Entering the hotel room where the others waited, Sam tossed her cover on the bed before sitting heavily beside it. Dealing with the resentment at the precinct had been tiring. Noting Jack's frazzled expression, and the slight crimp in Teal'c's brow, she realized they had fared little better.
"Maybe it's the uniform." Jack tugged at the dress colors, reminding Sam of a kid on picture day. "Makes me irritable, and I'm the one wearing it."
Sam had to agree, she'd much prefer to be traipsing around in her well-worn BDUs. Military protocol expected otherwise. "Well, sir, with it being an official matter, I don't think business casual would go over very well."
"I don't know, Carter, you've never seen me rock a cardigan."
"We're trying to get them to take us seriously, Jack, not paralyze them with your horrid fashion sense," Daniel said.
"They're distinguished," Jack countered.
"Yeah, if you're over seventy."
"Hey, Teal'c resents that!"
To express that resentment, Teal'c raised a curious eyebrow.
Sam doused her own amusement with impatience. "As enlightening as this is, I think we have better things to discuss."
Jack sulked, muttering something about Fashion Nazis.
Daniel started. "Their evidence is sparse. The only conclusion that can be made is that whoever is responsible has everyone too afraid to talk. No one is coming forward."
"Sounds Gouldy to me."
"Indeed." Teal'c agreed with Jack. "A Goa'uld would quickly insert himself into a position of power over others."
"What did you find out in the morgue, Sam?" Daniel said.
Just what they had suspected. "The burns were from a hand device. There's no doubt."
Which meant they were in this for the long haul. While Cragen had been willing to play ball up to this point, she doubted his cooperation extended to simply handing the case over. Certainly his detectives wouldn't stand for it. Thinking of the imminent shit storm started the dull thud of an approaching headache.
Jack's tone echoed her sentiments. "I'll call Hammond."