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“Is it because of my record that you think that I… that I killed Flick?”
“We wouldn’t presume to know, even if we have our theories,” Trent said.
“Let me guess… All because she broke my heart, I wanted her to feel the pain I was going through? I wanted to hit her where it hurt.”
Tingles laced down Amanda’s arms as she absorbed his last statement. Burning Felicity’s work would have certainly hit where it hurt for her. “Is that why you burned all her books and research?”
“Her— What? I didn’t do that. The killer burned her books?”
His reaction to Amanda’s question was level-headed, and she bought his surprise, but there was a far worse crime to discuss. “More importantly, someone killed her.” With Amanda’s words, the stark reality moved in like a storm cloud. A young woman was ushered from this world against her will.
“I know. It breaks my heart.” Luis’s eyes glazed over as he looked into space.
“Just like her leaving you,” Amanda said softly, and he met her gaze. “You may not have intended to hurt her. The situation simply spiraled out of control. Just talk to us, clear the air.” And your conscience…
“You should stop wasting your time on me and find her killer.” His fight seemed to have left him.
“That’s what we’re working to do, Mr. Navarro, but there is evidence against you. Motive we’ve covered. She wanted to end things, you clearly didn’t. Something which you just admitted to us.” She paused there but, smartly, Luis remained quiet. She added, “Your prior relationship with her made it feasible she’d let you inside her home.”
Luis let out a snort. “After our fight, she told me she never wanted to see me again.”
“Ouch.” This from Trent, and it had Luis glancing at him.
“All I’m saying is there’s no way she’d let me inside.”
“And it’s the way she was killed,” Amanda proceeded as if the previous volley didn’t happen between Luis and Trent. “She was stabbed in the heart.” On their first visit they hadn’t shared where, just that she had been stabbed.
“She was…” Luis looked at the table. “Like in her book.”
“Yes.”
“Was there a Queen of Hearts playing card in her…” Luis opened his mouth and pointed inside.
Amanda nodded.
“Folded into eight squares?”
“You tell us,” Trent said.
“Eight means power and is a statement of devotion.”
“What makes you say that?” Amanda asked, pretending to be oblivious.
“It’s from her book. Was she in lingerie? Her boy toy could have been over.”
“No reason to believe he was.” Everything that Luis was asking or saying confirmed that he was familiar enough with The Romeo Killer to imitate the killer.
“She wasn’t in lingerie. Then what, shorts and a tee?”
“Yes,” Amanda admitted.
Luis’s eyes squinted. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t?” Trent asked.
“Everything else you’ve told me lines up to the plot of The Romeo Killer, but not what she was wearing. And, oh, was there a champagne bottle and glasses?”
Amanda was tiring of participating in this back-and-forth dialog. “We think you refrained from dressing her in lingerie so we wouldn’t immediately suspect you.”
