"Why did Josh think the CIA had killed Peter Evans?"
"Is that his friend's name? I always forget."
I had to repeat the question before she said, "Because of the secret."
"What secret?"
"What Peter told Josh just before he died."
I doubted Desiree Barbosa was the most articulate woman at the best of times, but this felt like circling a barbed wire fence, seeing my prize on the other side, unable to find a way in.
"And the secret that Peter told Josh about the CIA, which led to his death was..."
"About his dad."
"Peter's dad? What about him?"
"Peter found out his dad worked for the spooks. Least, he used to."
"Dr. Evans worked for the CIA? Okay. What else?"
She stared blankly.
"A lot of people work for the CIA," I said. "People don't get killed every time someone finds out."
"But it's supposed to be a secret."
"Did Peter tell Josh why his father's old job was a secret?"
"Because he worked for the spooks."
We circled this a few times, but according to Desiree's worldview, it was perfectly logical that the CIA would murder Peter--and his girlfriend--simply because he'd discovered that his dad used to work for them.
"So they killed Peter and Jan and made it look like the Larsens' work."
She shook her head. "Those Larsen kids didn't kill nobody. They were framed. Like I already said."
"Because everybody the Larsens supposedly killed knew a secret about the CIA?"
Another "Are you high?" look at me. I glanced at Gabriel, but he made no move to take over, as if he knew this was the best we could manage. That's what happened when you gave drugs to a potential source.
"Why did the CIA kill the other couples?" I said.
"'Cause
that's what spooks do. They kill people. They're real clever, though. They know how to hide it, like murdering a whole bunch of people the same way, so it looks like a serial killer. Then they blame innocent folks."
Gabriel cut in, thanking Desiree for her time and calling Ricky. Seemed he had enough experience with this type of thing to know we weren't getting more out of her.
I wanted to take Desiree aside and try to change her mind. Yes, she'd stumbled, but it wasn't too late to get back on the path. There was no sense arguing, though. Not while she was feeling good and wondering why in hell she'd ever given this up.
So I waited by the door while Gabriel stayed with her.
I hadn't been there long when someone rapped. I opened the door with the chain engaged.
Ricky grinned through the crack. "Hey."
I unlatched the door.