Page 85 of Dancing in the Dark

But, like… with a killer.

Probably.

Carson looks a hell of a lot like his father, only thirty or so years younger. He moves with a bouncing energy in his steps and looks every bit the spoiled brat I’d expect the older Slater to raise. Where Tyler seemed like a regular guy who works hard for his money and spends it wisely—he wears a two-hundred-dollar watch, and a suit that probably cost somewhere in the three-figure range—Carson’s look reflects the privilege he was born into. His suit reminds me of the ones Markum wears. There’s just a certain sheen to four and five-figure threads, a sophistication that those on a lower budget can’t match, no matter how hard they scrimp and scrape.

His teeth are glittering white and straighter than an arrow. His hands, smooth as butter and without a single unkempt nail. His skin is clear, whereas Tyler’s bears a few acne scars from his youth. Carson’s shoes are rich Italian leather. I saw Tyler’s on clearance at Walmart back when I was searching for something to wear to my ex-wife’s funeral.

“I assume you know why we’re here.” Archer places his hands on top of his notebook and looks Carson up and down. “We’re very sorry for the loss of your colleague.”

“Listen. I’m gonna be real with you from the get-go, okay?” He sits forward, his eyes dancing with intensity. “I invited her to my birthday, yeah. But I have no clue about her dying and stuff. I was blitzed that night, we all were, but I wasn’t so blitzed that I would hurt her and forget about it.”

“Why don’t we take this back a few steps and work our way forward?” I draw his jittery focus across. “These things go better when we have a foundation to begin with. You knew Johanna Waltham, yes?”

“Yeah, of course. I…” He scrubs a hand over his face. “Yeah. I knew her.”

“And you hosted a birthday party on your father’s yacht earlier this week?”

He nods, fast and jerky swings of his head. “Yeah. But that’s something I’ve done a few times. This wasn’t the first.”

“Johanna attended your party on the yacht?” Archer presses. “Correct?”

“Yeah.” He shoves his chair back again and storms the length of the long table, bending and yanking the low cupboard open and snatching out a bottle of water. “Yes, she was there.”

“How was she?” I question. “How was her mood? Her temperament? Did she seem intent on a big evening, lots of booze, lots of flirting? Or was she more subdued than that?”

“She…” He cracks the bottle open and wanders back this way, slower this time. “She was happy to party. She was doing shots with a couple of the guys earlier.”

“Which guys?” I pick up my pen. “What time?”

“Ah… Dex and Ty and Bandit.”

“And by Bandit, you mean Matt Bandekah?”

“Yeah.” His Adam’s apple bobs as he gulps. “Matt. Pam was there, too. And Latisha.”

“Did you have sex with any of these women on the night of your party?” Archer questions harshly. “Have you ever had sex with any of these women in the past?”

Carson’s cheeks pale to a deathly white. “Slater and Datsun has a strict no fraternizing policy. We don’t⁠—”

“That’s not what he asked. Company policy aside, have you had sex with any of these women?”

He comes back to his seat, drops like a pile of rocks, and slams the bottle onto the table. “Yes,” he rasps. “I have.”

“Who? When?”

“All of them. I like sex. You get that, right? It’s never, like…” He shakes his head. “I don’t force them or anything. They’re keen, so I oblige. That’s not illegal.”

“No, it’s not,” I agree. “As long as everyone is an adult and capable of giving consent, we have no issue with it. Who did you have sex with on the night of your party?”

“A-all of them.” He nervously scratches the back of his neck. “It was my birthday, so…”

“At the same time?” I ask.

“No. Different times.”

“And just to confirm,” Archer presses. “You had sex with Johanna Waltham on the night of your party?”

“Yes, but it was consensual. I swear to God and on all the bibles, she was into it. I don’t need to force anyone.” He brings fiery eyes up to mine. “I’ve never had a problem with the ladies, ya know? They come to me. I don’t have to chase, so I don’t have to, like, force anyone.”