“So where does that leave us?” Sam unclipped her hair and ran her fingers through it. “Our two prime suspects, both with motive and opportunity pointing the finger at each other, but nothing about them is jumping out at us.”

“Except her dead boyfriend. That’s a red flag.”

“If she had anything to do with that, would her husband know about it? Would she have told him all about the boyfriend who’d tragically died in a fire?”

“Hard to say. Murderers can be an arrogant lot. They often want people to know what they’ve done so they get the credit.”

“I didn’t get that vibe from Noel. It was more of a ‘she was heartbroken’ vibe.” Sam checked her watch and saw it was after one. “I wanted another go with her, but I think I’ll wait until after we polygraph her to see if I need to show my cards on the dead boyfriend. Have Gonzo get her suspicions about her husband on the record at some point today. I’m not liking him for a suspect, but I want it in the file.”

“Sounds like a good plan. Do you think it’s possible that neither of them had anything to do with it, and she’s just trying to get rid of a husband she never should’ve married?”

“At this point, I’d say anything is possible, but I’m still left without a primary suspect three days into the investigation. That’ll really please the chief.”

“How about I write up the reports from this morning?”

“I’d appreciate that.” She thought for a moment and realized this was as good a moment as there was likely to be. “Can you come in for a minute?”

“Sure.” He shut the office door behind him. “What’s up?”

“You know I appreciate your help with the reports, right?”

“It’s no problem.”

“Well, for me it kind of is.” She rubbed a hand over her belly. In a rush of words, she said, “I’m dyslexic. I’ve struggled with it all my life, and it’s mostly under control, but I know you must wonder about the weird mistakes and stuff.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before? I could’ve been doing all the reports.”

“I don’t want that. It’s enough that you help me as much as you do.”

“You still should’ve told me. We’re partners.”

“Do I know everything there is to know about you?”

He squirmed under the heat of her glare. “Most everything.”

“We’ve all got our secrets, Cruz, and the last thing I want is special treatment. I don’t expect anything to change now that you know.”

“Asking for help doesn’t make you weak, Sam. It makes you human.”

“That’s the second time today someone told me what it means to be human. Don’t tell anyone about the dyslexia, all right?”