Xo (Kathryn Dance 3)

This was why she'd put O'Neil in front of the window of the trailer a half hour ago. Recalling that she'd been eye-to-eye with P. K. Madigan, outside, when she'd searched the trailer, she'd positioned the Monterey detective about where Tabatha had seen the intruder. She'd then stepped outside and walked across the street. Looking back, she'd clearly seen O'Neil's face.

Which meant that the intruder Monday morning had been well over O'Neil's height of six feet. The only person she'd met recently with an interest in Kayleigh Towne, who knew Bobby and who fit that stature was Barry Zeigler.

"Shit," the man muttered, utterly defeated. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."

Dance heard that often as an interrogator.

Sorry ...

Of course what it meant, ten times out of ten, was: I'm sorry I got caught.

"When I met you at Kayleigh's house you said you'd just driven there from Carmel. But we talked to the desk clerk here. You checked in the morning after Bobby was killed."

"I know, I know. I lied. I'm sorry."

That, again.

Dance said, "And then there was the recording of Kayleigh singing 'Your Shadow.' That you played to announce the attacks? It was done on a high-quality digital recorder. The sort that pros use--pros like you, producers and engineers."

"Recording?" he asked, frowning.

She glanced at Dennis Harutyun, who ran through the Miranda warning. He added, "You're under arrest for murder, for--"

"Murder? What do you mean?"

Dance and Harutyun exchanged glances.

"You're being arrested for the murder of Bobby Prescott, sir," the Fresno detective said. "And Frederick Blanton. And assault and battery on Sheri Towne and Agent Dance. Do you wish to--"

"No, no, I didn't kill anyone! I didn't attack anyone!" The producer's face was shocked. Dance had seen a lot of performances from suspects; this was one of the best. "I'd never do that! Why

would I do that?"

"Yessir. You'll have your day in court. Do you understand your rights?"

"Bobby? You're thinking I killed Bobby? No! And I'd never hurt Sheri. This is--"

"Do you understand--?"

"Yes, yes. But--"

"Do you wish to waive your right to remain silent?"

"Sure, yes. This is ridiculous. This is a huge misunderstanding."

Harutyun asked, "Did you drive up here on Sunday and kill Bobby Prescott that night?"

"No, no. I drove in on Monday morning, about eleven. After I heard from Kayleigh that Bobby had died. Yes, I broke into Bobby's trailer but it was just to get some personal things."

"The songs," Harutyun said. "We know all about them."

"Songs?"

"The Beatles songs."

"What are you talking about?"

The quality of his confusion seemed genuine so she decided to add, "Bobby's father was a technician at Abbey Road in the sixties and seventies."