Milo said, “Sophie Barlow.”
“Her,” said Tiana Crown. “Didn’t know her. Not as a person.”
I said, “You knew her as a vehicle.”
“To where?”
“Getting back at Mike.”
Pale eyes fluttered. She smiled.
Milo said, “Why were you so mad at him?”
Tiana Crown said, “Oh shit, don’t make me work so hard, you know.”
“If we did, we wouldn’t ask you.”
“He knows the answer.Vehicle.Shit.”
We waited.
Tiana Crown said, “Why? ’Cause he’s a total rat bastard. Claimed he didn’t narc Darren out and I was stupid enough to believe him. Then, after all those years of me believing him and giving him what he wanted when he called, he tells me to get out of his life because hefoundsomeone?”
“Sophie.”
“Skinny bitch.” Another crooked smile. “That’s when I saw him for what he is and knew he’d narced and brought the whole thing down.”
“So you killed Sophie to—”
“To put a hole in his soul and then put him in jail.”
She let her arms relax and seemed to deflate. “So now I’m in jail. But who cares? He’ll get there one day.”
“Why?” said Milo.
“Because he’s a lying scumbag and karma’s a bitch. You just wait and see.”
Milo nodded.
Tiana Crown said, “Don’t pretend you agree when you’re just trying to squeeze the juice out of me.”
“What we’re trying to do is understand your motive—”
“I just told you, okay? Hole in the soul.”
“Sophie Barlow was collateral damage.”
“Whatever. Yeah. Call it what you want. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. If she was good, I have no idea, like I keep telling you, didn’t know her and that’s all I’m going to say about that.”
Milo looked at me. I nodded.
Tiana Crown said, “What, Pretty Boy’s the boss?”
Looking to the right. Back went the arms, forming an X across her chest. Drawn tighter. Rocking with each breath.
Regular breaths, on the slow side.
Relaxed. No remorse for what she’s done.
