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minance. His wife has more—maturity, experience, and money—therefore he cannot dominate in that relationship. He exploits a younger, financially inferior, and inexperienced woman, using his skills to identify her needs, desires, strengths, weaknesses, and using deception, fabricating facts, ensures her devotion while he continues to benefit from his wife’s financial and social positions.
Both individuals demonstrate narcissistic tendencies, predatory sexual behavior, a need to prove their self-worth and desirability through sex, show, and money.
If, as you believe, Ziegler blackmailed Copley, the benefit to Ziegler would have been money and a demonstration that though Copley appeared superior in social status and financial holdings, Ziegler “won.” The cost of said blackmail to Copley was, in addition to the dollars and cents, a loss of face and ego.
Considering the unplanned, impulsive nature of the murder, as per evidence, followed by the deliberate physical and personal insult, Copley’s profile and personality make him a strong suspect. The stress and fear of discovery by his wife and by the woman he has established in a second residence, along with the shame of being bested by someone he would consider an underling, increases his probability in this incident.
If and when he is brought in for formal interview, I would like to observe.
“Yeah, we’ll make sure of it.”
Sex and money—and ego—for both of them. And both working overtime to appear superior to others, better than others.
She recalled the woman in Copley’s staff meeting—ignored, knowing it, both pissed and resigned by Eve’s take. Included in the meeting, Eve thought, but not treated like the rest. Just a little less than the rest.
It made her think of country clubs and golf, and treating a man who provided a service to a fancy round and manly drinks.
Following a hunch, she did some digging. In ten minutes, she had the golf pro at Copley’s club on the ’link. In five more, with some pushing, she had Copley’s regular caddy.
In about seven more, with some persuasion, she had a very clear image of how that initial round of golf went down.
She added to her notes—anecdotal evidence maybe, but it was adding up.
Forgetting the time, she went back to her incomings, opened one from Peabody.
Had a brainstorm during my pedicure so did some surfing. Got some skinny on Copley—couple articles attached. Gist is: First wife came from money. Not Quigley money, but pretty shiny. Five years in, divorce. Accusations of cheating on both sides. Word is, he ended up with a nice if not princely settlement.
Was next-to-engaged to another highflier a couple years later. Accusations of cheating—and one of the cheatees was—wait for it—Natasha Quigley, also married at that time. He and Quigley got married twenty-two months later.
Romantic story is he whisked her off to Hawaii, where her family has a home on Maui—proposed. He’d already applied for the license, done the paperwork, even bought her a dress, the flowers—then sprang it on her. They got married the next day on the beach. Some rumors at the time—he was stepping out with his former almost-fiancée, and there was trouble in the Quigley-Copley paradise—quashed with the elopement.
I really like the romance stuff, but it sounds like he got caught cheating or was suspected of same by Quigley, and handled it with a quickie wedding. Sewed up the bird in the hand, right?
This is all Gossip Channel stuff, so needs lots of salt. But he’s coming off a son of a bitch, I think.
Can’t wait to dance on my sparkly new toes! See you soon.
P,DD
“Good work,” Eve murmured. She saved the incoming—she’d read the articles later.
For now, she pulled up his financials again, emphasis on his hidden accounts. Side pieces, even when you didn’t buy a fancy apartment to keep them in, cost money.
Dinner, gifts, little getaways.
She began combing through, brought up Quigley’s as well to try to coordinate.
Her eyes, aching from studying figures, lifted to Roarke when he came in.
“I did everything. I was just taking a break from it. I’ve only been in here . . . forty-six minutes,” she calculated after a quick check.
“I’ll say again, I’m not in charge of all that. I will say I just did a walk-through. It looks very well, and the adjustments you made here and there work nicely. Also, first wave of catering’s just arrived. The head there is nose to nose with the head decorator. There may be blood.”
“If so, I’ll make the arrest. I’m just going to let that play out for a bit.”
“How about a glass of wine?”
“Oh yeah, how about that? I got a report from Mira and I really wanted to read it. It adds weight to Copley as my prime suspect. Then I talked to his caddy.”
