Kent sat forward. “You still don’t understand; what I’ve told you isn’t the half of it. Alex, listen to me, the Boston FBI has impounded the Jag you gave Pamela’s sister, Belinda, the one you drove to Godwyn seven years ago. They’re going to look for her DNA—Aolith’s. Her name was really Serena, and she was Briscoe’s best friend. She said they’ll find traces of blood in the trunk or maybe a hair and they’ll have her DNA.”

Alex felt a punch of gut-cramping fear, shook it off. Why hadn’t Kent told him this already? Because he was an idiot, always confusing pythons with garden snakes. Who cared about Briscoe’s accident, or about that pathetic Juliet? It always amazed him Kent was so successful in business. Patience, he had to have patience. But there was no way he would let Kent be a loose cannon. He went into what he thought of as his “Kent mode.” He kept his voice deep and soothing. “Calm down, Kent. I haven’t heard a word from Belinda, and believe me, she’d have called me if someone took her car, or she’d have called Pamela.”

“They must have ordered her not to tell you. Or maybe she doesn’t know. You know Pam and her little sister don’t get along all that well, given how Belinda is always eyeing you, so I’ll bet she didn’t tell her.”

“Look, I had the Jag detailed after we got back from Pennsylvania seven years ago and a few times since then, and once again when I gave it to Belinda. There won’t be any DNA, they won’t find anything in that car. It’s a bluff. How did they even know about the Jag?”

“Briscoe said they found a photo taken that night outside at the rave. Your Jag was in it, with the license plate.”

Alex laughed again, and Kent saw the hint of contempt, for him. He wanted to put his fist in that arrogant face.

“Kent, you’re not thinking logically. There’s a big difference between being at a rave and killing someone. So they know we were there. That’s not a crime.”

“I told them I’d never been to Godwyn, so they know I lied.”

Alex shrugged. “So you forgot. Who’d remember a dippy rave after seven years? Even if they say you lied, that’s not a crime, either. You weren’t under oath. Out of the blue, these two women were attacking you, you were understandably flustered. Don’t forget it was seven years ago. You went to a freaking party. And that’s all. You should have told them to call your lawyer and ordered them out of your office.”