“A sex game that got out of hand.”

It takes all I have not to leap across the table and shake some sense into her. “I’m not here to discuss Theron. I’m here to talk about Miriam.”

“Miriam? Why would you need to talk about Miriam with me? She’s the help.” So cold. And said without the slightest change to either tone or expression. My mother is an accomplished liar. But she’s also dangerous because according to Miriam, she knows Mercedes’s secret.

“I know who she is,” I say.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Theron’s father’s sister. Which makes her his aunt. Family, really, to Theron at least. And I know what you and she planned, putting Mercedes in Theron’s path—”

“What’s this about, Judge? Are you going to haul your own mother into court for trying to play matchmaker?”

“I wasn't finished.”

“Well, heaven forbid anyone interrupt you, your honor.”

“I want to know if you had anything to do with the attack on Mercedes a few days ago.”

“What attack? What kind of person do you think I am exactly?”

“You know she has a peanut allergy. Miriam would have told you that. Her fingerprints were on the EpiPen that was tampered with.” Her face loses a little color. “The beignets that caused the allergic reaction—”

“Wait a minute.” She drinks a big swallow of wine and I wonder how many she’s had. The bottle is nearly empty. “So your girlfriend ate some beignets that made her sick and you’re trying to blame me for that?”

I ignore the girlfriend part and stand. “She could have died. Do you understand that?”

“Died? Judge… You’re exaggerating, I’m sure.”

“I can assure you I’m not.”

“I didn’t have anything to do with any tampering. If Miriam did something—”

“Vincent Douglas, mother. Vincent Douglas delivered the beignets to her.”

She looks at me blankly.

“Do you know where he is?”

“I don’t even know who he is much less where.”

“He will try to hurt her again.”

“This has nothing to do with me. I don’t know who that is. Why would I?”

I stop short of mentioning the courtesan because what if Miriam was lying about having told her? What if she doesn’t know? I can’t be the one to tell her. Give her more ammunition.