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Liam nodded and led them down the hall and out into a small alcove at the back of the building. A small concrete landing held a bench with an ashtray next to it and a bike rack off to the side. Only one bike was chained to it. Liam walked over and hung his helmet on one of the handlebars but made no move to unchain it. Josie studied it, trying to figure out if it matched the bike that they’d found on surveillance after Trudy Dawson’s murder. While Noah took up the questioning again, she surreptitiously took a few photographs of it and texted them to Gretchen.
“What was Claudia lying about, Mr. Flint?” said Noah.
“Most of it was to do with the show. She lied a lot on the show.”
“Because her marriage to Beau was a sham?” asked Noah.
Liam’s face darkened. “No. That’s not true. I wish it were. That would mean Claudia and I could be together. But she loved him. She genuinely loved him.” The words were uttered with part disgust and part disbelief. “But a lot of the stuff they did on the show was made up.”
“Like what?” asked Josie.
“For example, she didn’t like tiramisu. She hated it, in fact. But Beau said she liked it on a show once and then she was always getting tiramisu from viewers, readers, fans, and even patients. She even had to eat it on camera sometimes.”
Josie said, “She couldn’t have just corrected him? If they were playing Five Familiar Facts, couldn’t she have just corrected him and have him tweet out the hashtag whatididntknow?”
Liam laughed. “Then Beau would spend all his life tweeting and he would have looked like the ass he is on television.”
Josie said, “You’re saying he didn’t really know anything about his wife?”
“I’m saying he didn’t see her. He never really saw her. I guess he used to pay attention to her but once the book started selling and all these other opportunities came up, he stopped.”
Noah said, “She didn’t bring that up with him in private?”
“I don’t think that was the dynamic of their relationship. I don’t know. Maybe she did but even if she had, Beau Collins is not the kind of man who will ever take responsibility for something that is even mildly unflattering to him. It’s almost pathological. He does not like blame.”
This rang true to Josie. Even when presented with clear evidence of his affair with Eve Bowers, he had downplayed it, describing it as a lapse of judgment and turning the conversation back to his anniversary again and again. “Did Claudia know about his affair with Eve?”
Sadness washed over Liam’s face. “If she did, she never told me. I doubt it, though. She loved Eve.”
“Did you know about it?” asked Noah.
“No. I don’t think anyone did, honestly. Maybe Margot? There was never any talk about it, that’s for sure. I definitely would have told Claudia if I had heard something like that.”
“When was the last time you spoke with Claudia?” asked Josie.
“Friday after the show. We talked about how awkward it was going to be with me being part of the crew taping the big anniversary dinner.”
Noah said, “Before that, when was the last time you saw her privately?”
“Wednesday.”
“Did the two of you keep in contact by phone or text?” asked Josie.
“Yes. I texted her Friday night to tell her that Margot had called me because everyone was running late.”
They would have known this if Claudia’s cell phone carrier had been willing to expedite their warrant for her phone records. Josie pushed her frustration aside and kept her focus on Liam. “Did she answer you?”
His eyes grew moist. Huskily, he said, “No. But she was gone by then. I didn’t know until later when we arrived to do the job and the police were there.”
Noah said, “When our colleagues interviewed you the other day, you didn’t mention any of this. Why not?”
Liam looked at his feet. His voice was thick with unshed tears. “I’m sorry. It’s private. Claudia wanted it kept private, always. I was trying to respect her wishes. I didn’t want to risk tarnishing her reputation. People wouldn’t understand. They would think the wrong thing—just like you did. They’d make assumptions. She’s not here to defend herself anymore. Also, you probably think I’m a suspect now, don’t you?”
“It certainly undermines your credibility,” Josie said. “Where were you on Friday afternoon before you arrived at Claudia and Beau’s house for the shoot?”
He lifted his gaze to the sky, avoiding eye contact. “I was home.”
“Does anyone live with you who might be able to verify that?” asked Noah.
