Shattered (Michael Bennett #14)(67)

Rhea looked at me again and said, “If no one is going to tell me why you’re bothering me, I have work to do back in my studio.” She looked at me with the intense disdain Brahms might’ve leveled at Kid Rock if the two of them had had the chance to talk.

Rhea pointed at me and said, “I already told him I have nothing else to say about Emily Parker. I miss her enough without you reminding me every day.”

I didn’t say anything. This was Stephanie Holly’s show. She didn’t disappoint me. She took control of the interview immediately.

Detective Holly pulled out a sheet of paper from the inside of the windbreaker she was wearing. She said in a very calm and reasonable voice, “Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg, we have a warrant for your arrest on the charge of first-degree murder.”

“What! That’s crazy. I would never hurt Emily.”

Detective Holly calmly explained, “The warrant is for the murder of Michelle Luna in Baltimore.”

That had a decidedly different effect on Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg.





Chapter 88



I carefully watched Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg’s face as Stephanie Holly read her constitutional rights from a card. The emotionless mannequin I’d spoken to days earlier displayed a gamut of feelings, from annoyance that we were bothering her to anger that we weren’t leaving her alone. That switched to shock as she understood why we were there.

Rhea sat quietly for a moment. We gave her the time to process her shock, which then seemed to slip toward inattentive exhaustion. Like all the years of living in the fast lane had finally caught up with her.

Detective Holly said, “Ms. Wellmy-Steinberg, do you understand the rights that I just read to you?”

Finally, Rhea collected herself. She looked at Detective Holly and said, “Yes, yes, of course I do.”

Carefully, Detective Holly continued to talk and engage with Rhea. Then she said, “Will you speak with us?”

“Why?” There was no arrogance in the question.

Detective Holly said, “We’ll listen to explanations. Perhaps it was self-defense. Maybe we can work something out. Things might go easier for you.”

“Nothing is ever easy. Nothing.” There was a disturbing finality in her voice. Rhea didn’t fidget or show any nervousness. If anything, she was withdrawn. I had the distinct feeling she had been expecting this to happen at some point.

Detective Holly gently prodded her. “I have a few questions. Will you talk with us?”

She didn’t ask for an attorney and kept talking. That’s all an investigator could hope for.

I was on edge, anticipating Rhea’s refusal to talk. I expected Detective Holly felt the frustration every detective experiences at a slow-to-start interview.

Rhea’s usual arrogance could work in our favor. She viewed us as uninteresting drones who couldn’t trick her into revealing information. That was fine with me.

The waitress walked over toward us, but Rhea waved her off.

I’ve often found that the most powerful people have the fewest friends. She looked lost, lonely. My guess was she didn’t have anyone to confide in. Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg looked like someone without a friend in the world.

Then she started to cry. It sounds horrible, but I had been waiting for this moment of vulnerability, when her guard fell. She used a napkin to blow her nose. Her eyes were watery and red.

I leaned on the table a little and said, “Are you okay?”

After another mild honk into the napkin, Rhea nodded.

I had to keep going. If Rhea didn’t talk, I had nowhere else to look. At least not before I got sent home to New York. I felt my stomach tighten with anxiety as I looked into Rhea’s face. I honestly couldn’t tell if she was going to break or not.

I said, “I know you were close with Emily Parker. You and your husband both. Was it the same way with Michelle?”

I didn’t know exactly what cord that hit, but it hit hard. Rhea sucked in some air and stared at me like I had slapped her across the face.

Then she started to sob.





Chapter 89



Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg recovered faster than I thought she would. In less than thirty seconds, she was wiping her nose with the same soggy napkin and looking up like she was waiting for more questions.

It was Detective Holly who was able to strike a hammer blow to Rhea’s confidence by playing up the evidence. “We have a DNA match. Your DNA was found on Michelle Luna’s body. It could only have come from you during the struggle with Michelle.”

Rhea didn’t deny any of it.

Detective Holly said, “Were you reacting to a threat from Michelle?”

Solving a homicide in Baltimore was important. But now that the conversation was focusing almost exclusively on Michelle Luna, I worried I might not get a chance to ask anything more about Emily Parker.

Rhea chose that moment to look at me and say, “I love my husband. I love him more than anything.”

All the detectives stared at one another in acknowledgment that Rhea’s nonsensical statement had come out of left field.

Rhea turned to Detective Holly and said, “Men can be fickle. They certainly don’t like to share the same way women do.” Then she was silent.

What the hell was she talking about? I caught a look from Detective Holly. She was as confused as I was.