“Sweeney!” Amanda pointed. “You’re in charge! It was you!”

Sweeney kicked Amanda’s shin under the table.

“We suspect that the release of the sprinkler system that damaged the crime scene at the bar yesterday morning was not an accident,” Sweeney continued. “I put it to you, Ms. Flannery, that you deliberately tampered with a crime scene in order to prepare your establishment for the events of last night.”

“‘I put it to you.’” Amanda closed her eyes, sighed, as though remembering an old, cherished song. “I was waiting for you to say that. I love it when cops say that.”

“Lying to police, overtly and by omission,” Sweeney continued, glaring at Amanda. “Tampering with a crime scene. Attempting to pervert the course of just—”

“I understand what you’re saying, Detective Inspector Sweeney.” Claudia gave a bored sigh.

“Then there are drugs charges,” Sweeney said. “Amanda and I saw people in that room engaging in the use of illicit substances. A search of the establishment will surely render positive results for evidence of drugs on the premises. And I suppose none of the substantial income you receive from events like the one you hosted last night shows up on your income tax statements.”

“Detective.” Claudia put a withered hand meaningfully on one of Sweeney’s. “None of those charges are ever going to be pursued. So why don’t you just dispense with the threats and ask me what you want to ask me?”

Sweeney reeled in her chair, glanced at Amanda to see if there was something the investigator knew that she didn’t. Amanda was examining her chipped black nail polish.

“What are you talking about?”

Claudia fiddled with a huge red stone on a pendant on her spotted chest. “What you saw last night was a well-established, very popular gathering. A very exclusive meeting of very particular people who pay a premium charge to engage in activities of a specialist taste.”

“Well-established,” Amanda crooned deeply, imitating the woman across the table. “Particular people. Premium charge. Specialist taste. I like the way you talk, Clauds. You should work in advertising.”

“My establishment caters to activities that my clients like to keep private,” Claudia said. “I keep secrets. People come to me from all across the state, sometimes from the other side of the country, with unique requests. I do what I can to fulfill those requests. Someone wants to drink human blood, or have someone cut them, shave them, burn them during an intimate act, well, there’s only one place in the whole state where you can experience that in a safe, secure, professional environment.”

“I’m not sure I need to know all this.” Sweeney grimaced.

“Last year I had someone come to me who wanted to experience being eaten. Only in part, of course. I don’t deal with murder. But I was able to find that person a partner, and at one of my parties the two went off together and enjoyed that experience.”

“Are human beings red or white meat?” Amanda asked.