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“Dallas also told me that she thinks Joe is a closet homosexual with a crush on Victor. Have you heard anything like that?”
“I’m not willing to say right now, Jackie.”
“Fine. What else?”
“Annabelle was having an affair,” said Keith.
For some reason, I wasn’t surprised. “Who is the other man?”
“That’s what we don’t know yet,” Keith said with a frown. “Apparently it’s been going on for quite some time. Her friends know that the man exists but she never revealed his identity. “Have you seen this bullshit?” He waved a copy of Time magazine in my face. “According to these folks, Annabelle Welburn Murray was an alabaster saint. Not a woman who paid her household help worse than anyone else at The Dakota, and was fucking around on her husband.”
“Do you think the other man killed her?”
Keith’s eyes met mine. “Not unless he was already in that apartment when you stopped by for the book. Is there any chance of that?”
“She had been crying, so it is possible.”
He was staring at me.
“What is it?” I was not in the mood for any more puzzles.
“I’ve reviewed all the videotape for that morning, starting at five A.M. If her lover was in the apartment, then he had to live in her building. Every other man who came in or out has been accounted for. Unfortunately, I cannot subpoena every single male who lives in that building without cause.”
“What about Craig? Have you ruled him out?”
&nb
sp; “Craig Murray was faithful to this Jezebel and there is absolutely no way he could have killed her, either.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I have accounted for every single second of his time during the crucial period.”
“Where was he?”
“At his sister’s home. He and Annabelle had a fight and he left, taking the kid with him.”
“Break it down for me, Keith. What does this mean?”
“It means that I’ve never had a case with more holes in it than this one.” Keith was clearly delighted. “It has ‘reasonable doubt’ written all over it. Jackie, you’re gonna walk. Take my word for it.”
“In other words, you may not find out who killed her.”
“Exactly.”
“I cannot live my life under a cloud of suspicion, Keith.”
“My people will keep trying, but I just wanted you to know that it may not be possible.” He patted my arm. “Let’s talk about the computer and disks that the police took away. “Is there anything incriminating on those disks or the hard drive?”
It was time to tell him the story of Victor Bell.
“. . . uh . . . um . . .”
“Jackie, you can’t let me get blindsided in that courtroom. I’ve got to know.”
My hands flew up to cover my face. “It’s all just so embarrassing.”
“Not half as unsettling as what goes on in a women’s prison.”
