Page 18 of Wicked Sin

Ram shakes his head. “The anonymous tip went through the Secret Service first, and there was no controlling who would investigate that. Maybe they didn’t care who was included as collateral damage.”

“Right. I’m working on the assumption that Ms. Reid was the target.” I log in to the computer system, pull up some photos from our records, and send them to the smart board on the wall. Taylor’s picture from her driver’s license, the photos of the car taken today at the crime scene populate on the screen. “And whoever set the explosive was an amateur. It didn’t go off properly, or I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

Sarah taps her pen against her chin. “Which makes it personal. Can we work backward from motive?”

Money. Jealousy. Revenge.An affair. A broken heart. Professional interference or violations. Anger. Some combination of the above. “Her past is complicated, but I don’t see a motive yet.”

“Then it’s time to interview her,” Captain Woods says. “Formally. Take McBride with you.”

“Hey, I’ve got files to read through,” Sarah protests.

I hesitate a beat too long.

“Is that a problem, Vasquez?”

“No.” I say it slowly.Noooo.It’s not a problem. But it is something. “She’s not completely cooperative. With good reason, I believe. She needs to be handled carefully.”

“A few hours ago, you were calling her the Blow Job Princess. Suddenly you’re her staunch protector?”

“You called herwhat?” Sarah glares at me.

I wince. “Bad choice of language. And I wouldn’t say I’m protecting her. Just giving her the due consideration any witness deserves. You said it yourself, Captain. We’re all more complicated than we look.”

In unison, the captain and McBride roll their eyes at me.

Ram stands up and shakes his head. “I’m not taking your side on this one, man.”

“I don’t have a side,” I protest. “It’s all good. Happy to interview her like any other witness. Happy to have Sarah sit in on it and kick me in the shins whenever I say the wrong thing.”

“Happy to let the FBI take over because clearly, they’re keeping a lot from us?”

“Whoa,” I say, my indignation half self-mocking, half real-as-hell. “That’s too far, Captain.”

“Then get cracking on this before they take it from you.”

I reach across the table and grab the financial report. “Will do.”

Taylor looksat Sarah with guarded suspicion as she follows me into the interview room. “When you said an interview, I assumed you just meant asking me some of those same questions again. Do I need an attorney?”

McBride has agreed to play bad cop. “That’s up to you. You are not a suspect at this time.”

“I shouldn’t be a suspect at all,” she says hotly.

Sarah shoots me an amused look. I spread my hands wide.

“That’s exactly why we appreciate your assistance. We just want to get to the bottom of why this happened.”

“Fine.”

“This interview will be recorded,” Sarah says crisply.

Taylor’s voice chills noticeably, but her response is the same. “Fine.”

“For the record, can you please identify yourself?”

“My name is Taylor Dashford Reid.” She gives her address next, then sits back in her chair and crosses her arms over her chest.

“And what is your job?”

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