Page 33 of Calculated in Death

“You’d be wrong about that.”

“It’s, like, freedom of speech. It’s, like, the Fifth Amendment or whatever. Look it up!”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” Eve murmured. “Since we’re talking about rights, let me read you yours, just so everybody understands.”

Candida went back into sulk mode as Eve recited the Revised Miranda. “Like I haven’t heard all that before.”

“Well, it bears repeating. So you understand your rights and obligations.”

“Yeah, BFD.”

“Why don’t you tell us what you said to Ms. Dickenson when you were exercising your interpretation of your constitutional rights?”

“What?”

“What’s your version of your conversation with Marta Dickenson.”

“Jesus, why didn’t you just say that? All I did was ask her to ease off—it’s my money, and it’s just stupid I have to go begging to those tight asses every time I want more. And I was nice to her. I sent her flowers, didn’t I? I said how I’d give her ten thousand under the table if she’d just clear it. Ten thousand’s a nice chunk for some bookkeeper bitch.”

“You suggested Ms. Dickenson doctor the audit in your favor, and in return you’d give her ten thousand dollars?”

“Yeah. I was nice. And she got pissy about it. So I said fine, fine. Make it twenty, and she’s all ‘I’ll have to report you if you keep this shit up,’ like that.”

“Peabody, your cuffs or mine?”

“Can we use mine?”

“What’re you talking about? You stay away from me.” Candida cringed back on the sofa. “Aston!”

“Ms. Mobsley, you’ve just confessed to offering a bribe to Marta Dickenson in the amount of twenty thousand dollars in exchange for her altering a court-appointed audit. That’s a felony.”

“It is not!”

“Look it up,” Eve suggested as Aston rushed in. “Step back, pal, unless you want to be restrained and charged.”

“What’s the matter? What’s happening?”

“They’re trying to say they can arrest me for being nice to that stupid dead accountant. I just said I’d give her money.”

Obviously, a bit more evolved than his employer, Aston shut his eyes. “Oh, Candida.”

“What’s the matter? What’s the problem? It’s my money. I was going to give her some.”

“Lieutenant, please, Candida didn’t understand the implications. Can we just take a moment, just take a moment? I’ll contact her lawyer. He’ll come immediately.”

“Let’s try this first. Come clean, absolutely clean. Answer questions without the bullshit, and we’ll see.”

“Absolutely. Absolutely. Now, Candida, you need to answer the lieutenant’s questions. You need to tell her the truth.”

“I did!”

“You lied with your first answer. Try again.”

“I didn’t recognize her name at first, that’s all.”

“Peabody. Your cuffs.”

“Okay, okay. Jesus! I was just playing it a little frosty. No big. I admitted I knew who she was, didn’t I?”