“That was different.”
“Only in the details. He was your man and you stuck by him. Then, when he wasn’t your man anymore, you still didn’t want to see him hurt if you could help it. That’s how I feel about Trevor.”
“Okay,” Margot replied, “except one of those details you mentioned was he took a shot at you.”
“He missed. I’d say he missed on purpose.”
“Even if you’re right, that’s going way too far.”
“Maybe, but I’m not ready to throw him in jail for attempted murder. Not if there’s another way.”
“Okay, what exactly is that other way?”
“I think you know. I’ve heard it’s kind of a specialty of yours.”
“I’m not a thug for hire.”
“Okay, I get that. I’m not asking you to beat him up or break his legs, but it might help my cause if he thinks you can. It will make him more likely to listen to what I need him to hear.”
“You want me to deliver a message for you?”
“Yeah, a simple one. Tell him I’m sorry, but it has to be over.”
“You couldn’t tell him that yourself?”
“I’ve tried. I’m afraid of him though, and he knows it. I can’t meet him face-to-face, but you can.”
Margot really wanted to tell her to go away, but the thing she said about being afraid of her boyfriend struck a nerve. Her mother was in a similar situation with her father, only no one ever warned him off. Her mother lived afraid because of her father and then she died because of him. Margot didn’t wish that kind of abuse on anyway, even Cassie.
Margot thought it over for another second. She wondered if Cassie knew her past and was manipulating her. She decided to ask a few more questions before she made a commitment.
“Anderson and Cranston heavily implied the person harassing you left you a message about your show. I believe they wanted me to say something like: ‘I hear my name coming out your mouth one more time, bitch and I’m putting a cap in your pretty face.’ That sounds a lot like they’re talking about your show. Why would your old boyfriend care about the show unless he’s been on it?”
Cassie was quiet.
“You look like you’re trying to think of a lie.”
“It’s not the same person. The call, I think, was just a threat to try to get me to back off.”
“From whom?”
“I’m not sure. I might have said you, but you seem more a face-to-face person than a threatening call. Could be Harry Lee, or someone working for him. He certainly likes his name kept out of things. I’ve been dedicating a lot of time to the Masterson Hot Tub Massacre lately. I think it’s someone involved in that.”
“In my experience, Harry is more the tell-you-in-person type as well.”
“Which is why I’m less worried about that and more concerned with Trevor.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve made a list of all the people you’ve named in recent episodes?”
“I have, but—no offense Margot—I handed that one to the police. The only name I didn’t give them was Trevor.”
“Because you want me to handle that one?”
“If possible. If you don’t think he’s getting the point, then I’ll tell the police about him. Can you help me?”
Margot didn’t have it in her to say no. “I can squeeze it in, but I’m not cheap.”
“I can afford a day and honestly, it shouldn’t take that.”
“Leave me off your YouTube show, and I’ll do this one for free.”
“Considering you’re in the middle of the biggest story I’ve got going, I don’t think I can do that.”
“Okay, how about you quit calling me ‘Viuda Negra’ and implying I’m some sort of cartel super-assassin?”
“I don’t think I ever said ‘super.’”
“You know what I mean.”
“You do this for free if I agree?”
“It’s what I just said.”
“You must really hate that. Honestly, I think it sounds cool.”
“I don’t.”
“Okay, I can do that. I really appreciate this.”
“I hope it works out. In my experience, words aren’t always enough, but I’ll do what I can. Tell me everything.”
Even though she was recording the encounter, Margot took notes.
“When are you going to do this?” Cassie asked.
“Ideally tomorrow, but I can’t guarantee it. Before the end of the week for sure. I don’t want to give him another chance to take a shot at you.”
“I appreciate it,” Cassie said as she stood up.
She was almost to the door when Margot said, “You seem to be on top of a lot of this stuff.”
“I try.”
“Can I ask you a question then? It needs to stay between you and me for the time being.”
“Are you using me as your source?”
“Depends if you know anything.”
“Ask away.”
“Does the name Dennis Thorn mean anything to you?”
Cassie turned around and went back to the chair.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“I asked you first.”
“There are six suspects in the murder of Lucas Lau. Basically, the only six people who could have had access including the staff. Fun fact, your favorite detectives, Anderson and Cranston, missed being on the list of suspects by an hour. Of the six, one of them, Conner Heller—the main suspect, if you ask me—had a visitor named Dennis Thorn.”
“Okay, so what?”
“Dennis Thorn doesn’t exist. His I.D. was bogus.”
“There should be video.”
“There is,” Cassie said as she reached into her purse and retrieved her phone.
“You have surveillance video from county jail?”
“I have connections,” she said as she pulled up the video. “Whoever Dennis Thorn really is, he knows the set up over at county. He never looks directly into the camera, so all they have is an approximate height and weight. He
