The three men were looking at one another.
“This doesn’t make any sense,” the sheriff said. Gingerly, he took the butcher knife and the ring and walked back into the living room. He held out the knife and said, “Miss Patterson, is this your knife?”
Ashley looked at it. “I—Yes. It could be. Why?”
Sheriff Dowling held out the ring. “Have you ever seen this ring before?”
Ashley looked at it and shook her head. “No.”
“We found it in your jewelry box.”
They watched her expression. She was completely bewildered.
She whispered, “I—Someone must have put it there…”
“Who would do a thing like that?”
Her face was pale. “I don’t know.”
A detective walked in the front door. “Sheriff?”
“Yes, Baker?” He motioned the detective over to a corner. “What have you got?”
“We found bloodstains on the corridor rug and in the elevator. It looks like the body was laid on a sheet, dragged into the elevator and dumped in the alley.”
“Holy shit!” Sheriff Dowling turned to Ashley. “Miss Patterson, you’re under arrest. I’m going to read you your rights. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You are entitled to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the courts.”
When they reached the sheriff’s office, Sheriff Dowling said, “Fingerprint her and book her.”
Ashley went through the procedure like an automaton. When it was finished, Sheriff Dowling said, “You have the right to make one phone call.”
Ashley looked up at him and said dully, “I have no one to call.” I can’t call my father.
Sheriff Dowling watched Ashley being led into a cell.
“I’ll be goddamned if I understand it. Did you see her polygraph test? I would swear she’s innocent.”
Detective Kostoff walked in. “Sam had sex before he died. We ran an ultraviolet light over his body and the sheet he was wrapped in. We got a positive result for semen and vaginal stains. We—”
Sheriff Dowling groaned. “Hold it!” He had been putting off the moment when he would have to give his sister the news. It had to be done now. He sighed and said, “I’ll be back.”
Twenty minutes later, he was at Sam’s house.
“Well, this is an unexpected pleasure,” Serena said. “Is Sam with you?”
“No, Serena. I have to ask you a question.” This was going to be difficult.
She was looking at him curiously. “Yes?”
“Did—did you and Sam have sex within the last twenty-four hours?”
The expression on her face changed. “What? We…No. Why do you want to—? Sam’s not coming back, is he?”
“I hate to tell you this, but he—”
“He left me for her, didn’t he? I knew it would happen. I don’t blame him. I was a terrible wife to him. I—”
“Serena, Sam’s dead.”
“I was always yelling at him. I really didn’t mean it. I remember—”
He took her by the arms. “Serena, Sam’s dead.”
“One time we were going out to the beach and—”
He was shaking her. “Listen to me. Sam is dead.”
“—and we were going to have a picnic.”
As he looked at her, he realized that she had heard him.
“So we’re at the beach and this man comes up and says, ’Give me your money.’ And Sam says, ’Let me see your gun.’”
Sheriff Dowling stood there and let her talk. She was in a state of shock, in complete denial.
“…that was Sam. Tell me about this woman he went away with. Is she pretty? Sam tells me I’m pretty all the time, but I know I’m not. He says it to make me feel good because he loves me. He’ll never leave me. He’ll be back. You’ll see. He loves me.” She went on talking.
Sheriff Dowling went to the phone and dialed a number. “Get a nurse over here.” He went over and put his arms around his sister. “Everything’s going to be all right.”
“Did I tell you about the time that Sam and I—?”
Fifteen minutes later, a nurse arrived.