Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN IN RED LIPSTICK
Sloane stopped pretending by noon.
In an interview room downtown, she asked for a lawyer and refused to answer questions.
Then Daniel placed a still image from the marina camera on the table.
Her face changed.
"That isn't what it looks like."
"Then make it look different."
"Grant told me the boxes were personal records."
"And the police evidence case?"
"I didn't know what it was."
"You carried it."
"Evan carried it."
"You opened the boat compartment."
Sloane looked away.
Velez leaned forward.
"A man is dead."
That got her attention.
"What man?"
"Police evidence clerk."
Sloane's face drained.
"No."
"Know him?"
"No."
"Then why do you look scared?"
Velez did not move.
"Nobody except Emily?"
"I didn't know about the car."
Emily pushed through the observation-room door before Daniel could stop her.
"What did you know?"
Sloane looked up.
"Emily—"
"What did you know?"
"He wanted control of the company."
"How?"
"He said you were going to have a breakdown."
Emily stared.
"He had records. Doctors. Emails. Things that made it look like you couldn't run the firm anymore."
"Fake records."
"I don't know."
"You lived in an apartment he paid for with money stolen from me. You knew enough."
"I knew he was married."
"That isn't the worst thing you knew."
"I didn't know about the baby until two weeks ago."
Emily's breath caught.
"Who told you?"
"Grant."
The room went silent.
Sloane wiped her face.
"He came to my apartment furious."
"What did he say?"
"He said the pregnancy ruined the timeline."
Emily grabbed the edge of the table.
"What timeline?"
"The one where you were supposed to be declared incompetent before you ever learned he was stealing."
"And after the crash?"
Sloane whispered, "He said the problem had solved itself."
Emily closed her eyes.
Then Sloane added, "But Grant wasn't the one who arranged the car."
Emily opened them.
May you like
"Who was?"
"Evan."
