Sam leaned in. “Guess what? I believe him.”

Leslie’s mouth opened and then snapped shut. She was silent for a long moment before she said, “I want a deal.”

“No deal.”

“That’s it? Just ‘no deal’? Don’t you want the info I have?”

“I want it, but I’m not dealing until I know what you’ve got. If you lead me to the person who’s selling laced pills, I might consider a word to the U.S. Attorney on your behalf, but I want this person locked up tight before we talk about a deal.”

“How do I know you’ll keep your word?”

“You don’t, but the alternative is that I make it known you’re cooperating with us and accidentally mention where you’re hiding out. After that, I expect you’d be alive for an hour, maybe two, if you’re lucky.”

“You’d feed me to the wolves if I don’t help you?”

“I just came from my brother-in-law’s wake. He bought your laced pills and left my sister alone to raise two kids and a baby due in June. I’d feed you to the wolves in a second if I thought you were responsible for his death.”

“I’m not! Someone is trying to sabotage our business! They’re doing this to us intentionally!”

Now they were getting somewhere. “Gonzo, please record this conversation.”

When his phone was in place, Sam said, “Lieutenant Holland interviewing Leslie Lawton, wife of Riggs Lawton. Sergeant Gonzales and Detective Cruz witnessing. Start at the beginning, and don’t leave anything out.”

Seeming to realize the bind she was in, Leslie let out a deep sigh. “I didn’t want any part of it. I told Riggs that from the beginning.”

“You knew what he did for a living, and you married him anyway?”

“I loved him. I know it seems hard to believe, but it’s true. Separate of his business, he was the most wonderful, devoted, loving husband.”

Separate of his business, Sam thought, dealing drugs to addicts. What a prince. “Go on.”

“The business… It grew exponentially. He asked me to help him, and at first, all I did was keep records of transactions, phone numbers of customers. That kind of thing. It sort of grew from there until we were running the whole thing together.” She took a tissue from a box on a side table and dabbed at her eyes. “We tried to keep it separate, you know? The business and our marriage.”

Sam had so much she’d like to say to that, but she stayed quiet, waiting for the rest of the story.

“About a month ago, one of our longtime customers OD’d on stuff we’d sold him.”

“Who was that?”

“You want a name?” she asked. “Isn’t that private information?”

“In a Homicide investigation, very little is private.”

“Wait, you’re accusing me of homicide?”

“Not yet. Give me the name.”

She took another deep breath and held it for a few seconds. “Jackson Audette.”

Sam glanced over her shoulder, made eye contact with Freddie, who nodded and left the room to get the lowdown on Audette.