He doubted any of that was true. "Sorry for your loss. We've a suspect in custody, Raymond Reid. Have you heard of him?"

"Save the nonsense Chip, it annoys me. It's all over the papers. I'm glad that man is behind bars. That's exactly where he belongs. That's why you're here isn't it? Shall we start over?"

"Sorry Mrs. Dellin. Your name came up."

"Which town bitch talked about me this time?"

"It was in Reid's statement. How did you meet him?"

"Megan Emerson's little soirée a week ago," she answered. "He came on to me. I guess you'd say I let him pick me up. How about that? First time for everything, they say. He was new in town and I was a little high. I felt sorry for him, so I agreed. It might be an amusing way to end the evening. While we were driving to his apartment, he started talking crudely. I had second thoughts. I said I had a headache and asked him to take me home. He became angry and then started his pitiful begging. As a result, I went along with it, sort of a mercy thing, if you know what I mean."

He made notes. "You were intimate?"

"None of your business, yet I suppose I can't deny it. I've never done anything like that before. An after-party fling for me. He considered it the start of the romance of the century. I never dreamed he'd get serious. When he took me home, he wanted to come in. No gentleman would act in that manner. I had terribly misjudged him. I was frightened. I didn't let him in. He phoned me the next morning. Said he loved me, for God's sake, imagine. Pathetic. I tried to be civil at first, but he kept calling. During the week, he showed up at my door. He was actually right out there on my front porch. I didn't call the police, because I didn't want to admit I'd been with such a person."

"You met him later at the Inn Towner. Poolside I understand."

"Of course not poolside, but I did meet him there. I didn't know what else to do. By then I was certain he was stalking me. There were times when he was here, outside my house, late at night trying to watch me. I couldn't go on with that. Indeed, the next time he phoned, I agreed to meet him at a neutral location. I didn't dare to go to his apartment. He might tie me up and do whatever those men do. I thought I could explain I had no interest in him and could let him down gently, so we met at the Inn Towner. I suppose it's difficult to understand."

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