Trying to raise a bogeyman . . . the killer still at large—all this felt weak to Anne. And then a strange, sudden thought occurred to her: Did Pat ever have suspicions of me? He knew who Ronan was, but what else did he know, or worse, suspect? Anne sank into bitter realization. My husband is oblivious, and in this I’m no better than Standing Raleigh.

“So where did you go next?”

“I went back to Bridwell.”

“Straight there?”

“Straight there.”

“Did anyone see you there? Any of the library staff?”

“There was an attendant at the desk, but I can’t say for sure.”

Anne looked over at the prosecutor’s table. Blackburn and his associate were conferring nervously.

“Why did you go back to the library?”

“I was finishing my sermon, and I was looking for a certain book. Which I left a note for.”

“With the desk attendant?”

“No, I left the note on the desk of the research librarian.”

“Your Honor, I would like to bring into evidence the note Reverend Raleigh wrote that night.”

“Objection, Your Honor.” Blackburn was turning all shades of pissed off. “We have no witness to this piece of evidence—”

Whiteside: “Judge, this note comes with an affidavit from—”

“Your Honor”—Blackburn started halfway around his table—“we cannot—”

Judge Sam raised his hand to halt him. “Mr. Whiteside, bring me the note and the affidavit.”

After a minute of scrutinizing the note, the judge called the lead lawyers and their associates into a sidebar. Anne tried to read the body language, but the attorneys remained restrained and professional. They don’t have to fix the prosecutor’s timeline, Anne realized, just punch holes in it. Judge Samuels passed the note to his clerk. The lawyers returned to their stations.

“Defense is allowed to enter the exhibit into evidence.”

“Thank you, Your Honor. Reverend Raleigh, who is the note addressed to?”

“Gail Greenough, the research librarian at Bridwell.”

Anne understood now—there were two of them, the head librarian, who saw Raleigh leave at eight thirty, and the research librarian he left the note for. That’s why this was a surprise. The cops didn’t interview the second librarian.

“And what time and date is listed on this note?”

“April twenty-first, ten thirty p.m.”

Anne noticed Blackburn shaking his head ever so slightly.

“So you were at the library until ten thirty?”

“Yes, I left shortly after that.”

“And returned home?”

“No, sir. I went back to Lucy Goodfellow’s apartment.”

“Did you enter that apartment?”

“No, the lights were out. I wanted . . .” Raleigh trailed off and then restarted. “I wasn’t leaving Peggy. I think this was an infatuation. I felt attracted to Lucy, but it wasn’t love. I was acting out of lust.”

“Were you living a lie?”

“Yes, I was.”

“You betrayed your wife’s trust, did you not?”

“That is correct. But I committed adultery, not murder.”