“There’s been another development as well.”

She sighs and looks at the floor. “I’m afraid to ask.”

“Stone lied to us in Colorado. He knew John Portman a hell of a lot better than he led us to believe.”

“How do you know that?”

I quickly explain Althea Payton’s call about seeing Portman on CNN, and my subsequent verification that he worked in Mississippi in 1968.

Caitlin gropes backward for her chair and falls into it. “Holy shit. Do you realize what this means?”

“Tell me.”

“This story just went national. This story is huge.”

“Remember our deal. You print nothing until I say so.”

“When I made that promise, I didn’t know you were going to obstruct the investigation for reasons you don’t see fit to tell me.”

“There were no conditions on the promise. And I expect you to abide by it.”

She purses her lips. “Could I please point out a couple of things? One, we have no real investigative power. Two, the files we need are under government seal, and we’re unlikely to get that changed without a protracted court battle. Three, the Payton case somehow involves the director of the FBI, who has practically unlimited power to interfere with us. Four, the case also involves Leo Marston, the single most powerful man in this county, possibly in the state. Five, no one directly involved in the case wants to talk to us.” She holds up her hands in desperation. “What do you want to do? I think the media is the only weapon we have.”

“I agree.”

“You do?”

“I simply want to use it in a different way than you.”

“How?”

“To scare the shit out of Portman and Marston, and see which way they jump.”

Now I have her attention. “How can you do that?”

“By making them think we can prove they’re guilty of Payton’s murder.”

“And how do you propose to do that?”

“Simple. I state publicly that Leo Marston was responsible for the murder of Del Payton.”

“What?” my father cries.

“With no evidence?” asks Caitlin. “Just slander him?”

“Exactly. I slander him.”

“But why?”

“Because by doing that, I leave Marston no option but to sue me.”

Dad snorts in amazement. “What the hell does that accomplish?”

“The minute Marston sues me, I’ll answer his charge by stating that truth will be my defense. I will then be free under the rules of discovery to request Marston’s business records, personal papers, tax returns—all kinds of things from the years surrounding the crime.”

“A fishing expedition?” asks Caitlin. “You think you’ll find some documentary proof that Marston ordered Payton’s murder?”