“I’ve gotten in so deep, Lieutenant. It’s like finding yourself in a hole with no way to climb out.”

“We’ll get you out—so Monte keeps a whole box of small loaded guns.”

“Yes, sir.”

“What about larger-caliber guns?”

“I’m sure. I’ve never taken a close look, don’t like firearms.”

“Don’t go to the range with Monte?”

“No, he goes by himself.”

“Reason I’m asking about a large-caliber gun is one was inserted in Doreen’s vagina. Before he strangled her.”

“Omigod, even for Monte that’s brutal.”

“Want another tissue, Lara?”

“Yes, please.”

“So… Monte never talked about what he did to Doreen. The big gun.”

“No, no, never.”

“What did he say about what happened up in that turret?”

“Nothing … he just came back home and told me he’d done it.”

“Done what?”

“Taken care of Des and Doreen—his words. ‘I took care of them.’ I was too terrified to talk about it.”

“You must’ve wondered why he’d do something like that.”

“Of course.”

“Did you come up with any theories?”

“There are no logical theories, Lieutenant. Nothing justifies murder.”

“Well, that’s true… what I’m getting at is, did you think about that old grudge? Lynx hairs? Could revenge have been Monte’s motive?”

“Doesn’t that seem out of proportion?”

“Like you said, murder always is. But did it occur to you?”

“Not really.”

“Not really … Okay, so we’re making good progress here, painting a picture. So to speak… there is a small problem, though, Lara. Nothing serious but you deserve to know.”

“Know what?”

“We’ve got Monte in custody and he tells a different story.”

“What does he claim?”

“That you planned the whole thing. That it was your grudge—Doreen and Des ratting you out on the lynx hairs and screwing up your medical career. That Doreen and Des split after they sold you out but you put it together because they were the only ones other than you and Monte who knew.”

“No, no way, it’s Monte’s grudge. I’d already changed my mind about medicine.”

“I’m just passing along what Monte’s saying, so you can give me something to work with… for example, he claims it wasn’t some chance meeting that got you together with Des and Doreen. They tracked you down, learned you were in L.A. from someone in Seattle, couldn’t find you under your own name but figured out you might be using your mom’s maiden name ’cause you’d done that before. You do have a Facebook page and Monte doesn’t.”

“I don’t know how they did it but it was Monte they contacted.”

“That Sunday in Venice.”

“Yes.”

“But maybe it wasn’t an accidental thing—Monte running into them.”

“Guess not.”