“Hmmm.” Norton scratched his head, his lips turning down. “Sounds more like blackmail.”
Heath leaned forward. “Be nice, Detective. My client is here of her own free will, trying to assist with your case.”
“Right. So blackmail? What did Julie have on you, Zara?” Norton asked, his gaze shrewd.
“Nothing,” Zara whispered, her head beginning to pound. How much trouble was she in? Would a jury believe the detective even if he was wrong? Bile rose in her throat, and she cleared it. “We were friends, and I was helping her out.”
“Jay Pentley thinks you’re still in love with him.”
Zara took a second to catch up. “Still? I was never in love with Jay. We went on a few dates, and then I broke it off. He and Julie started dating a few months later.”
“You want me to believe that you broke it off with Jay and you were just fine with him dating your friend?” Norton banged his fist on the desk.
Zara jumped. God, she wished Ryker was there with her. “Yes. I mean, I thought Julie could do better, but I wasn’t upset about her wanting to date Jay.” She fidgeted in her chair. Did Norton really think she had something to do with Julie’s death? “Julie was my friend, and while I didn’t care much for Jay, I wanted her to be happy. Then when the divorce got so ugly, I wanted to help her, and I did.”
“Zara, I want to work with you here.” Norton’s eyes lightened, and he leaned toward her, his face in earnest lines. “But I can’t do that unless you level with me.”
“I am,” she burst out, trying not to panic completely.
He sighed. “Why didn’t you report the breakin at your house?”
She didn’t have a good reason that didn’t include Ryker distrusting the authorities and wanting to do things himself. Was he wanted by the law? If so, he should’ve told her. She would’ve helped him—that she knew. Man, her life had changed.
But Ryker had changed it, and he needed to be completely honest with her. She cared for him so much it scared her. Too much of her life was spinning out of control. Her hands shook, and she felt the walls closing in. Who exactly was Ryker?
She needed to make a decision, so she made it. Ryker was hers, and he was going to remain hers. Whether he liked it or not, they were going for it. Period.
She faced the cop head-on and continued with her story, her loyalty completely secured by Ryker. “I scared the guy off, and since he wore a mask, I couldn’t identify him anyway.” Heath had advised her to make it one guy instead of three for plausibility.
“And he made it only to your kitchen? Not to any of the bedrooms?”
She thought back. None of the guys had made it to the bedrooms. “Nope. He didn’t go beyond the kitchen and living room.”
“You figured the intruder had something to do with Julie’s death?” the detective asked, scribbling in his notebook.
“No,” she lied. “I thought it was random.”
“That’s a pretty lame excuse for not calling the police.” The detective’s head snapped up, and his focus fixed on her.
She fidgeted, and a blast of terror shot down her throat. What should she do? “I’m sorry. It all happened so fast, and I wasn’t thinking.” Her voice rose, and she couldn’t control it. Heath had told her to leave both Ryker and Greg out of the story, so it now didn’t make any sense, did it? “I didn’t break the law, so let’s just move on.”
“All right.” The detective tilted his head. “Tell me about your involvement in the Picalo Club.”
She frowned. “The what?”
“The Picalo Club. You know, the private club in town where key switching and threesomes is the norm?” he asked.
Zara glanced sideways at Heath, her mind spinning. “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”
Norton reached beneath his nearest manila file and drew out a laminated card. “We found this in the dresser of your bedroom.”
Zara reached for the ID card. It had her picture on the left, her name below it, and to the side, a symbol for the Picalo Club, which was an intricate P surrounded by roses. “I’ve never seen this before in my life,” she said, looking up, her brain fuzzing. “I don’t understand.”
Heath reached for the card and flipped it over. The back was blank. “What’s the Picalo Club, Detective?”
Norton sighed. “It’s a sex venue. It’s a very exclusive private club where members have parties and meet different people. There are orgy parties, key-swapping parties, BDSM parties—you name it. Your client is a member, as were Julie and Jay.”
Zara coughed, her eyes widening in what felt like pure panic. This didn’t make any sense. Was that what Julie had been talking about? She and Jay had tried some wild stuff to keep their marriage fresh. Was it the Picalo Club? “I’m not a member,” Zara snapped. “I’ve never even heard of it.”
“This card doesn’t prove anything. There’s no signature,” Heath said, tossing it back to the detective.