“Unfortunately for you, Ms. Barrett, Whistler made two mistakes. He should have ditched the sedan he used to try to run down Mia Briscoe Wednesday night, but he didn’t. His second mistake was he neglected to change out his burner cell phone in time. That’s how we found Mr. Flint, and records of your four calls to him, both before and after the attempted murders, including, I imagine, your screaming matches when Whistler failed to kill Ms. Briscoe—and Kent Harper?

“We also know about your two-hundred-thousand-dollar withdrawal from your private accounts. We are confident that with the right incentive, Mr. Flint will give us full details, including evidence of the two-hundred-thousand-dollar deposit into his own account.”

Hoolihan shook his head at Pamela. “What I don’t understand, Ms. Barrett, is why you got so involved. For what? To save your fiancé from his own misdeeds? You were willing to commit murder?”

Alex Harrington stood white and shaken, staring at Hoolihan and then at Pamela. His voice was barely above a whisper. “Pammie, that can’t be true? You didn’t hire some fricking professional assassin? That’s crazy, all of it’s crazy. Why would you do that?”

Pamela shouted, “I didn’t! It’s absurd. For heaven’s sake, I’m Pamela Raines Barrett of the Boston Barretts!” She whirled on Mia. “All these lies are your fault, you’d do whatever you had to do for your precious career, ruin Alex, ruin me!” She took a step toward Mia, paused when Mia smiled and beckoned with her fingers. “Come on ahead, Pammie, just try it, you murdering bitch.”

Hoolihan said, “That’s enough from both of you.”

Pamela whirled about. “Alex, don’t believe them. I wouldn’t do anything like that, I wouldn’t. You’ve known me all your life.”

Alex said slowly, “Kent knew you, too, all your life. He never did anything to you.”

“I didn’t try to kill Kent! All of you go away, I have nothing more to say to any of you.”

“We’re not going anywhere, Pam,” Mia said. “You tried to kill me because Alex told you I’d write about Serena’s murder. I was the obstacle to what you’ve wanted your whole life, climbing aboard the political power train. With me out of the way, no one would be digging into Alex’s past. But you were wrong. Agent Maitland would never have given up.

“And Kent? I’ll bet Kent came here to see Alex after Juliet and I left his office on Thursday. I’ll bet he was scared, angry—”

Pamela yelled, “Wait! You’re saying Juliet was here? In New York? Why?”