“So he didn’t commit the burglary?”
“He couldn’t have. We were there from eight at night until almost four in the morning. And it’s a good hour’s drive from the Battles’.”
“Why were you with Junior at his new house?”
Sally took a drink of the tea and sat back, her face flushed, her cheeks stamped with fresh tears. “Oh, God, I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”
“Sally? Why were you with him?” King asked pointedly.
“We’d gotten to know each other when he worked at the Battles’. We… we were both lonely, I guess.”
“You were having an affair with Junior?”
“It’s not like that, not at all!” she answered hotly
.
“Then tell me what it was like,” said King calmly.
“We were just friends. At first. I mean, well.” She put down the teacup and leaned forward. “He’d told me he was going to be working at the house all night. His wife had the night off and was with the kids. I went there, seduced him, and we had sex. There. That’s it. I told you.”
“You seduced him?”
She looked offended. “I’m not always dressed in jeans and covered with horseshit, Sean. I clean up pretty damn well. He was surprised when I showed up there, of course. But I made it clear to him what I was after.”
“But I thought Junior really loved Lulu.”
“He did, but he’s a man after all and I was wearing next to nothing and my offer was pretty tough to refuse. I just wanted sex, no questions and no commitments. And from what he told me, Lulu hadn’t been paying him much attention for quite a while. Worked long hours at that club.”
“So you found Junior ready, willing and able?”
“Let’s put it this way: he wouldn’t have been physically capable of committing that burglary. Hell, I could barely walk when it was over.”
King put up a hand. “Okay, okay, I don’t need any more details.”
Sally rubbed her eyes. “The thing is, I really liked him. I know he was big and tough-looking, but he was really a sweet guy underneath.”
“Why didn’t you come forward when Junior was arrested for the burglary?”
“He wouldn’t let me! He said he’d rather go to jail than let Lulu find out.”
“Okay, I guess I can see that. What else?”
“That’s it. I snuck away from the Battle funeral to say my good-byes over Junior’s grave. I didn’t think anyone had seen me.” She looked down at the table. “Will all this have to come out?”
“Maybe not, now that Junior’s dead and Remmy is convinced of his innocence. And I guess there’s no reason to ruin Lulu’s memory of her husband.”
“He did love her, Sean; I was just a onetime fling, that’s all.” She added in a very small voice, “I guess that’s all I ever am.”
After Sally had left, King thought about calling Michelle but decided to let it wait until morning. It had been a long day. He went to bed.
Outside the houseboat the man had watched Sally leave. He had used the listening device he’d planted to hear the entire conversation between the two. He looked up at the houseboat as the last light was extinguished there. He’d wait until Sean King was fully asleep, and then he was going to pay him one final visit.
CHAPTER
67
MICHELLE HAD DRIVEN