Raphael's Dragon

Chapter 12: Unexpected News

Municipal Correctional Center. Tuesday, May 3, 2005.

On Tuesday morning, Peter and Tricia arrived at the Municipal Correction Center for their first joint interview with Sara. Tricia had already questioned her the evening before. Although technically held on suspicion of attempted murder, Sara was granted special privileges. Her accommodations were more like a sparsely furnished bedroom than a prison cell. Tricia had brought over a suitcase of clothes and personal items for her. Peter had been on the phone with R.W. Bosch the previous day to explain why it was in Sara's best interest to be in protective custody.

When they entered the interrogation room, Sara was waiting for them. On the surface, she was poised and confident. Peter gave her high marks for concealing her anxiety.

He placed the tape recorder on the table and started it. "Would you rather wait till your lawyer's present?"

"No, I haven't gotten one yet."

"You could use a court-appointed lawyer," Tricia reminded her, "until you have one of your own."

"I know, and I may need to eventually, but I'm placing my trust in you that you'll prove my innocence. How's Neal?"

"Better," Peter said. "He's responding well to the antidote. Henry's with him now."

She exhaled, a smile crossing her face. "That's a relief. I'm going to take that as an auspicious omen." She took a deep breath. "Okay, lay it on me. How much evidence do you have?"

"Your fingerprints were found on the box of chocolates," Peter said. "The enclosure card, based on the handwriting sample you provided, is confirmed to have been written by you. There's only one store in New York that sells that brand of chocolate. They stated they'd received an online order from you with your credit card on April 24. The chocolates were delivered to your hotel on April 25."

"I interviewed the concierge at the hotel this morning," Tricia added. "She remembers receiving the chocolates. She said she found a note that you'd picked them up when she was away from her desk. Unfortunately, she no longer has the note. She explained that she'd received a call from you, placed from your room on Friday, requesting that the chocolates be delivered to Neal's home on Saturday morning. That phone call was recorded and is now being analyzed."

As they went through the evidence stacked against her, Sara's confident mask developed major cracks. At the conclusion, she acknowledged with a wince, "Perhaps I should arrange for a lawyer."

"You can stop and ask for one at any time," Tricia assured her, "but we're also asking you for something. Let's assume you're being framed. How was it accomplished?"

"You continue to believe it was Bryan?"

Peter nodded. "He's the logical choice. He has both a motive and the opportunity."

Sara swallowed. "He hates Neal and me this much?"

"Not necessarily," Peter said. " He may have been acting under Ydrus's orders from the beginning."

"And was conning me the entire time?" Sara nodded thoughtfully. "I'd noticed that beginning in February there was a coldness about him I'd never seen before. I thought he was upset at the length of time it was taking me to decide about his proposal." She gave a humorless chuckle. "That was probably my vanity speaking."

"Bryan could have easily copied your fingerprints and prepared a fingerprint glove," Tricia pointed out.

"He also wouldn't have had any difficulty in lifting your card information from your wallet," Peter added. "Did he know that you were going to Neal's reception?"