“You realize that with blackmail it’s a crime that keeps on giving, right?”
“I have handled blackmail cases on behalf of clients, so, yes, I am aware of that.” She paused to wipe her eyes. “I just never imagined it would happen to me.”
He sat back in his seat and let out a long sigh.
“Well?” she said, looking over at him. “Do you have anything to say?”
“Yeah. Now the paymentshavestopped. And you clearly had a motive to kill both Draymont and Lancer.”
She leaned her head against the window. “I guess you’re right about that.”
“But if you did kill them, why come here and confess all this to me? If you had kept quiet no one ever would have known. You would have been free and clear.”
“But not up here,” said Roe, touching her temple.
“So whydidyou tell me?”
“I guess because if I want you to help me, I can’t withhold the truth from you.”
“You mean, not anymore, since you’ve been doing a real good job of it up till now.”
“What are you going to do with what I’ve told you?”
“If you’re worried about me exposing your secret, stop. I won’t unless I have to in order to solve my case. I don’t get kicks out of embarrassing people just for the hell of it. Now, on the blackmail piece I guess I could nail you as an accessory, but I’m down here to solve a series of murders, not get bogged down in that shit.”
“I guess that’s the best I could have hoped for.”
“Do you love this married person?”
“I thought I did. But then I found out I was just a brief diversion from a troubled marriage.”
“I’m sorry.”
“If my father had ever known…it would have killed him. He was a very religious man. Adultery is a mortal sin.”
“I’m not saying what you did was right. But you have to lead your own life, not the one your father may have wanted for you.”
“It’s…difficult to meet men when you’re…”
“…a highly successful woman? Yeah, I’ve seen that. Not your problem, though. The fault lies with the guys. But we’re not all like that, just so you know.”
“But the results of their shortcomings impact squarely on women likeme.”
“I guess so. But the world of dating is not exactly my field of expertise.”
“But catching killers is. And since Draymont and Lancer were blackmailing people, their targets would have motivation to kill them.”
“Yes, they would. Do you have information to share on that score?”
“I might. Under certain conditions.”
“Such as?”
“Such as you doing more to find out what happened to my father.”
“Okay. Deal.”
She looked surprised. “I didn’t think you would give up that easily.”