“I went back to the spot before I went to work at the home. You know…just to make sure.” McKay sighed. “The car was wrecked but in one piece. I panicked. I found the hose I’d used the first time and took gas from my own car. This time I made sure. I threw a burning rag….” He looked down. “Thing exploded like a nuclear bomb. I’ve never been so fucking scared in my life. The blast, the heat, the flames. I got out of there so fucking fast. I drove straight to work. Took a shower there.” He smiled at Marge again. “Then I met you a few hours later. Pretty good job of hiding my terror, huh?”

“Very good,” Marge said.

“I’ve done some acting. Actually, it was just playing volleyball on the beach for a beer commercial. But people in the business have told me I’m pretty good.” McKay rubbed his face. “Like that matters, huh? You guys got to believe me. That black girl was dead! And I didn’t know anything about the kidnapping until I heard the news. All I did was get rid of the body. Accessory. Like I promised you guys. That’s it! I swear!”

Decker didn’t speak for a long time. Finally, Beltran said, “Are we done?”

Decker looked at his watch. “Let’s take a break.”

“You’re not finished with your questions?” Beltran asked.

“No, Counselor, I’m not.”

“I don’t think my client has anything to add to his statement.”

“A few minutes?” Decker asked.

“Make it quick,” Beltran said. “We’ve been cooperative. But now I’m getting impatient.”

Decker nodded to Marge and Pomerantz. They followed him outside.

“What?” Marge said.

“We’re still not there as far as Tandy’s concerned,” Decker said.

“What are you talking about?” Marge said. “We found Marie’s lockbox in Tandy’s condo just as you predicted, Pete. We’ve got Tandy as an accessory based on Leek’s testimony—”

“But she wasn’t at the hospital when Leek came down. We certainly can’t pin her with murder and kidnapping.”

Marge said, “Leek said that Marie wasn’t strong enough to deliver those blows on Lily Booker’s head.”

“Since when is Leek an expert in forensics?” Decker said.

Marge turned to the D.A. “What do you think?”

Pomerantz answered, “Tandy, for all her outbursts, never admitted to anything. Her parents said Marie dropped off the baby. We have Leek’s testimony and some circumstantial evidence, but without Marie, we can’t do much to Tandy. Too much reasonable doubt.”