A Good Marriage(122)
“See what?”
“That you made the wrong choice.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Sam instead of me,” he said. “Oh, I know you hadn’t even met him yet, not when you ended things with me. The ‘other guy’ story was a lie. I knew that the whole time. I’ll admit I was angry for a while. More disappointed, though. We were the same you and I—eyes always focused on the prize. Maybe not quite as similar as some of my stories about my ‘blue-collar’ family might have suggested.” Zach’s fingers hooked the word in the air. “But I thought that would resonate more with you than two Poughkeepsie crack addicts. But then, you left things out, too. Like the Elmira Correctional Facility.” He smirked. “I did actually think we might make a real go of it, though. That was true. Instead, you chose a husband with zero drive. Everything for you could have ended up differently.”
“Yeah,” I said, glaring at him. “I could have ended up dead at the bottom of your stairs. You know, Amanda might be alive right now if you’d paid more attention to her.”
“Please, Amanda had plenty of problems long before I met her.” Zach sniffed, but his face quickly brightened. “I was surprised when you clicked on that Netflix membership renewal link without even a second’s hesitation, though. I mean, you should be smarter than that. One click, and boom, I was in.” He smiled slightly. “I did that myself, of course. I wasn’t going to outsource you. Within minutes I knew everything about you and Sam. As a friend, I have to say: researching dozens of alcohol rehab facilities on a daily basis for weeks on end isn’t nearly as effective as Sam actually going to a single one. Also, you should buy some shades if you’re going to walk around undressed.” He shook his head. Then he smiled, and raised his eyebrows. “At least I can say exactly where you were the night Amanda died. And now you know why I wasn’t anxious to tell you where I was.”
This was what Zach wanted, maybe even what he’d planned from the start: this moment. The one when he got to really embarrass me, the way I had embarrassed him all those years ago. When he fi nally got to win.
Unbeknownst to him, I already knew much of what he was telling me—though not the bit about him spying on me through my windows. I’d brought in my personal laptop to the investigators I knew in the Manhattan US attorney’s cybercrime unit. Within seconds they’d found the spyware Zach had installed. I’d felt humiliated that I’d fallen for it so easily, but the kind twentysomething tech investigator kept saying: “Yeah, seriously, it could happen to anyone. It does all the time.”
Then I’d contacted the New York City Bar Association’s Ethics Hotline for anonymous advice about how I could proceed under the circumstances without being disbarred. From now on, everything I did would at least be clear-eyed and aboveboard.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about that thing you said,” I went on.
“What’s that?” Zach asked, delighted that I was willing to play.
“About how it’s more important to know somebody’s weaknesses than their strengths.”
“Ah, yes,” Zach said. “I do think that’s true.”
I pressed both of my hands on the table for a moment, looking down, nodding. Finally, I stood. “You know what your weakness is, Zach?”
He smiled. So fucking satisfied. “No, Lizzie. By all means, tell me: What’s my weakness?”
“You think people are things you can win.”
He frowned. “I don’t know. I’d say things have turned out okay for me in the end.”
“Your wife is dead,” I said, but Zach didn’t even flinch. “Also, cyber fraud is a federal crime.”
“Come on, Lizzie.” He laughed. “Even if you wanted to tell them what I just told you, you can’t. You’re my lawyer, remember. Attorney-client privilege? You’d be disbarred. And I know you care way more about your job than you do about going after me.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Zach.” I shook my head and frowned. “Maybe you should have paid more attention in law school. Because that malware you had the Brooklyn Country Day parents download is still on some of their computers. Your team is still using it to blackmail new families and the person who exploited that fifteen-year-old is still contacting her. That means this crime of yours is ongoing, so what you just admitted falls within the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege. As your lawyer, I’m not obligated to keep quiet about crimes you are still in the process of committing.” I leaned in close to the plexiglass. “So enjoy your time on the outside, Zach. It won’t last for long.”
Name: Kerry W. Tanner New York City Police Dept.
Address: 571 2nd St. Brooklyn 11215 Borough of Brooklyn
Date of Birth: 6/28/71 Date: July 15th
Age: 48 Time: 3:00 pm
Telephone: 718.555.2615 Case Number: 62984415
I, Kerry W. Tanner, willingly and voluntarily give this statement to Detective Robert Mendez, who I know to be a member of the New York City Police Department. I know that I do not need to give a statement and that any statement can be used against me in a court of law. Prior to giving this statement, I was read my Miranda rights. I understand those rights and I signed a separate written waiver of my Miranda rights before making this statement.