'Was he alone?'
'He checked in as a single.' She picked up Kay Murray's picture. 'But this woman meets him here,' she said, waving the photo at Mary Margaret.
'You're sure?' Mary Margaret asked.
'Uh-huh. I've seen them both before. They just stay in his room for a while and then go to the restaurant next door.'
'How often do they meet here?'
'Three, four times a year. It's been going on for a while.'
'How long is a while?'
'At least four years.'
'Does the room get used?'
'You mean for sex? Not unless they do it in the shower. The bed is never mussy.
'They arrived in separate cars?'
'Yes.'
'How long do they stay?'
'No more than an hour or two,' the woman said, nodding at the office window. 'I can see all the vehicles in the parking lot from here.'
'What name does he use when he checks in?'
The woman put the photo down and studied the register. 'Eric Langsford. He pays in cash.'
Mary Margaret tapped Kay Murray's photo. 'Has he ever met with anyone else besides this woman?'
'Not so far as I know.'
Mary Margaret passed her hand over Penelope Gibben's and Linda Langsford's photographs. 'What about these two?'
'I've never seen either of them.'
'I need the dates of all his previous stays,' Mary Margaret said.
'For this year, that's easy. Anything before that, I'll have to dig out the guest books. It will take some time.'
'I'll wait.'
The woman huffed in frustration about the inconvenience and retreated into her apartment. A smile lit up Mary Margaret's face and she clapped her hands together in delight.
The uniformed officer sent to Ruidoso to find Kay Murray and bring her to Alamogordo called in a five-minute ETA. Kerney complimented Mary Margaret for a job well done, left the command trailer, and waited for Murray in the district captain's office.
His decision to have Murray picked up and escorted to him was calculated to make her feel vulnerable and at risk.
Murray knocked at the open door, and Kerney studied the papers on the desk for a minute before looking up. She glared at him when he motioned for her to enter, and stalked in with her back straight, her chin set, and a cutting look in her eyes.
'What is this all about?' she demanded.
'Sit down,' Kerney said.
'I will not.'
'You refuse to cooperate?'
'Why did you drag me down here?'
'Are you willing to cooperate?' Kerney said.
'I've done that already.'
Kerney pushed the phone across the desk. 'Call a lawyer, Ms. Murray.'
'What for?'
'I may be filing conspiracy charges against you.'
'Conspiracy to do what?'
'Colluding with Eric Langsford to kill his father and five other innocent people.'
'That's ludicrous.'
Kerney nodded curtly at the empty chair. 'Sit down and cooperate.'
Murray sat in cold silence, her expression frozen in restrained anger.
He decided to change tactics. He moved his chair to the side of the desk, closer to Murray, and smiled. 'This doesn't have to be that difficult.'
'What, exactly, do you want me to confess to?'
'Let's back up a bit. You were seen with Eric Langsford at a motel in Capitan less than a month before the murders. What was that all about?'
'I'd rather not say.'
'You've met with him eleven times over the past four years in the same motel.'
'Is that a crime?'
'Not necessarily.'
Murray's laugh was brittle. 'You think I'm a slut, don't you?'
'I'm not assuming your meetings with Eric had anything to do with sex.'
'How generous of you.'
'But I do believe the killings were planned and executed to conceal the fact that Vernon Langsford was the principal target. Your rendezvous with Eric, so close to the time of the murders, brings the possibility of your participation into question.'
'I did not meet with Eric to help him plan a murder.'
Kerney's skepticism rose. People who denied accusations quickly always made him more leery. 'I'd like to believe that.'
'Then by all means do.'
'Why are you protecting Eric?'
'I'm not. Eric can take care of himself. I'm protecting my right to privacy.'
'I know that's important to you.'
'Very.'
'Is it also important to those you care about?'
'Of course.'
'Including Dr. Joel Cushman?'
'Since you know about my relationship with Joel, why do you bother to ask?'
'He's been your therapist, lover, and friend.'
'Yes, all of those things.'
'And you care about him.'
'That doesn't deserve an answer. I know you threatened him with exposure to the Board of Psychological Examiners. But I would have to file a complaint against him, and I have no intention to do so.'
'That doesn't necessarily protect him from an arrest.'
'Of course it does.'
'I've researched the law, Ms. Murray. Under the statutes, psychotherapists who have sex with current or past patients, even if the consent is mutual, can be charged with criminal sexual penetration through the use of force or coercion. It's a third-degree felony.'
'That's a stupid, intrusive law.'
'I have your statement and Cushman's admission. That's all I need to ask the DA to press charges.'
Murray's voice wavered when she spoke. 'And of course you'll do it if I don't cooperate. You really are a son of a bitch.'
'You can keep Cushman out of jail. What was the reason for your meeting with Eric?'
'I brought him money.'
'How much?'
