The doorbell rang again. Rachel, Harriet, Joshua and Richard exchanged dismayed looks. Officer Foster was not going to leave. They would have to face him. Joshua led the way downstairs. Harriet had a sudden attack of nerves and ducked into the bathroom. Rachel and Richard settled themselves on the couch, while Joshua answered the door.
Officer Foster entered and greeted them with a suitably respectful expression. Speaking in somber tones, he assured them that his questions would be brief. Foster flashed a nonthreatening smile. Richard was practically squirming. Foster smiled wider, secretly congratulating himself on lucking into another opportunity to have a crack at him.
He planned to interview the siblings separately. That way if Richard tried to file a formal complaint, then it would be only his word against Foster’s. Any allegations could easily be dismissed as an overreaction due to overwrought emotions. After all, Foster was conducting a murder investigation. It was necessary to ask tough questions.
Foster was still trying to decide whether or not to have a go at Richard first or let him stew a little, while he got the interviews with the others out of the way. Harriet came down the stairs. Foster looked up at her and did a double take. Harriet laid eyes on Foster and nearly lost her footing on the stairs, suddenly weak in the knees.
The last person she expected to see sitting in her mother’s living room was a dirty cop she had dealings with on the streets while working for Stryker. She could feel herself beginning to panic. Of all the officers who could have questioned them, why did it have to be Foster? Would these turn out to be interviews be a thinly veiled attempt at a shakedown? Her heart was racing. Harriet’s distress triggered an abrupt mental switch. Samentha resurfaced and Harriet’s consciousness receded. Samentha instantly recognized Foster. She would deal with him.