Page 42 of Final Cost

“You’ve been a good employer to me, Lucien.” He looks nervous now. “My loyalty is to you. I don’t think you did it. I want you to know that.”

I nod, grateful for support from whatever source. “Appreciated.”

“But I’ve got a family. I can’t lie to the police for you,” he concludes. “I told them the truth.”

That’s what I was afraid of. “I understand,” I say, extending my hand. “You’re a good man. Thanks for letting me know.”

He nods, shoots a final apologetic glance at Tamsyn, then heads out.

“You did say that,” she says quietly. “Oh, God. What if the police askmeabout it?”

“Then you tell them the truth.”

“But…”

“I have to go,” I say, giving her a quick forehead kiss. “We’ll talk more later.”

I start to walk off. She hangs onto my hand, her grip surprisingly strong and insistent. But when I turn back to her, she shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know what to say. I just don’t want to let you go.”

“Same,” I say, coming back in for a final kiss.

She surprises me again, taking my face in her soft hands, her lips harder than usual. Maybe she’s doing a little imprinting of her own. “I’ll see you later,” she says, letting me go and trying for an upbeat smile that doesn’t turn up much at the edges.

But she does better than me because I can’t get my smile working at all. I’ve got way too many knots in my gut. “See you later.”

I quickly cross to the dining room, where a solemn assembly of faces rings the table. Gray. Detective Smith. Today’s uniformed cops. I shake hands all around and give Gray a nod when he shoots me a covertkeep your fucking mouth shutlook. Then I sit and wait.

“I’ll get right to the point,” Detective Smith says, making a great show of plunking her phone down on the table between us. “I’m here as a courtesy to you, Mr. Winter. My office is grateful to your support over the years. So the higher ups are happy to bend over backwards for you. Me? I’d prefer to have you down at the office for a formal interview. But I don’t get to decide. I’m recording. Just so you know.”

“Understood,” I say.

“The autopsy report is back although toxicology is still pending. As we suspected, Ravenna died from blunt force trauma to the back of the head. We’ll make sure your lawyer gets a copy of the report.”

I’m not sure what kind of reaction I should have to this information. When someone takes out the rabid wolf headed your way, you don’t care much whether they use a rifle or a bow and arrow. You’re just grateful that the threat has been eradicated. “I see.”

“There was also evidence of sexual activity,” Detective Smith continues.

“I haven’t had sex with Ravenna in years,” I say. I’m sure my revulsion at the idea shows on my face. Hopefully she’ll believe me.

“I’ll need a DNA sample to confirm that,” she says.

I open my mouth for quick agreement, but Gray puts a restraining hand on my arm.

“My client and I will discuss your request and get back to you as soon as possible. Is there anything else?”

A tinge of annoyance from Detective Smith but she quickly recovers. “Yes. We have video footage from the Shell station on the corner that shows your car driving toward the beach the night of Ravenna’s death.”

I don’t like the sound of that. “And…?”

“You previously told me that you weren’t near the beach that night,” she says.

“I wasn’t.”

“Well, you were close enough to be caught on the footage from the gas station,” she says flatly.

Shit. I remember now. And it’s looking worse for me by the second. “How do you know it was me? I’m sure dozens if not hundreds of people drove through there that night, and they didn’t kill Ravenna either.”

“I’ll send your lawyer a copy so you can see it for yourself. You zoomed right by in your Range Rover. We got a partial of your plates.”

---