Under other circumstances the contrasts between the women might have been laughable. Sybill stood pale and quiet, her glossy brown hair brushed smoothly back, her mouth unpainted, her eyes shadowed. She exuded simple elegance in a tailored gray blazer and slacks and a white silk blouse, while Gloria offered sharp bones and overblown curves poured into black jeans and a snug T-shirt that plunged between her breasts.

She’d taken the time to repair her makeup, and her lips were as slickly red as her handbag, her eyes darkly lined. She looked, Phillip decided, like precisely what she was: an aging whore looking for an angle.

She fished a cigarette out of a crumpled pack in her bag, then wiggled it between her fingers. “Got a light, big guy?”

“Gloria, this is Phillip Quinn.” The formal introduction echoed hollowly in her ears. “His brothers, Cameron and Ethan.”

“Well, well, well.” Gloria’s smile went sharp and ugly. “Ray Quinn’s wicked trio. What the hell do you want?”

“Answers,” Phillip said shortly. “Let’s take this outside.”

“I got nothing to say to you. You make one move I don’t like, I’ll start screaming.” She jabbed with the unlit cigarette. “There’s a houseful of cops in here. We’ll see how you like spending some time in a cage.”

“Gloria.” Sybill put a restraining hand on her arm. “The only way to straighten this out is to discuss it rationally.”

“They don’t look like they want a rational discussion to me. They want to hurt me.” She shifted tacks skillfully, throwing her arms around Sybill, clinging to her. “I’m afraid of them. Sybill, please help me.”

“I’m trying to. Gloria, no one’s going to hurt you. We’ll find a place where we can all sit down and talk this through. I’ll be right there with you.”

“I’m going to be sick.” She yanked back, wrapped her arms around her stomach, and dashed into the bathroom.

“Quite a performance,” Phillip decided.

“She’s upset.” Sybill linked her hands together, twisted her fingers. “She’s not in any shape to deal with this tonight.”

He shifted his gaze back to Sybill’s, and it was ripe with derision. “Do you want me to believe you bought that? Either you’re incredibly gullible, or you think I am.”

“She spent most of the afternoon in jail,” Sybill snapped back. “Anyone would be upset. Can’t we discuss all of this tomorrow? It’s waited this long, surely it can wait one more day.”

“We’re here now,” Cam put in. “We’ll deal with it now. Are you going to go in there and bring her out, or am I?”

“Is that how you plan to resolve this? By bullying her. And me?”

“You don’t want to get me started on how I plan to resolve this,” Cam began, and shrugged off Ethan’s calming hand. “After what she put Seth through, there’s nothing we can do to her that she hasn’t earned.”

Sybill glanced uncomfortably behind her at the uniformed officer manning the desk. “I don’t think any of us want to cause a scene in a police station.”