I didn’t know where to go or what to do after I spoke with Ben. I called Jude on her cell phone and then on her work line, getting voice mail both times. I didn’t leave a message, because I was afraid my voice would give me away. Jude had made it clear she was keeping some of my sister’s secrets from me. Even so, the idea that Caro had confided in her about criminal activity at the Thraxton business really hurt. That wasn’t personal, not like details about her unhappy marriage. It made me feel like Caro had decided she could only trust me so far.

Of course, there was the possibility that Ben was lying. He’d told me about the money laundering. Maybe he’d been the one who told Jude too. He was an evasive character who needed a kick to the head. Taking anything he said at face value felt like a mistake.

I was finishing my water and contemplating whether to take the subway south to city hall and ambush Jude when I got a call from the cops. “Deirdre, we’d really like you to come in to the precinct again. We have to talk to you about some new developments,” Villaverde told me.

I couldn’t believe it. The cops were calling me? I had the distinct impression that Villaverde thought I was a drama queen when I’d gone in. It was a huge relief to see he was actually following up on the tangled threads of my sister’s case.

“I can come over now,” I said, sounding like the eager beaver I was. “I’ll be right there.”

I practically flew to the precinct. I had a short wait when I got there, but a friendly officer took me to the interview room and offered me a soda. When Villaverde walked in, he introduced me to his partner, Detective Gorey, a short, round man with orange hair and freckles. Gorey squinted at me dubiously, staring at my arms as if cataloging my tattoos. When he shook his head, I knew we were off to a great start.

“We need to ask you a few questions, Deirdre,” Villaverde said.

“Sure. But first, I have one for you. Did you know that Theo is in Berlin right now?”

They glanced at each other. “No, we hadn’t heard,” Villaverde said.

“He’s free to go anywhere,” Gorey said.

“His wife just died, and he’s running away, leaving his son behind?” I put my hands out, palms up. “There’s something wrong with him. You know, I talked to his father this morning.”

“Did you?” It wasn’t really a question from Gorey. He sounded bored.