He passed the picture to Locke, who looked at it and passed it to his partner. It made its way back to Mike, who replaced it in the file. Drex returned to his chair and gave Talia a long look. She stared back with defiance and hostility. “Say you’re as honest as Abe, telling the truth—”
“I am.”
“Haven’t you been struck by the similarities between Elaine Conner and Marian Harris?”
He could tell by the wariness in her eyes that she had. He let that question simmer, then said, “You told the detectives that you and Jasper parted company in the airport parking garage.”
“We did.”
“You told Jasper that you didn’t feel up to going, but urged him to go without you. You kissed goodbye and waved each other off.”
She nodded, but only after a nanosecond of hesitation, which Drex made mental note to pursue later.
He said, “You drove Jasper’s car out of the airport.”
“Yes.”
“She did,” Menundez said. “I got texted a security cam freeze frame.”
Mike had that, too, but Drex didn’t reveal that. The local cops didn’t need to be apprised of Mike’s hacking talents, lest some rule-bending was soon called for. To Talia, he said, “The camera got you, but if someone was inside the trunk of your car, Jasper for instance, he would have gotten away unseen.”
“Uh, Easton. He took a taxi.” Menundez held up his cell phone. “They texted me the video. Shows clear that he never went inside the airport. They’re checking with the taxi company to see where it dropped him.”
Mike had obtained that information more than an hour ago. Drex had only used the ploy about escaping in the car trunk to see how Talia would react when she learned that Jasper truly had run out on her.
Looking stunned, she asked quietly, “May I see that video, please?” Menundez handed her his phone. Stoically she watched the brief segment of video, then passed the phone back. “Thank you.”
Drex got up again, walked over to the sofa, and, this time, sat down beside her. Close beside her. Close enough to feel her trembling. “Talia, it’s not too late for you to talk to us. I don’t know what Jasper told you, or promised you, but it appears that he’s abandoned you to take the fall.”
“For what?”
“Elaine’s murder.”
“It hasn’t been established that she was murdered. There could have been an accident. He could be out there in the water, waiting to be rescued.”
“The man who swims miles every day?”
“He could be hurt.”
“He could also be safely on shore and changing his appearance as we speak. The next time you see him, you won’t recognize him as the man you share a bed with. You didn’t recognize him as the man at Marian’s party, but that was him, going by the name of Daniel Knolls. Marian was his most recent victim before Elaine, but there were a lot of others before he met you. He doesn’t deserve your loyalty. One last time, where is he?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice was so husky, it was barely audible.
He stayed as he was, peering deeply into her eyes. They were watery, but she never looked away.
Sighing regret, Drex stood up and motioned for the other men to follow him. They withdrew as far as the entryway. They were still within Talia’s sight, but Drex spoke so that she couldn’t overhear.
He posed a question to the group at large. “What do you think?”
Locke said, “Since we first broke the news to her about the body on the beach, she’s seemed distraught and unaware of her husband’s activities.” He looked over at his partner.
Menundez shrugged. “I don’t know. I flip-flop.”
Drex looked at Gif. “What’s your verdict?”
“We’ve laid a lot on her. I abstain.”
Drex gave him a sour look. “Mike? Your take?”