His mother sat down next to him on a sofa that was black and umber, with striped hexagonal pillows. ‘You’ve ducked every occasion where she and I were together. You didn’t even come to Drew’s funeral, though I basically ordered you to be there.’

‘That was nine years ago, and I was busy with a murder investigation in Newport. I sent flowers.’

‘Yes, how thoughtful,’ Tarla snapped. ‘Drew shot himself, for God’s sake. Diane was hysterical. She tracked down that awful drug dealer in a bar and had to be physically restrained from attacking him.’

‘I remember,’ Cab said.

‘I’m just saying, Diane has lived a life that’s far more difficult than you or I have ever had to deal with. You don’t have a clue of what she’s gone through, Cab. She’s a good person, and I want to support her in any way I can. If you can help, I wish you would.’

‘I told Caprice I would look into it,’ Cab said.

‘You did?’

‘I did.’

Tarla drank her wine and flushed a little with embarrassment. ‘Oh. Well, good. Thank you.’

‘I already have an appointment with Chuck Warren in the morning.’

‘The fascist?’

Cab smiled. ‘Not all Republicans are fascists.’

‘Warren is.’

‘Well, he was the Republican candidate for the Congressional seat ten years ago. After Birch was killed, he got tarred for being too cozy with right-wing extremists. I’d like to see what he says about what happened back then.’

‘You really think he’ll tell you the truth?’ Tarla asked.

‘No, but lies are more interesting. I usually learn more from lies than I do from the truth.’

‘You live in a strange world, Cab.’

‘No stranger than yours,’ he said.

‘True.’ His mother smiled, but then her face darkened. ‘Do you think Diane is in any danger?’

‘I don’t know. Threats to political candidates are dime-a-dozen, but this one is pretty specific.’

‘Caprice thinks whoever killed Birch may be focused on Diane,’ Tarla said.

‘What do you think?’

‘Me? I have no idea. How would I know?’

‘You were there,’ Cab said.

Tarla stood up and refilled her wine at the bar. ‘I don’t think you should waste your time on the past. Ten years is a long time ago. I doubt there’s any connection.’

Cab joined her at the bar. ‘You’ve never told me much about what happened to you that night.’

‘I don’t remember it,’ she said. She pulled away from him, and the casualness in her voice was unconvincing. She was a bad actress when she played herself. ‘I fainted, Cab. I woke up in the hospital. The night was erased from my brain.’

‘You were inches away from the killer. Closer than anyone else who survived.’

‘I don’t remember him,’ Tarla insisted. ‘People tell me I protected Diane, but I don’t even remember doing that.’