"And you just ran off?"

"Yes."

"What about Cassandra?" Matt asked.

"What about her?"

"Didn't anyone wonder what happened to her?"

"We had a million girls come and go. Emma told everyone she'd quit- been spooked off by the murder. Two other girls got scared and ran off too."

Matt shook his head, trying to wrap his brain around all this. "When I met you the first time, you used the name Olivia Murray."

"Yes."

"You went back to that name?"

"That was the only time I used it. With you that night. Did you ever read A Wrinkle in Time?"

"Sure. In fifth grade, I think."

"When I was a kid, it was my favorite book. The protagonist was named Meg Murray. That's how I came up with the last name."

"And Olivia?"

She shrugged. "It sounded like the direct opposite of Candi."

"So then what happened?"

"Emma and I made a pact. We would never tell anyone the truth- no matter what- because if one of us talked, it could lead to the death of the other. So we swore. I need you to understand how solemnly I made that promise."

Matt was not sure what to say to that. "Then you went to Virginia?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it was where Olivia Murray lived. It was far away from Vegas or Idaho. I made up a background story. I took courses at the University of Virginia. I didn't officially attend, of course, but this was in the days before strict security. I just sat in on classes. I hung out in the library and cafeteria. I met people. They just figured I was a student. A few years later, I pretended to graduate. I got a job. I never looked back or thought about Candi. Candace Potter was dead."

"And then, what, I came along?"

"Something like that, yeah. Look, I was a scared kid. I ran away and tried to make a life for myself. A real one. And the truth is, I had no interest in meeting a man. You hired DataBetter, remember?"

Matt nodded. "I do."

"I'd had enough of that in my life. But then I saw you and… I don't know. Maybe I wanted to go back to the night we met. To some silly dream. You scoff at the idea of living out here, Matt. You don't see that this place, this town, this is the best possible world."

"And that's why you want to move out here?"

"With you," she said, her eyes imploring. "Don't you see? I never bought that soul-mate stuff. You see what I've seen and… but maybe, I don't know, maybe our wounds work for us. Maybe the suffering gives us a better appreciation. You learn to fight for what others just take for granted. You love me, Matt. You never really believed I was having an affair. It's why you kept digging for that proof- because despite what I'm telling you here, you and you alone really know me. You're the only one. And yes, I want to move out here and raise a family with you. That's all I want."

Matt opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"It's okay," she said with a small smile. "It's a lot to take in."

"It's not that. It's just…" He couldn't express it. The emotions were still swirling. He needed to let them settle. "So what went wrong?" he asked. "After all these years, how did they find you?"

"They didn't find me," she said. "I found them."

Matt was about to ask a follow-up question when another set of car headlights began to skitter across the wall. They slowed a beat too long. Matt raised his hand to quiet her for a moment. They both listened. The sound of an idling engine was faint, but it was there. No mistake.

Their eyes met. Matt moved toward the window and peeked out.

The car was parked across the street. The headlights went off. A few seconds later, so did the car engine. Matt recognized the car right away. He had, in fact, been in that car just a few hours earlier.

It belonged to Lance Banner.

Chapter 40

LOREN BURST back into the interrogation room.

Cingle was checking out her own nails. "Lawyer's not here yet."

Loren just stared at her for a moment. She wondered what it must be like to look like Cingle Shaker, to have men fawn over you, to know you can pretty much do what you want with them. Loren's mother had a bit of that, but when a woman looked like Cingle Shaker, what must that be like? Would it be a good thing or bad? Would you start to rely on those assets to the detriment of your others? Loren didn't think that was the case with Cingle, but that just made her more of a threat.

"Guess what we found on your office computer?" Loren asked.

Cingle blinked. But it was enough. She knew. Loren took out the photograph of Charles Talley. She also took out a few choice stills from the video. She put them on the table in front of Cingle. Cingle barely glanced at them.

"I'm not talking," Cingle said.

"Would you nod?"

"What?"

"I'll start talking. You can nod along if you like. Because I think it's all pretty obvious now." Loren sat down, folded her hands, and put them on the table. "Our lab guys said these photographs came from a camera phone. So here is how we figured it played out. Charles Talley was a bit of a sicko. We know that. He has a criminal history rather rich in violence and perversion. Anyway, he meets up with Olivia Hunter. I don't know how yet. Maybe you'll tell us when your lawyer arrives. Doesn't matter. Either way, for whatever sick reasons, he gets off on sending a photograph and video to our mutual bud Matt Hunter. Matt brings the pictures to you. You, because you're good at what you do, find out that the guy in the pictures is Charles Talley and that he is currently staying at the Howard Johnson's by Newark Airport. Or maybe you figure out that Olivia Hunter is staying there. I don't know which."

Cingle said, "That's not right."

"But it's close. I don't know the details, and I don't really care why or how Hunter came to you. What is clear is that he did. That he gave you the picture and the video. That you found Charles Talley. That you both drove to confront him at the hotel. That Talley and Hunter got into a fight. That Hunter ended up injured and that Talley ended up dead."

Cingle looked away.

"You have something to add?" Loren asked.

Loren's cell phone rang again. She pulled it out, flipped it open, and said, "Hello."

"It's your friendly neighborhood Lance."

"What's up?"

"Guess where I am."

"In front of Marsha Hunter's house?"

"Bingo. Now guess whose car is parked in her driveway."

Loren straightened up. "You call for backup?"

"They're on their way."

She snapped the phone closed. Cingle's eyes were on her.

"That about Matt?"

Loren nodded. "We're about to arrest him."

"He's going to freak."

Loren shrugged, waited.

Cingle bit down on a fingernail. "You got it wrong."

"How's that?"

"You think Charles Talley sent those pictures to Matt."

"He didn't?"

Cingle shook her head very slowly.

"Then who did?"

"Good question."

Loren sat back. She thought about the photograph, the one of Charles Talley. He had his hand up, almost as if he were embarrassed to have the picture taken. He hadn't shot that picture of himself.

"Doesn't matter. We'll have Matt in custody in a few minutes."

Cingle stood. She began to pace. She folded her arms. "Maybe," she started again, "the pictures are a big setup."

"What?"

"Come on, Loren. Use your head here. Don't you think this is all a little too neat?"

"Most murder cases are."

"Bull."

"You find a dead man, you check his love life. You find a dead woman, you check her boyfriend or husband. It's usually just that simple."

"Except Charles Talley wasn't Olivia Hunter's boyfriend."

"And you figured that out how?"

"I didn't figure it out. Matt did."

"I'm still waiting for the how."