Of course

To Rick's surprise, the detective he was shown in to see was female. With her dark hair and blue eyes, she presented a striking appearance. With her long legs, breasts that had to be at least a D-cup size, and slender waist, she had to be the center of fantasy for most of the police force... both male and female.

She gestured to a pair of chairs in front of her desk. "I'm Detective O'Sullivan. Can I get you some coffee?"

"Sure," Eliza said. "I got called away from an important meeting and missed my second cup."

The detective looked unhappy at Eliza answering but she waved down a clerk and ordered three coffees.

"Now, Mr. Peters," she said when they all had settled down with what, in Rick's opinion, was the worst coffee the world had ever tasted. He doubted many would dare ask for a refill. "Last night at around two o'clock, you received a text from Mrs. Hughes saying she needed to meet with you right away. Is that correct?"

He looked at Eliza who nodded to go ahead. "No, Detective O'Sullivan. I received the text about an hour ago. I didn't check to see when Mrs. Hughes sent it but it's possible it was at two last night."

"What, exactly, were you doing at two last night?"

"I was--" Again he looked at Eliza who glared at him for starting to answer without permission but gave him the go-ahead nod. "I imagine I was sleeping. I know I don't have to explain to you that texts are an asynchronous mode of communication. When she sends and when I receive--"

"I know what asynchronous means, Mr. Peters."

He wasn't sure if he should be surprised.

"Shortly after texting you, Mrs. Hughes was murdered. Do you expect me to believe that is a coincidence? Especially as you were in close contact with another woman who was murdered yesterday and are associated with an arson investigation last night."

Again he waited for permission. Eliza looked at him and shrugged.

Well, he wanted to answer this one. "Both Barbara and Mrs. Hughes were clients at Kat's Boxing Emporium and Gym. The gym is attempting to empower women to be strong and capable of defending themselves if they come under assault. I would say that there are those in Texas who find strong women to be threatening. You may not know but the owner, Kat, proved how strong women can be by out-boxing a male bodybuilder at the launch party. A world where women can fight back is not a world every male, or frankly every female, wants to see."

Detective O'Sullivan was taking notes so that was good. "So you seriously expect me to believe that you're just an innocent victim in all of this?"

"Can I answer?" He asked that of Eliza.

Eliza shrugged again.

"Okay, the answer is yes, Detective O'Sullivan. Barbara was my client. I anticipated making money from her, helping her become stronger. Mrs. Hughes was my client. I anticipated making money by helping her become stronger. The gym was my employment. I anticipated making a good living helping lots of women become stronger. Now I have no clients and no place of employment. So, yes, I'd say I've been hit hard by this. If that makes me a victim, I guess that's what it makes me."

"Two in the morning is a strange time to call a personal trainer, wouldn't you say?"

"Are you asking my client to speculate on the victim's mental state when she texted him?" Eliza broke in. Because I believe he's already told you he didn't receive the text until this morning."

"Do you often get texts from clients at two in the morning?"

Eliza gave him the go-ahead nod and so Rick answered. "I don't know. I answer my texts in the morning after breakfast. Today I was running a little late because the Plano police took me and two of my associates to the location of the burned gym."

"Yes, speaking of that, where were you at two last night?"

Eliza nodded. She also looked like she might be personally interested in hearing Rick's answer. Which wasn't what he wanted.

Oh, well, lying seemed likely to get him in more trouble. "I was with my associates, Kat and Usha."

"All night?"

"Yes, we were celebrating the gym's opening and it got late."

O'Sullivan sighed. "So, who would want to kill Mrs. Hughes?"

"You're asking my client to speculate again."

O'Sullivan reached over and flipped a switch. "Okay, we're off the record. Right now I'm inclined to buy your story. You had no motive I can see for killing these ladies and you seem smart enough to have distanced yourself from them if you did have a motive. But who the hell would want to kill Olivia Hughes. She was a housewife, for goodness sake."

"Perhaps someone was trying to get her husband," Rick said. "bio-DNA is a highly successful company. I'm sure that there are hurt feelings, angry competitors, disgruntled..." he tailed off. He did not want to suggest disgruntled former employees but he'd just walked into it. Well shit. He should have listened to Eliza and stuck to answering direct questions as simply as possible.

"That is something to consider," O'Sullivan said. "Please do not leave Texas. I'd hate to have to send the Rangers after you."

"Yeah, I wouldn't like that much either."

"Please note," Eliza said, "that my client gave this interview voluntarily. It is our hope that the police swiftly identify, locate and arrest the perpetrator of this apparent murder." She stood, gestured to Rick, and walked out with him following, wondering if he was going to make it out of the building or if someone would tackle him and let him know he was arrested.

Back in the car, Eliza glared at him. "Are you stupid or was all your blood in your dick from staring at that detective's huge knockers."

"Maybe both."

"Thanks to your brilliance, you've given them a motive. They'll be all over that, talking to everyone you've been in touch with over the past week. And my bet is, they'll find people you talked to about wanting revenge on bio-DNA."

"I never said I wanted to hurt Olivia. I liked Olivia."

"This is the police," she said. "They find their perp and then go out looking for evidence to convict him. And there's always enough evidence to convict anyone, especially here in Texas where cops can do no wrong."

"Okay, I was an idiot. But she could have figured out that motive on her own."

"She could have but you handed it to her." Eliza sighed again. "Okay, I'm going to drop you off at my sister's place because I have to get some work done so I don't get fired like you. But tonight we're going to have a long talk."

"Fair enough."

A long talk definitely did not sound like the sisters threesome he'd so often dreamed of.