Page 106 of The Grave Artist

“Yeah. Lost my job, couldn’t get off the bottle, the drugs. Living under overpasses. In polite society, we’re called ‘unhoused.’ But it amounts to the same thing. Homeless.”

“I can put you in touch with—”

“Shelters?” Another snort. “No, thanks. Besides, I have enough money to tide me over until I can figure something out. I am, most of all, a survivor.”

Carmen shifted gears again. “What are you afraid of, Lauren?”

She took a long time to answer. Too long. “Maybe whoever killed my brotherthinksI saw something, even if I didn’t.”

“But why would he think that if you weren’t even there?”

Lauren was becoming flustered. Carmen knew that emotion would soon turn into anger and when that happened, she would shut down. She needed to move fast.

Carmen took out her cell phone and thumb-typed a quick text.

Lauren watched suspiciously. Less than ten seconds later, Mouse opened the interview room door. Carmen beckoned her over and briefly whispered in her ear.

“What was that all about?” Lauren asked when Mouse left.

“Look,” Carmen said, picking up a remote and aiming it at a monitor on the wall.

Both women turned to watch as the screen flicked on to reveal footage of the grounds at the Hollywood Crest Inn.

Lauren swallowed audibly. “Why are you making me look at that? It’s where he died.”

Carmen froze the frame that showed the silhouette in the garden nearby. “This was just before it happened. And that person is you, isn’t it?”

“No! I told you I left right afterward. I wasn’t welcome.”

Repeating an explanation could be a sign of deception.

“Those are your red-striped shoes, aren’t they?”

“What’re you talking about? You can’t see a thing. You can’t even tell if they’re wearing shoes. Whoever the fuck they are. You should be spending your time finding them, not bothering me.”

Carmen narrowed her eyes. “So, it’s not you?”

“No! I swear to God.”

With that proclamation, Lauren Brock had completed the trifecta of deception. The only trick she hadn’t pulled was suddenly claiming her memory was faulty.

Aware she had no legal justification for holding an uncooperative witness, Carmen tried a bit of shock to break through her defenses. “Whatever you’re hiding, you’d better level with me now, Lauren. Because I’m going to find out, and by then your options will be severely limited.”

Lauren shot to her feet. “You know damn well I had nothing to do with my brother’s death.”

“Of course not. I’m not saying that at all. But I think you have information that can help us find who did.” Carmen played her trump card. “We have reason to believe he killed two other people. Both of them on their wedding day. In Italy. And he just tried again last night. He’s a serial killer and he’s going to strike again. It’s in your interest—in everybody’s interest—to open up. Now.”

Lauren broke down in tears. “I’m leaving. And I don’t ever want to talk to you again.”

With that, she stormed out of the interview room.

A moment later, Heron strolled in. “That went well.”

“You’re being sardonic, Heron. But the fact is, it went better than I hoped.”

“How so?”

She peered around his shoulder to address Mouse, who had followed him in. “Is everything in place?”