I’ve been through this all before and I’ve got nothing more to tell you, but go ahead if you really need to.

They followed her into a bright and airy kitchen. Light spilled into the room from a bank of mullioned windows that looked onto a lush lawn. The home, from Vaill’s quick inspection, was well appointed—nice furniture throughout, granite countertops in the kitchen, new appliances, too, but nothing that looked unaffordable on an agent’s salary. If Burke’s motive for murder was money, it certainly wasn’t ending up here.

“Want something to drink. Water?”

“No thank you, we’re fine,” Vaill said, speaking for both himself and McCall. If Maria were here, she’d be the one speaking for Vaill.

Lola shrugged. “Suit yourself,” she said. She took a seat at the kitchen table, with her back to the windows, leaned back, and waited. Vaill sat where he had a full-on look at her face. Either she was an expert with makeup, or her smooth, porcelain skin showed none of the strain he’d seen on other people who’s loved ones had gone missing.

She doesn’t think he’s gone forever.

“Before you get going,” Lola said, a slip of venom in her voice, “let me save you both some trouble. I haven’t seen him. I haven’t heard from him. I have no idea where he is, or where he might have gone. I don’t know why he did what he allegedly did. All I know is that he’s gone and you’re here to harass me some more, as if my life isn’t already enough of a shit mess, because you think my husband murdered two of your own. Does that about sum it up?”

Just prior to leaving on this trip, Vaill had spent several hours with the brightest minds from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), getting a crash course on some of their techniques. In the span of her short and embittered speech, Lola Burke had given away four glaring tells confirming she was a liar. She was fidgeting with her hands, acting nervous. She was also uncooperative, making negative statements and complaints, saying nothing to support the search. In addition, he’d get more eye contact from a blind person, but when she did look at him, her pupils were the size of two nickels, possibly the result of a pheromone found more commonly in liars than truth tellers.

Thank you, BAU.

It was going to take patience and finesse to get her to come clean—and perhaps the picture.

“We apologize for adding any strain to what is most certainly a difficult time, Mrs. Burke,” McCall said. “If you don’t mind, could you tell us about the last time you spoke to your husband?”

Good, Vaill thought. Let McCall get all the bullshit out of the way. He’s smart to keep it nonconfrontational—good cop, bad cop.