It does give me some pause to learn that McKenney denied even knowing about Lauren’s potential challenge. It’s a common fact pattern in criminal investigations for different parties to have differing views of an event—the archetypical he said/she said. But it’s rare not to have any common ground at all. I had expected McKenney to deny Trofino’s claims that he threatened Lauren, but not that the encounter ever occurred. One of them is lying. It makes sense that Richard would concoct a story about McKenney making threats, but the only reason that McKenney would deny it outright is if he thinks he might be a suspect. Then again, I suspect that lying is woven into Drake McKenney’s DNA. It’s possible he does it as a reflex, rather than with any long-term objective in mind.

“There’s also a homeless guy who claims he saw Lauren’s murderer,” Gabriel says. “Or somebody near the scene. Or maybe no one at all, because he could be hallucinating. But if it’s that, it’s not even a particularly good hallucination. Although he claims he heard the shots nearby, all he saw was someone running away. Claims he didn’t see a face, so there’s no ID. Because nothing is easy, the one thing that the homeless guy is sure of is that the shooter was much shorter than McKenney.”

“Lucky for you that Richard is five eight, tops,” I say hopefully.

“Donald Chesterman is short too,” Gabriel says.

“Thanks for the reminder.”

“But that wasn’t even the big break of the day,” Gabriel continues. “We also learned that Lauren might well have been having an affair, which puts the spotlight back on Richard. It also gives some context as to why he might be working hard to shine it in McKenney’s eyes.”

Gabriel has said this part without thinking it through. If he had, he would have realized that I’d react poorly to the news that Lauren was having an affair. Charlotte was having an affair too, and it led to her murder. To this day, a feeling persists inside me that I never really knew my sister. Now I can add Lauren to the group of people I love whom I apparently don’t know the first thing about.

Gabriel can tell I’m upset. He leans over to me and reaches to take my hand.

“I’m sorry, Ella. I should have been more delicate in telling you that.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t have an affair. Lauren did. And she wasn’t cheating on me, so I really have no grounds to take it personally. What leads you to think she was?”

“Cash withdrawals. Each week, three hundred bucks. Like clockwork. Started in late July.”

That does sound like an affair. The other reasons for needing cash—drugs, bribes, gambling, hit men—weren’t in Lauren’s wheelhouse.