Taken aback by the question, Preston said, “We had dinner out and went to bed early. Around ten or so, I guess.”

Her lips tight with fury, Diandra nodded in agreement.

“And neither of you left the house again after you returned from dinner?”

“No,” he said.

“Of course not,” she said.

“Do either of you require medication in order to sleep?”

“What kind of question is that?” Diandra asked.

“It’s a simple yes or no kind of question. Do you require medication to sleep?”

“I take a sleeping pill every now and then,” Preston said.

“Did you take one last night?”

He nodded. “I’ve been having trouble sleeping since Julian was nominated.”

“Why’s that?” Sam asked.

“I’ve had some concerns,” Preston said haltingly, “about his nomination stirring up old hurts. Things that are better left in the past.”

Sam turned to Diandra. “Do you take sleeping medication?”

“I do not.”

“Tell me, Mrs. Sinclair, what does it do to a ‘career’ like yours if your brother-in-law comes out as a gay man to all of America during his confirmation hearings?”

“I have no idea,” she said, spitting the words at Sam. “I guess we’ll never know.”

Sam stared her down for several long seconds. “I’d like to speak to your sons. Are they local?”

“What for?” Diandra asked.

“This is a homicide investigation. I can talk to anyone I want.”

“I’ll write down their information,” Preston said with a pointed look at his wife. “They’re both here in the city.”

Sam and Jeannie left after requesting that the Sinclairs stay local until the investigation was completed.

“Wow,” Jeannie said when they were in the car. “That woman was tightly wound, huh?”

“And a total homophobe. You don’t see that kind of hatred very often these days.”

“No question she’s the reason the brothers were estranged.”

“She didn’t approve of Julian,” Sam said. “I want to know what kind of problems it would’ve caused her ‘career’ if Julian’s orientation became public.”

“Definitely worth looking into.”

“Yeah, she knew damned well that it would be a disaster for her if he came out just as her book was released. I also want to talk to their sons. I’m willing to bet they were his heirs.”

“Probably. Why’d you ask about the sleeping medicine?”

“A hunch,” Sam said. “They’re each other’s alibi, but if one of them was drugged up, the other could’ve snuck out.”

“I never would’ve thought to ask that,” Jeannie said, her voice tinged with admiration.

“Shit,” Sam muttered. “Now you’re starting to sound like Cruz.” A pang of guilt struck her as she thought of him sitting in the cold watching Reese’s place. Then she got over it. One shift spent on surveillance wouldn’t kill him, and it was the least of what he deserved for lying to her.