“That part is fine. But we still have no idea who killed Sara. It wasn’t me. Do you know where Cowl was when Sara was killed?”
Stamos shrank back from the question. “You can’t possibly think that—”
“Well, people certainly thought that I might have killed her. And he told me he wanted to have sex with her, but it was a no-go on her end and that probably pissed him off. I’m telling you this in good faith. If you run to Cowl and tell him I told you, things will get complicated really fast.”
“I won’t do that, I swear.”
He looked at her, trying to gauge her sincerity. “Did you know that Sara had her abortion back in December? That was before I even got to the firm.”
“Why is that important?”
“Because some people were trying to make out that I was the father of her child.”
“That’s crazy.” She paused. “But did you sleep with her?”
“I’m not going to answer that. Do you know where Cowl was when Sara was killed?”
“No, I wasn’t with him that night.” She suddenly scowled at him. “I understand you took pictures of Brad and me . . .”
“Don’t get all pissed off, Jennifer. I needed some leverage. And what the hell were you thinking doing it out in the open like that? He has a damn penthouse with a bed!”
“He . . . just grabbed me, said it would be exciting. It all happened so fast.” Her cheeks flushed. “Will you erase the pictures?”
“No, but I’ll never look at them again.”
“How can I believe that?”
“Believe it. I did not find it the least bit pleasant. I don’t just mean with what happened to Sara. I mean it seemed pretty damn degrading . . . to you.”
She flushed again. “That’s my business.”
“Yes, it is. But why exactly are you screwing the boss? You have the talent to make it on your own. This isn’t nineteen eighty.”
“Do you really think things have changed that much, Travis?”
“I don’t know. I’m not a woman.”
“That’s right, you’re not. So don’t judge me,” she added sharply. “And for your information, there are only three female partners in the entire firm. I know two dozen more who lost out to guys who weren’t half as good, according to the damn Book. So take your eighties comment and shove it.”
“Okay, okay, I guess I deserved that. But the thing is, Sara wouldn’t sleep with him, or so Cowl complained to me. Do you think that’s a motive for him to kill her?”
“Come on, he could have pretty much any woman he wanted.”
“But the woman he apparently wanted was Sara and she was having no part of it. That might have pissed him off.”
“You just won’t let that go, will you?”
“The guy, as far as I know, has no alibi for when she was murdered. And maybe he lied to me. Maybe they did sleep together. And she got pregnant and the child was his. And maybe he paid to have it aborted, and she regretted it and was going to expose what had happened. The boss impregnating the help and then paying for her abortion? Do you know how much money Cowl gets from church and state pension funds and teachers’ unions and other organizations that would frown on that sort of thing?”
“He wasn’t the father.”
He stared warily at her. “How do you know that?”
“I just do.”
“How?” Devine persisted.
“Sara told me.”