Who is the Other Woman?

"A few minutes ago, you answered 'yes and no' when I asked you if something had happened. To me, that implies more than one event. Am I wrong?"

She gave a half-laugh. "No, you're exactly right. And perceptive. Last night, that police sergeant, I think his name is Stone, called me."

"That's never good news. What did he want?"

"I told you yesterday that the police have been asking about any prescriptions my husband was taking."

"I remember."

"Well, this Sergeant Stone was asking about a specific one. Something that sounded like rope-in-all."

I felt my eyes open wider. This was getting interesting. "Could it be Rohypnol?"

"Yes, I believe that's right. What is it?"

"It's a sedative. The generic name is flunitrazepam. It's the so-called 'date rape' drug. It makes a person seem drunk and causes partial amnesia. It's sometimes used to treat extreme anxiety, but not in the United States. It's illegal here. And, in case you're wondering why I would know so much about something like Rohypnol, someone used it on a client I represented about five years ago."

Her tone changed, as if she'd smiled. "Thank you for the explanation. But what on earth would that have to do with Karl?"

I thought it over, remembering what Hal Gross had told me. "I'm guessing that they found some of it in his bloodstream. Or on his person."

"Are you serious? Things were going very well for Karl. He wasn't suffering from anxiety. Why would he be taking something like that?"

"That, Ms. Markowsky, is precisely why the police are asking you about it…"