid the engagement ring back onto her finger. When she kissed me lightly on the lips, I felt the warmth, and a quiver, all the way down my spine.
'Alexander Joseph Cross, as many times as you want to ask me, the answer is yes. Always has been, always will be.'
Chapter 17
ROMANTIC FOOL THAT I AM, I wasn't done yet. From Immaculate Conception, I drove us back downtown, where we checked into the Park Hyatt for the night. I had told Nana we wouldn't be home.
After the bellman left us to our suite, Bree looked around and asked, 'Alex, how much is this costing?'
I had a chilled bottle of Prosecco waiting, and handed her a glass. 'Well, I'm not sure we can still swing college for Damon after this, but the view's great, isn't it?'
Then I sat down at the baby grand – absolutely the reason I'd chosen this place – and started to play. I stuck to old standard love songs, things like 'Night and Day' and 'Someone to Watch Over Me,' each one with a little message for Bree. And, by request, I mostly stayed away from the singing.
She sat next to me on the piano bench, listening and sipping the wine. 'What did I do to deserve all this?' she asked finally.
'Oh, that part's still coming up,' I said. 'Something about taking off all your clothes. Slowly. Piece by piece.'
First, though, we had dinner sent up from Blue Duck Tavern and shared everything – orange and arugula salad, fresh ahi tuna, soft-shell crabs, and a warm-centered chocolate cake for two.
I opened a bottle of Cristal with dessert, and we finished it in the big limestone soaking tub afterward.
'I feel like we're already on our honeymoon. First a church, and now this,' she said.
'Consider it a preview,' I told her, running a bar of lavender soap up and down her back, then her long legs. 'Just a little taste of the future.'
'Mmm, I like the future.' She put her mouth on my shoulder and bit down softly when I abandoned the soap and started using my hands.
Eventually, we spilled right out of the tub and onto the floor. I made a makeshift bearskin rug out of two fluffy hotel robes, and we spent the next few hours trying to get enough of each other.
The first time I brought Bree to climax, her head tilted and her mouth opened soundlessly, while she held on to the small of my back with that amazing strength of hers.
'Closer, Alex. Oh God, closer. Closer!'
It was like nothing could come between us, literally or figuratively. I felt a million miles away from anything but her, and I never wanted that night to end.
