"Why did you sleep with him? You can do better than that."
She laughed. "Thanks for the compliment. Right place, right time, I guess. I felt like it. I wanted him to owe me. Hell, I don't know why I did it-it was stupid-just something to do." Dean didn't respond. "What's wrong with that? Jealous? I gave you a chance, didn't I? See, no favoritism between candidates. Offer still stands."
"Sorry to disappoint. I'm happily married."
"You made that silly speech the other night and I'm still not buying. Watch your step-now you're getting to be a challenge."
Dean ignored her repartee. "Did Fitzgerald give you the vodka?" he asked again.
"Yes-as if he had to get me tanked first. He was the one who could have used it. He said something cute like one bottle for before and one for after."
"But you didn't drink it."
"No. It was afternoon and I had to go back on duty. Besides, he doesn't drink and I don't drink alone-unless I'm alone."
"When did he give it to you?"
"The vodka, or his thirty seconds of ecstasy?" Dean smiled. She answered, "What do you think, I write down every present from every guy I have sex with?" Dean didn't answer. Finally Lydia shrugged. "Over the weekend, I guess. Saturday or Sunday."
"Not the Fourth of July?"
"No. Why?" Dean just shook his head. Lydia continued. "But don't worry-Fitz is past history. He's so pissed at me over sticking up for you at the debate, I'm not sure he'd sleep with me if I let him."
"Why wouldn't you let him?" She didn't answer. "Let me guess. You're just as mad at him because you think he hung you out to dry when he didn't answer your call the night Billy was killed." She didn't respond. "Tell me what happened."
"Nothing. Fitzgerald was dead set on busting some kids with booze so he'd have something juicy to brag about at the next day's debate."
"So you were targeting the teenagers?" She nodded. "Billy in particular?" She nodded again and turned away. If there was a tear in her eye, she covered it well. "Why Billy?" Dean asked.
Lydia shrugged. "I don't know. I guess he was 'high profile'- king of the clan or some nonsense like that."
"You didn't answer me the other night when I asked you why the accident freaked you out so much."
She took a deep breath, rose, and began to walk the sunny room. "I had a brother Bobbie, ten years older than me. He cracked up his car, down this gully-nothing like where Billy's went over- but deep enough to flip his car. I was coming home from a movie with some friends and we came up on the accident-it had just happened. We all ran down this ditch to help and then I saw it was Bobbie. He looked scared but I don't think he was hurt badly. He was trying to get out. Just as I ran up to the wreck, it blew. One giant orange ball of flame in seconds. I could see Bobbie silhouetted there." She turned away from Dean. "Billy's wreck woke up some ghosts." He could tell she was crying. "Gotta pee," she said and hurried to the bathroom.