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Roy gave me a sympathetic nod. “I’m sorry. The day kind of got away from me.”
“I heard. You prepared an arrest warrant for Palicki on McBride. I’m surprised you didn’t run it by me or at least give me a heads-up it was happening.”
“I figured you’d want a low-key day. I honestly wasn’t sure if you’d even come in.”
“Why wouldn’t I? I still have a job to do.”
“Right. Look, Mina… I feel terrible about what you’re going through. If somebody delivered photos like that of Tonya… man. It makes me furious to even think about it.”
“You don’t have to worry about my feelings. I just want to know what you’ve found out about Corrine Egan. Have you questioned her?”
The expression on Roy’s face provided some answers as to why Rafferty wanted out of this office so badly. Roy must have told him what I shared with him. My nostrils flared. It was probably all over the department by now. Which meant Mark would know soon enough. And it provided the reason why Roy cut me out of the loop on Palicki’s new charges.
“You’re not planning to question her, are you?”
Roy folded his hands on the desk. “I really think you should take some time. Clear your head. Give yourself a chance to process everything.”
“I don’t need time. I need answers from Corrine. I told you she must have taken things from my house. She gave you phony evidence and lied about where it came from. That’s obstruction at a minimum, Roy. She needs to answer for that.”
Roy’s face turned to stone. It was then that I noticed the fat yellow envelope on the credenza behind him. He’d brought the packet of photos with him. I turned back and looked at the door.
“You showed those to Rafferty?” Rising anger simmered just below the surface. “Was he entertained?”
“Mina, nobody is making light of this.”
“Do you think I’m lying?”
“No. Of course not.”
“Then why haven’t you brought Corrine back in for questioning?”
“Mina, I don’t think Corrine Egan was responsible for vandalizing your car.”
“Based on what?”
“Based on the fact that she was here, in this building, just down the hallway, being questioned by me. Belinda walked her out that day. She took her to her car and watched her drive away.”
“I found Cerise Afterglow paint cans in my garage. I told you! Corrine’s been in my house.”
“The paint cans were in your own garage?” he asked, clear accusation in his tone. This was all going wrong.
“You think I’m delusional? What, you think I vandalized my own car? Roy, it’s more than just these photos or the paint. What about the dead dove on my doorstep? It had been strangled with a red ribbon.”
“You mentioned that last night. Do you have a picture of it?”
“I buried the poor thing,” I said.
The compassion melted away from Roy’s expression. “I’m not sure you’re thinking clearly. This is a shock. You just found out your husband is having an affair. Those photos are horrifying. Whoever sent them to you is a monster.”
“But you don’t believe me that it’s Corrine?”
“In the photos? I don’t know. You can’t see her face. I wouldn’t be a good detective if I jumped to one conclusion.”
“She is the one who told the Kalamazoo County sheriffs that her stalker’s name was Matt Woodson. You think it’s a coincidence I found a letter addressed to him in my own husband’s closet? Or this?” I pulled the ribbon back out from under my smartwatch. Roy looked pained.
“I really wish I could see that letter.”
“Because you won’t just take my word for it.”
