Every lead petered out. With a shallow pretense of cordiality, the interview with Fairview had ended in a draw. Even once his lie about Katie’s phone calls was unmasked, Fairview continued to maintain that he had told the truth. What did it matter which phone she called him on? He hadn’t known she had gotten a second phone, and he certainly hadn’t suggested it to her. Katie was a troubled girl. He had tried to help her. And that was all. The only relationship between them had been platonic.
To prove it, Fairview’s wife, Nancy, had agreed to being interviewed by Nicole and Allison. The law protected communication in certain relationships—between a doctor and patient, priest and penitent, attorney and client. And between husband and wife. But Fairview had waived that right and agreed for Nancy to come in and talk to Allison and Nicole.
Since Michael Stone couldn’t represent both the senator and his wife—it was a conflict of interest—Nancy came in with her own lawyer, a quiet, corporate type named Joel Rickert. Nancy was a tall, thin woman, probably eye to eye with her husband, with a long face, big teeth, and a wide swathe of gums. She reminded Allison unfortunately of a horse.
They met in the same conference room in which Allison and Nicole had met with her husband.
“Have you ever met Katie Converse?” Allison asked after the preliminaries were out of the way.
“Actually, James introduced me when we ran into her while we were Christmas shopping at Nordstrom. We had a very brief conversation.”
“This was the same day Katie disappeared, correct?”
Nancy shrugged. “I guess so. I didn’t really think about the date until later.”
“And did she seem upset about anything?” Allison asked. “Did she share any of her plans for the rest of the day?”
“Our conversation only lasted a minute or two, if that. It was about the weather, if they were both enjoying the break, things like that.”
“And what did you think of her?”
Nancy pursed her lips, looked down at her hands, looked back up at Allison again. “I think she was head over heels about James.”
Allison was surprised by her honesty. She cut her eyes to Rickert, but his expression betrayed nothing. “What makes you think that?”
“She would barely look at me, but she was all over him. Giving him a hug. Complimenting his tie, of all things. His tie! I pick out all of James’s clothes.”
“Do you think your husband was having an affair with her?” Allison asked.
“I don’t know. And frankly, I don’t want to know. But after twenty-some years of marriage, you know when something might be going on. James is a gregarious man. He gets lonely sometimes, living three thousand miles away. But his little flirtations don’t mean anything. They don’t mean anything to our marriage. And I understand that. It’s always some young thing who will look up to him. He likes that. Some simpering little nothing who—” Nancy stopped abruptly.
Allison wondered if her lawyer had touched her knee under the table. Warned her to shut up. Simpering little nothing—either Nancy or her lawyer must have remembered she was speaking ill of a girl who was more than likely dead.
“And what happened after that? Did you talk to him about it?”
“Talk?” Nancy snorted. “There was no point in talking. As soon as we left Nordstrom, I told him he was not going back to the office, he was coming home with me. And then I spent the rest of the afternoon reminding James exactly how I’m not like any of those silly girls he likes to flirt with. I’m not some na?ve, virginal little nothing who doesn’t know which end is up.” Nancy’s head was up, her eyes were narrowed, and her breathing audible. “Because I love my husband, and I will do what needs to be done to help him. Even if it means, like now, being forced to share my private life with strangers.”
“What do you think?” Allison asked after Nancy and her lawyer had left.
Nancy had walked out of the interview room with her head held high, as if daring them to try to picture her teaching her husband a lesson.
“I think she’s lying,” said Nicole. “Only I’m not sure about what. You?”
“I think you’re right. Nancy’s not telling us the truth, at least not the whole truth, no matter how embarrassed she claimed to be.” Allison looked back at the empty chair where Nancy had been sitting and ran the woman’s words through her mind again. “But the thing is, maybe she’s not lying to save her husband’s skin.”
Nicole looked up from the report on which she was putting the finishing touches. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe Nancy’s lying to save her own skin. That alibi gets both her husband and her off the hook. She clearly hates Katie. Maybe she hated her enough to kill her.”
Nicole didn’t answer, just tapped her pen against her teeth and looked thoughtful.