Bobby, however, had a question for Lyons. “But you really, I mean really beat the shit out of her. Why?”

The trooper flushed, stared down at his mangled fist. “I couldn’t hit her,” he said in a muffled voice.

“Then how do you explain the fractured cheek?” D.D. asked.

“She’s a girl. I don’t hit girls. And she knew it. So she started … At the Academy, we had to pound one another. It was part of the self-defense training. And big guys like me struggled. We’re interested in becoming cops because we have a sense of fair play—we don’t hit women or pick on the little guy.” He eyed Bobby. “Except at the Academy, where all of a sudden you had to.”

Bobby nodded, as if he understood.

“So, we trash-talked each other, right? Goaded each other into action, because the big guys had to start seriously hitting, if the little guys were going to seriously learn to defend.”

Bobby nodded again.

“Let’s just say, Tessa was really good at goading. It had to be convincing, she said. Spousal abuse is an affirmative defense, meaning the burden of proof would be on her. I had to hit her hard. I had to make her … fear. So she started goading, and kept needling and needling and by the time she was done … Damn …” Lyons looked off at something only he could see. “I had a moment. I really did want her dead.”

“But you stopped yourself,” Bobby said quietly.

He drew himself upright. “Yes.”

“Bully for you,” D.D. said dryly, and the state trooper flushed again.

“You did this on Sunday morning?” Bobby inquired.

“Nine a.m. You’ll find a record of her call on my cell. I ran over, we did our thing.… I don’t know. It must’ve been ten-thirty. I returned home. She made the official call in, and the rest is what you already know. Other troopers arriving, the lieutenant colonel. That’s all true. I think Tessa and I were both hoping the Amber Alert might shake things loose. Whole state’s looking for Sophie. Brian’s dead, Tessa’s arrested. So the man can let Sophie go now, right? Just leave her at a bus stop or something. Tessa did what they asked of her. Sophie should be all right.”

Lyons sounded a little desperate. D.D. didn’t blame him. The story didn’t make much sense, and as hour passed into hour, she was guessing Lyons was also coming to that realization.

“Hey, Lyons,” she said now. “If you came to Tessa’s house on Sunday morning, how come Brian’s body was frozen before that?”

“What?”

“Brian’s body. The ME ruled he was killed prior to Sunday morning, and put on ice.”

“I heard the DA … some comment …” Lyons’s voice trailed off. He gazed at them dully. “I don’t understand.”

“She played you.”

“No …”