“I’m afraid you do,” Warren said sharply and unwaveringly, implying Samantha better sit back down.

Gavin wasn’t surprised by her reaction. He also didn’t expect her to be hard to neutralize. According to her record, she had spent a lot of time in the state hospital, and had a past abusive relationship. Submissiveness should be ingrained in Samantha. She would do as she was told to do. He just had to strategically coax the information out of her.

Gavin responded again with his rationale for questioning her. He encouraged her to continue talking. With his manipulation and Warren’s dominance he knew someone like Samantha would eventually obey. This is why he thought Samantha was a poor suspect for the murders. She was too easily controlled. Someone who was in power committed these crimes, not someone who could be dominated.

It took a moment, but Samantha breathed deeply, and then stated her reason for conviction. “Possession.” Her one-word answer was evasive.

“Of what?”

“Cocaine.” Again one word.

“Drug possession was for your first two offenses, tell us about the third one, the one that ultimately landed you in the state hospital,” Warren insisted.

Samantha remained quiet and just glared at the detectives.

“They don’t put you in a mental institution for cocaine possession, Samantha. What else?” Warren grew impatient. So did Samantha.

She crushed her cigarette into an ashtray and fidgeted in the chair before speaking. “What the hell does this have to do with finding my sister’s killer? Don’t you bastards have a real suspect to go after? Is that what it is? Is your head so far up your ass you’re questioning me? My record is all in the past. I was a kid back then,” she said defensively. “Why are you asking me these stupid questions? This has nothing to do with finding Francine’s killer.”

“It has everything to do with it.”

“Why don’t you tell me then? Tell me about my record. You have it all right in front of you,” she spat.

“Because I want to hear your story, your feelings of what happened. This report can’t do that. This report lists what they said happened. Now Samantha, why don’t you tell us about your stay in the state hospital? Why were you there? Tell us about it in your own words,” Gavin said, his voice purposely calm and much more sympathetic than his partner’s.

Samantha looked at the floor as she spoke, her foot tracing the outlines of the tiles. “I got mixed up with someone pretty bad. He had me do some things for him.”

“What kind of things?” Gavin asked gently.

She shrugged her shoulders, avoiding a verbal answer. Her foot continued to trace the squares.