“Of course, I assumed he’d divorce her quietly and then we’d both be safe. She couldn’t contest the divorce without the whole truth about her coming out. But even after he knew, he didn’t think of divorcing her. I never did understand him.
“Because the letter was intercepted, Vivian did not get the cocaine she expected that night. In a day or so she was frantic enough to risk going to the doctor’s office in person once more. From him, she learned that I had threatened him with arrest if he ever supplied her with drugs again.
“I was afraid to have him arrested because it might involve her, but he didn’t realize that, so the threat worked. To quiet her frenzy, he gave her one last shot of cocaine, telling her never to come back for more. Because of that shot she was merry and bright during your first luncheon at Leafy Way.
“That soon wore off. He hadn’t given her enough. By late afternoon, she was so desperate she took the risk of driving to the doctor’s own home in her own car. He was in a panic then. He didn’t dare give her more cocaine because of my threats. He gave her some sedative. That’s why she came home half-conscious in a half-wrecked car with no memory of what had happened. Jeremy must have begun to distrust Dr. Grant, because he called his own doctor, Henry Clemens, and so learned the truth.
“Of course I was careful to stay away from Leafy Way while all this was going on, but I heard about Vivian’s disappearance on television newscasts. I told Halcdn to send one of his boys to Juana late that night to find out just what had happened.”
So that was why I saw Freaky in the grounds, thought Tash.
“Do you remember His Excellency condescending to tell me that he might not even bother to run for a second term? He knew perfectly well my career would be wrecked if he bowed out, but he was too selfish to care. That was when I first began to wonder if there was any way I could work for myself instead of Jeremy.
“Hilary was always telling me that I could never get elected on my own, that I had no mana, whatever that is, that I would never be the star but always the scene-shifter backstage.
“I had believed her, but then, suddenly, I saw a way out. I didn’t have to get elected again. I was lieutenant governor. Jeremy was governor. If he died in office, I would succeed him automatically as the next governor without any nonsense about elections.”
So it was for this that Jeremy had died. Tash was glad the darkness hid Job’s face. She didn’t want to see him now.
She couldn’t block her ears. His voice went on.
“A governor has more patronage to hand out than any other officer of state. With my knowledge of political back alleys, I needed only a few months to build up the biggest political machine this state has ever seen. Then there would be no limit to what I could do. No limit at all . . .
“Fire is a quick, clean, anonymous way of killing. I thought Juana would be the perfect agent for leaving burning cigarettes on Vivian’s bed. Halcon had got her pretty much under his thumb.”
“How?”
“He tried bribery, but that didn’t work. A few slaps and threats were more effective. She had been tortured before. It was she who switched off the alarm and unlocked a door when Halcon and Freaky searched your office to see if you had any further connection with the drug racket. But after that, something odd happened. She refused to set the fire. When Halcon did it himself, she tried to call for help. He had to kill her.”
“I had told her that burning cigarettes and ashtrays were fire hazards on a bed,” said Tash. “And Vivian had been kind to her.”
But was it really kind to involve Juana in the drug traffic? Or had Vivian been using her just as Job and Halcon had used her?
Job was listening only to his own voice now. He went on as if Tash had not spoken.
“Because Jeremy was a fool about you, he survived the fire. It was then I remembered that the Family hated him as much as I did. He had wrecked their dearest plan when he broke that strike. They had counted on food shortages in Barlovento next winter to start riots. Then they could bring their boy Roya back to restore law and order. Barlovento was a Caribbean Las Vegas when Roya was in power, and the cream of the profits went to the Family.
“They let me use one of their hitmen. I was careful not to have any direct contact with him. I never even saw him or wrote to him. I made all the arrangements through letters to Halcon, and Halcon burned the letters afterward.”
So that’s why Halc6n had to die, thought Tash. The one man who knew the unmentionable secret that the new Governor had had a hand in the assassination of his predecessor must be destroyed. The Family was equipped to take care situations like that.
“I didn’t do any killing,” said Job. “I’m not a murderer.”
“But you are! If it hadn’t been for you, Jeremy would be alive.”
“I don’t think of it as murder and I shan’t think of your death as murder either.”
“My death?”
“Would I be talking to you like this if you were going to live? The moment you said Jeremy was betrayed by someone he trusted, I knew you had to die if I was ever to feel safe again. You yourself have made things easy for me. All I have to do now is give your car one more little nudge. Not murder really.
