Chapter two: Kalinda to the rescue.

Alicia got dressed and went over to the TV. The disc drive was empty.

Elsewhere:

"That was incredible," he said, turning over on to his back.

"You were incredible," Isobel said. She snuggled up to his warm body and rested her head on his chest. "So, are you glad you came?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Only, you sounded a little reluctant when I called you."

"Well, I did have something on, but compared to an engagement in your bed Miss Swift? No contest."

"I love it when you call me Miss Swift."

"Well, somehow I just don't see you as Mrs. Sweeney."

"And what if I was Mrs. Sweeney?" she teased. "Would you be too moral to have an affair with a married woman?"

"Normally yes," he answered emphatically. "But in your case, I'd definitely make an exception."

Isobel moved on top of him and rubbed her body against him. "My, my," she said. "I think something's stirring down there."

And then:

"A single shot to the head," Kalinda concluded. "Neat."

"Kalinda," Alicia said, "we have to get out of here."

"We have to call it in," Kalinda urged.

"No!" Alicia insisted. "We can't. I couldn't face talking to the police."

"Why not?"

"Because," Alicia said, her voice cracking with emotion, "he raped me."

Kalinda was stunned. "What?" she breathed.

"He raped me Kalinda," Alicia said, fighting back the tears. "He raped me."

Kalinda's famous composure momentarily deserted her, but she quickly recovered her wits. "All right," she said calmly. "Put these on," she ordered, producing a pair of latex gloves from her coat pocket. "Where did he -?"

"In the bed," Alicia replied in a whisper.

"Then we'll need the sheets," Kalinda declared. She instructed Alicia to recall all of her movements in the apartment and to wipe her prints from any surfaces she may have touched. Kalinda found a clean sheet in the bottom of the bedroom wardrobe and spread it out on the floor. Then, as carefully as possible, she pulled the sheets off the bed from beneath the dead man's body, flinching involuntarily, as the bloodied head bobbed lifelessly on the mattress. She removed the pillows, dumped the whole lot into the clean sheet wrapper and then noticed the carving knife poking out from under the bed. Alicia made sure there were no traces of her presence in the bathroom, and she wiped clean the handle of the door. She picked up the teacup and the discarded robe, and returned to the bedroom. "What this?" Kalinda demanded, holding up the knife.

"I – I," Alicia stammered.

"Wipe it clean," Kalinda ordered, "and put it back where you found it. What's that?" she demanded, staring at the cup in Alicia's hand.

"It was the tea," she said. "He must have drugged the tea." Kalinda added the cup and the robe to her pile and tied the bundle into a ball.

"The street cams," Alicia said when she returned from the kitchen. "I'll be on tape."

"What time did you get here?"

"I don't know – I - "

"Think!"

"I was late. I was waiting for Cary – it was one nineteen on my phone, I remember."

"And how long after that did you enter the building?"

"I don't know, maybe a minute."

"Quite a coincidence," said Kalinda. "The power's been out all over the district since twenty past one."

"No," Alicia protested, wincing with the pain of the memory. "The TV was on."

"Probably a back up system. Come on," she said, "let's get the hell out of here."

Kalinda took care of the items removed from the apartment, and then drove directly to Alicia's place. "Where are the kids?" she asked, as Alicia, her hand shaking slightly, poured two large glasses of wine.

"They're at Peter's place," she replied.

Kalinda put her hand on Alicia's arm and looked into the eyes of her friend. "Best to let it go," she said.

"No," Alicia retorted. "I'm okay." She took a large mouthful of the wine, and immediately replenished her glass.

Kalinda took a seat at the bench. "So," she said. "What happened?"

"After I drank the tea," Alicia began, "I felt really – strange. The next thing I remember I was in bed – naked. He was there - Sweeney."

"And then?"

"I had to use the bathroom. I threw up, and then - I found him – like that."

"You didn't see anyone? Anyone else in the apartment?"

"No."

"Did you hear anything?"

"No!" she answered, raising her voice, and then: "I'm sorry."

"Come on," Kalinda soothed. "Let's get you in the shower."

"I'm so sorry I got you into this," Alicia said, wearily climbing into bed.

Kalinda pulled the bedclothes over her. "It's all right," she said. "I'll stay over. We'll talk in the morning." When Kalinda's phone rang it was Cary.

"Hi," he said. "Where are you?"

She was hardly in the mood for his demands. "What do you want Cary?" she said tersely.

"Just wondering if you'd caught up with Alicia. She's not answering her phone."

"I just saw her. She's fine."

"Oh good. I'm feeling guilty I guess. I had to cancel on her."

"Cancel?"

"Yeah, we were supposed to meet Sweeney."

"So, why did you cancel?"

"My dad. You know, another crisis."

"Sure." She hung up.

Alicia strode purposefully into the bedroom, jumped up on top of him and thrust the blade deep into his chest, again and again and again, lacerating the pale skin and piercing the flesh, rivulets of blood spattering her face, clogging her eyes. She screamed and sat bolt upright. Kalinda vaulted off the couch and burst into the bedroom. "It's all right Alicia," she said firmly. "It's alright." Kalinda threw her arms around her friend and held on tight, as Alicia convulsed with tears.

"I was going to do it," Alicia murmured. "I lost my mind. I was going to kill him. I wish I had!"

"You're safe now," Kalinda assured her. "It's over. You're safe. You're safe with me."

A single, silent tear rolled slowly down Kalinda's cheek.

When Alicia checked her phone in the morning, there were messages from Zach and from Jackie. "Coffee?" Kalinda asked, as Alicia walked into the kitchen. The phone rang before she could answer. She showed Kalinda the screen, which read: DIANE. "Answer it," Kalinda said.

"Hi Diane. What? Oh my God. Yes of course, right away. No I haven't. Okay."

"They've found him?" Kalinda surmised.

"Yes. Isobel Swift's been arrested."

Kalinda's eyes widened. "That makes sense," she said.

Alicia was doubtful. "Does it?" she said.

"You can do this Alicia," Kalinda said. "You were never there and you've done nothing wrong."

"Yes," Alicia agreed. "I'll be fine. Oh, one other thing. Diane said Will's not answering his phone. She said she's being trying to reach him since yesterday afternoon."