“Did you just call me a dog?” Rachel said.
“No, that’s . . . it’s a figure of speech.”
“I’m not sure you know what figure of speech means.”
“Just shut up. Go home, Ms. Marin.”
“Just look,” Rachel said. She turned the phone’s screen to face Serrano and Tally. “That’s the hanging tag on one of Isabelle Drummond’s coats. This is a Lilly e Violetta Italian wool coat. Retails for about thirty-five hundred dollars. This particular coat was introduced in this year’s line. It’s brand new. Everything in that house is brand new and top of the line.”
“So?” Serrano said. Rachel swiped to the next picture.
“This is a Mischa wool beanie. Retails for seven hundred and fifty dollars. Based on the SKU, this make was also introduced the current year. And you can tell from the slight fraying at the edges that it’s been worn this winter.”
“OK . . .”
Rachel swiped to the next photo. An unattractive, chunky gray winter hat. It looked out of place among the rest of Isabelle Drummond’s pricey apparel.
“This hat was manufactured by a company called Freida. Based on the SKU, it retailed for about fifty dollars. And it’s clearly never been worn. Every thread looks untouched.” Rachel pinched the picture to zoom in on the tag. “See that?”
Serrano leaned in. He shook his head.
“Look at the hole. Where the plastic tag used to be. See how it’s ripped? Like someone tore the plastic tag off instead of cutting it with scissors.”
“Fine, I see what you’re showing me,” Serrano said. “But what does that matter?”
“Whoever took off the tag, they ripped it out with their fingers.”
“So what?” Serrano said. “I do that.”
“Exactly. Now look.” Rachel swiped back to the previous picture and zoomed in. “This is the expensive Mischa beanie. The tag hole here is even. No pulling or stretching of the material. That means somebody trimmed it, delicately. Neat and tidy.”
Rachel swiped through a number of photos. “Every one of these articles of clothing had a hole just like the coat. Isabelle clipped them all herself. A different person removed the tag from the hat. They just ripped it off. Which means . . .”
Tally said, “That Isabelle didn’t buy the Freida hat for herself.”
“Precisely,” Rachel said. “And whoever bought it for her ripped the tag out.”
“That hat,” Serrano said. “When was it produced?”
Rachel smiled. He was catching on.
“Freida went out of business and was liquidated three years ago, right after this particular SKU was manufactured. Which means that hat was almost certainly purchased prior to Constance Wright’s divorce from Nicholas Drummond.”
“So Drummond bought it for her as a present,” Serrano said. “No way Isabelle spends three grand on a coat and fifty bucks on a hat.”
“So you think Drummond bought the Frieda hat for Isabelle?” Tally said.
“Absolutely,” Rachel said. She swiped back to the hat photo. “Look at the wool on the Freida. No fraying. This hat has barely been worn, if ever. Isabelle doesn’t keep it for practical reasons. It has sentimental value to her.”
“Could be a gift from anyone,” Tally said. “An ex.”
Rachel shook her head. “If that fifty-dollar hat was a gift from an ex-boyfriend, no way it’s sitting in the closet in plain sight. She’s tossing that thing out as soon as she gets an engagement ring. And if she still holds a candle for an ex, she keeps it somewhere safe and hidden where her husband won’t find it.”
“If that’s true,” Serrano said, “it could mean Drummond started dating Isabelle Robles before he claims he did in his court filings.”
“Why does that matter?” Tally said.
“Because in his divorce proceedings from Constance Wright,” Serrano said, “Nicholas Drummond received spousal support to the tune of $100,000 a month. He only actually married Isabelle Robles two years ago. Which means there was a period where Drummond may have been dating Isabelle Robles while still raking in $100,000 a month from Constance. So if they were dating for a year, that adds up to . . .”
“One point two million dollars,” Rachel said.
Tally whistled. “If a spouse engages in illicit sexual behavior prior to a legal separation, a court can bar postseparation alimony. If the court knew that Drummond was in a relationship with Isabelle Robles, who has her own money, there’s no way they award Drummond that kind of spousal support. So he hid his relationship with Isabelle to make sure he got paid.”
“If I was Constance,” Rachel said, “and I found out that my ex-husband started dating his rich, practically teenage girlfriend while we were still legally married, and he then took me for a million two under false pretenses, I’d be pretty pissed off. I’d demand he give that money back. With interest. And maybe I’d murder him, too, just for kicks.”
Tally said, “So if Constance did find out and demanded the money back, why wouldn’t Drummond just get it from his new wife? Seems like she could afford it.”
Rachel said, “Nicholas Drummond married a political star, then left her in ruins and married a rich heiress. He’s been indebted to women his whole life. Asking his current wife for a million dollars to pay off his ex-wife would be tantamount to cutting off his dick and flushing it down the toilet.”
“You’re suggesting he’d kill someone before impugning his masculinity,” Tally said, incredulously.
“You ever meet a man?” Rachel replied. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Serrano looked at Tally and said, “A million two is a heck of a motive for Drummond to not want Constance Wright around anymore.”
Tally replied, “Or it’s possible Isabelle bought that hat herself, got drunk, pulled the tag out, and this is all speculative BS.”
Rachel said, “Detective Tally, you saw how she straightened my shoes in the foyer. That house looks like Mary Poppins floats down from heaven and dusts everything twice a day.”
“Still doesn’t prove anything,” Tally said.
“It might prove that Nicholas Drummond lied to save himself a million bucks,” Rachel said.
“Isabelle Robles is loaded,” Tally said. “Why risk so much for one point two mil?”
“Hedging his bets, perhaps,” Serrano said. “He couldn’t be sure he’d marry Isabelle. And even if he was, she probably has a prenup forged by the greatest lawyers money can buy. He’d need cash of his own if the marriage went south.”
“Maybe Isabelle knew about the settlement money, maybe not,” Rachel said. “She was probably happy to stick her head in the sand. But like your partner said, Detective Tally, bilking Constance for one point two million is a pretty good motive for Nicholas Drummond to want something bad to happen to her. Now your job is to prove it.”
“You’re right,” Serrano said. “That’s our job. Not yours.”
“If you two did your job, you wouldn’t need me,” Rachel said. Tally stepped forward, fists clenched. Serrano gently took his partner’s arm, held her back.