‘Yes, how convenient. It cost her the campaign. It forced her to resign as Attorney General. The investigation into Common Way wound up dead in its tracks. You got everything you wanted. Yet again.’

‘Apparently I did,’ Caprice agreed.

‘Almost as if it were planned that way from the start,’ Cab said.

‘Oh, now you’re giving me more credit than I deserve.’

‘Am I? I don’t think so. I think it would be a huge mistake for anyone to underestimate you. You’re brilliant, beautiful, and absolutely ruthless.’

‘How nice of you to say.’

‘The information about Ramona: you were the one who planted it, weren’t you? After Lyle died, you would have had a copy of the invoice that the law firm sent to him.’

Caprice shrugged. ‘If I ever saw it, I’m sure I didn’t give it a second thought. No, I imagine some Good Samaritan inside the law firm had an attack of conscience. It’s a big firm. Besides, does it really matter? The truth is what it is. Ramona knew about Deacon ten years ago.’

‘But so did you,’ Cab said.

‘Me? Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘Lyle didn’t tell you? His fiancée?’

‘I’m sure he would have told me at some point, but Lyle was protecting Deacon. A tragic mistake, as it turns out, but Lyle always had integrity.’

‘Yes, he did,’ Cab agreed. ‘You know, Rufus Twill told me something about Lyle when I met him. I didn’t really think about it at the time, but I should have. I got too caught up with Drew as a suspect in the murders. My mistake.’

Caprice waited, a smile frozen on her face.

‘Rufus said that Lyle called him shortly before Labor Day,’ Cab went on. ‘He said they needed to have a talk. Did you know anything about that?’

‘No.’

‘Do you have any idea what Lyle wanted to talk to Rufus about?’

‘None at all.’

‘Really? That surprises me, with the two of you being political partners. I mean, I can’t see Lyle going to the press about his brother’s hit and run. He was already in touch with a lawyer about that. On the other hand, I can see him deciding to blow the whistle on Birch Fairmont, can’t you? He found out what Birch had done to Diane. He couldn’t live with it. He knew his candidate was a monster, and he was going to slay him, regardless of the consequences to the Common Way Party. Regardless of the consequences to you. You said it yourself, didn’t you? If Birch had been exposed, it would have been a disaster.’

‘Where are you going with this, Cab?’