“Which was what exactly?”

“We had one weekend a month to be a family, and we made the most of it. John was a wonderful father to Thomas. Between visits, he was completely available to him, and they talked most days. My son is devastated by his father’s death.”

“And no one ever questioned his resemblance to the senator in light of the fact that he had his name?”

“No,” she said. “Amazingly, we got away with it. The O’Connors managed to thoroughly bury us here in the Midwest. During John’s campaign and the first few months he was in office, we played it cool and didn’t see much of each other. Once the attention faded, we were able to pick things up again. The media never caught so much as a whiff of us.”

“I’m curious as to why he sent you monthly payments, rather than giving you a lump sum. His parents had money, and he became a wealthy man himself when he sold his company.”

“He took good care of us, but he liked sending the monthly payments. He said it made him feel connected to Thomas and to me.”

“I apologize in advance for what I’m about to ask you… But I need to know where the senator slept when he was here.”

Her eyes flashed with anger and embarrassment. “Where do you think he slept?”

“Was he involved with other women?” Freddie hated the pain his question obviously caused her.

“Yes,” she said through gritted teeth. “But my son doesn’t know that, and I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

“It didn’t bother you? That he was with other women?”

“Of course it bothered me, but I didn’t expect him to be celibate the other twenty-seven days a month.”

“Did you discuss the other women in his life?”

“We did not.”

“Not even when he was with Natalie for three years?”

“He had his life, and I had mine,” she snapped. “One weekend a month, we belonged to each other.”

“Have you ever been married?”

She laughed. “Where do you think I would’ve stashed my husband on the third weekend of every month when my longtime lover came to visit?”

“So that’s a no?”

“I’ve never been married.”

“When he was here,” Freddie said, trying not to stumble over the words, “you had sexual relations with him?”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant to the case.”

“It’s relevant, and I need you to answer the question.”

“Yes, I had sex with him! As much and as often as I could! Are you satisfied?”

“Was there anything, um, unusual about the kind of sex you had with him?”

She stood up. “We’re finished here. I won’t allow you to come into my home and debase the most important relationship in my life.”