Mr.Kinn was a tall, slim man, and he looked awkward sitting beside Diana as if he’d only just learned to sit that morning.
"Let’s start with an alibi," Moore said."Can you prove that you were at your workplace all of last night, because we’re now dealing with a multiple homicide?"
Diana stared straight ahead at Detective Moore, but it was her lawyer who spoke.
"My client maintains that shewasat her place of work last night, and she didn't leave the building after she got there at 5 pm yesterday until you visited this morning.However, we also have no way to corroborate that, as all of the others working on the Judge Greene article left at 7 pm last night, leaving Miss Shepherd alone in the building.However, I would urge you to check her laptop and the text editor she used to write the article, which might have a version history that proves she was compiling the articles at the time—the times when both victims were killed."
Moore wrote something in her notebook."We will check that, but they won't prove she was in the bundling last night, so we essentially have no alibi at the moment."
"Yes, that’s correct," the lawyer said plainly.
"Okay, and two nights previous, Miss Shepherd," Moore continued."Where were you that night?"
"I was at home all night," Diana said.
"Alone?"Moore asked.
"Yes," Diana said, looking down at the table.She looked at her lawyer, her teeth making a scraping sound as she ground them.
"My client wishes it to be known that she had no idea something had happened to Judge Greene or any of the other victims until she got to the station two hours ago," the lawyer said."She also wants it on record that she could never put another through what she went through when her husband and child were taken from her."
Detective Moore tore a blank page from her notebook and passed it across the table with a pen.
"I’d like you to write that down," Moore said."Write down that you didn't kill anyone and you would never do that."
"What?"Diana asked, looking at Moore again.
"I want it in writing," Moore said.
Alison knew what the detective was doing.She wanted a handwriting sample to compare against the four notes left at the four crime scenes.It would never hold up in court, but it was interesting to see if the handwriting matched.
"We have four people dead," Moore continued while Diana scribbled on the torn page."All four of them were involved in the trial of Michael Hartman.Did you know that, Miss Shepherd?"
"Yes, I know that," she replied before passing the page and pen back to Moore.
The detective picked up the paper, looked at it, then grunted and placed it on the table.
"When we asked at your place of work if you knew Langford and Holland, you didn't mention that they were involved in the trial," Moore said.
"I didn't have time to tell you.I never had anything from you," Diana claimed."You asked if I knew them, and I told you that I have been outspoken against them both.Then you pressed me some more, and I was scared.I’ll admit that.I’m happy to talk with you now.I don't know, they were a part of the trial, just like Judge Greene was.And I know Dr.Cross was a witness for the prosecution."
"You must hold some hate for them," Alison said.
"I did," Diana admitted."I still do.I’m willing to admit that.I don't mourn their deaths, but I won't celebrate them either.It’s a horrible thing to happen to anyone.I know what it’s like, and I know the pain."
"Pain that can drive someone to do awful things," Moore pointed out.
"Or good things," Diana said."We’re changing the way things are done, and that takes time.I know how easy it would be to have a knee-jerk reaction, but that would only set us back.I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize all the work we’ve done to come as far as we have."
"How about the Michael Hartman?"Alison asked, pushing."Are you angry at him?"
"This has nothing to do with the recent murders," the lawyer said."You’re trying to antagonize my client.Anything she says now will be under duress and inadmissible in court.I’d ask you to move on to more relevant questions."
"It’s fine," Diana said."I have nothing to hide.I hated him.There’s nothing he could have ever said or done to make things right.He murdered my family in cold blood, and I don't care whether he knew what he was doing or not, or whether he was in control of himself, but he deserved to go to jail for the rest of his life.If he had, more people wouldn’t have had to needlessly die."
"What do you mean?"Alison asked.
Diana sat forward."What do you know about Hartman?"She was curious, not judgmental.