Twisted Interest (Margot Harris 7)

Margot could think of all sorts of arguments as to why she wasn’t the one who took a shot at Cassandra but knew that at best, they’d fall on deaf ears and at worst, they’d twist them around so she sounded guilty. So instead, she said, “Whatever, I’m coming.”

“Bummer, I was kind of hoping to do it the other way,” Anderson said as he put the handcuffs away.

Margot turned to Radcliff. “Do you want to call my lawyer?”

“Already on it.”

Anderson looked at Harry Lee. “I’m guessing we’ll be seeing you again soon.”

“I certainly hope not.”

“I don’t see how it would be avoidable since we caught the Lucas Lau case.”

“You two got that?” Margot asked. “I thought Barnes and Cartwright got that one…”

“They had The Masterson Hot Tub Massacre; Lucas is a whole different case. Since he worked for a known organized crime figure, he falls under our jurisdiction. You were working that hot tub case too, weren’t you?”

Margot thought discovering the identity of the killer was a bit more than just ‘working it,’ but she just said, “Yeah.”

Cranston shook his head. “I don’t know how Barnes and Cartwright put up with it. Having some snoop second-guessing them. That kind of shit would drive me crazy.”

Margot turned to Harry Lee. “I think I’ve changed my mind. I’ll take the case.”

Chapter 2

Anderson set a tape recorder the department had been using since sometime before Margot was born on the table and said, “Would you please say ‘I hear my name coming out your mouth one more time, bitch and I’m putting a cap in your pretty face.’”

Anderson pressed record.

Margot said nothing.

Cranston turned off the recorder and said to her, “You need to say it like you’re pretending you’re a man.”

He turned it back on and set it back down on the table.

Margot still said nothing.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Anderson turned off the recorder.

“Do I need to repeat the phrase? I can write it down.”

“Is this for some sort of voice line up?” Margot asked him.

“Yeah. If it’s not you, then we can check you off the list.”

Margot shook her head. “You do know I was a cop? A detective, in fact. Did you really think I’d do this?”

“Of course I knew you were a cop. We were in the academy together.”

“Plus,” Cranston added, “the dirty ones always stick in my memory.”

“Why do you think I’m trying to get you in the line-up other than to clear you so we can move on?” Anderson went on. “I’m playing it straight with you. I know better than to try and con a cop.”

“You know, the fact you think I’d fall for this shit is actually making me angry.”

Anderson put the recorder back on the table. “Come on, Margot: ‘I hear my name coming out your mouth one more time, bitch and I’m putting a cap in your pretty face.’ Just say it and you can be on your way.”

Anderson hit record.