Page 96 of Deadly Designs

Aja Blue almost choked on the words. The woman wasevil personified, but she wanted to face her. The nurse recited anumber and gave her directions. As Aja Blue neared the room, shesaw a cop posted outside.

He glanced at her as she approached. “I’m Aja BlueLaLonde,” she told him. “I was on the yacht with Mrs. Sinclair, andshe’s hired me for a design project. Would it be possible to talkto her?”

When he looked conflicted, she threw out DetectiveHerbert’s name. With a tip of his head, he said, “Go ahead, butI’ll warn you. She’s a demon spawn.”

That she was. “Before I go in, do you have a phone Ican use to record the conversation? Mine was stolen.” Again, hehesitated. “Okay, look, here’s the deal. She’s a criminal, and Iwant her confession on tape.”

“Ah. Sure. Anything I can do to help to put heraway.” He pulled it from his pocket and set it to record.

“Thanks.”

Aja Blue pushed through the door. The fancy, moneyedEleanor Sinclair was resting on a bed in a generic blue hospitalgown, her jewelry gone. One arm was in a cast and propped on apillow, and the other was handcuffed to the bed. That made hersmile.

“For God’s sake, go away,” Eleanor snapped. “You’vedone enough stupid tests.”

“Hello, Mrs. Sinclair.”

Her head whipped around, and she sneered. “What areyoudoing here?”

“Why the hostility?”

“You murdered my husband.”

“I had nothing to do with it. It was his shadybusiness dealings that killed him. I won’t stay long because,frankly, you disgust me.” That last part was said under her breath.“I wanted to ask why you even invited me to the fundraiser.”

“Heathcliff told me you were trying to blackmail him.He said to have you come, and he’d prove it.”

Aja Blue shook her head slowly. “Not true in theleast.”

“Excuse me if I believe my husband over a whore.”

Wow. Name-calling. How pedestrian of her. Aja Bluerefused to take the bait. “Why did you invite me to your home onthe same day your husband was meeting with a notoriousdemagogue?”

“Oh, please. I don’t keep Heathcliff’s schedule, andhe doesn’t mine.”

“He didn’t tell you he was hosting a war criminal inyour home?”

“That’s a lie! Heathcliff would do no suchthing.”

Aja Blue shrugged. “Yet, he did.”

“You will not slander my husband’s name.”

“Or what? You’ll sue me? Your lawyers are going to bequite busy handling your attempted murder charge.”

“That’s another lie.”

“You think there were no witnesses? I saw the wholething, and I’m told there is video proof as well.”

She sniffed and rolled her head to the side. “Mylawyers will have the charges dropped.”

Sadly, that was probably true. The rich were held toa different standard than regular people.

“Why did you offer a scholarship in Jay’s name?”

Mrs. Sinclair faced her and gave a brittle laugh.“You thought that was going to happen? It was to lure you to theboat so my husband could confront you. There were never any plansfor one.”

That cut like a knife, and she would shed a tear overit later. Not now. She needed her wits to face a woman who was pureevil.

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