He leaned toward her, elbows on his knees. “Listen carefully, Alyssa. Some of this you already know. In fact, most of it. But you better listen to all of it. I’ll only say it once. Kay Spalter didn’t kill anybody. She was convicted because Mick Klemper screwed up the investigation. On purpose. The only open question in my mind is whether that was his idea or yours. I’m thinking it was yours.”

“You’re funny.”

“I’m thinking the idea was yours, because you’re the one with the motive that makes the most sense. Get Kay put away for Carl’s murder, and all the money goes to you. So you fucked Klemper—literally—into doing a frame job on Kay. Problem is, Klemper did a lousy job. So now the house of cards is collapsing. The prosecution’s case is full of gaping holes, evidence problems, police misconduct. Kay’s conviction is sure to be reversed on appeal. She’ll be out in another month, maybe sooner. As soon as that happens, Carl’s estate goes immediately to her. So you fucked that idiot Klemper for nothing. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in court—which one of you ends up doing the most time.”

“Doing time? For what?”

“Obstruction. Perjury. Suborning perjury. Conspiracy. And half a dozen other nasty legal offenses, with long prison sentences attached to them. Klemper will blame you, you’ll blame Klemper. The jury probably won’t care much for either one of you.”

As he was speaking, she drew her knees up in front of her and wrapped her arms tightly around them. Her eyes appeared to be focused on some invisible road map.

After a long minute, she spoke in a small, even voice. “Suppose I told you he blackmailed me.”

He worried whether her comment was loud enough for his phone to pick up. “Blackmailed you? How? Why?”

“He knew something about me.”

“What did he know?”

She gave him a shrewd look. “You don’t need to know that.”

“Okay. He blackmailed you into doing what?”

“Having sex with him.”

“And lying in court about things you heard Kay say on the phone?”

She hesitated. “No. I actually heard those things.”

“So you admit having sex with Klemper but deny committing perjury?”

“That’s right. Me fucking him was not a crime. But him making me fuck him was. So if anybody’s got a problem, it’s him, not me.”

“Anything else you want to tell me?”

“No.” She lowered her feet gracefully to the floor. “And you should really forget everything I just told you.”

“Why is that?”

“It might not be true.”

“Why bother telling me, then?”

“To help you understand. That stuff you were saying about me doing time? That’s never going to happen.” She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue.

“Okay. Then I guess we’re finished here.”