Chapter three: Secrets and lies.

"Sorry to spoil your weekend," Diane said, "but we have a very delicate situation here. Miss Swift has asked us to represent her."

"If she's guilty we could lose the company account," Alicia reasoned.

Diane nodded thoughtfully. "What if she's innocent?"

"I'll get down there," Alicia said. "See what I can find out."

"No need," said Diane. "She's been released. She's here. In your office."

"Which means they don't have enough evidence," Alicia concluded.

"They're building their case," Diane said. "She's still suspect number one."

Isobel Swift sat cross-legged on the office couch and smiled serenely as Diane and Alicia entered the room. Alicia thought she looked more like the cat that had got the cream, than a woman suspected of murder. The two lawyers took chairs either side of the desk. Alicia decided she'd let Diane do the talking.

"Perhaps you should start from the beginning Miss Swift," said Diane.

"Of course Miss Lockhart."

"Go on," said Diane.

"There's really nothing to tell. I arrived home this morning at seven and I found him on the bed. Dead."

Diane was unimpressed. "And that's it?" she said. Isobel's answer was an expansive shrug of the shoulders. "Well can you at least account for your movements yesterday?"

"Not entirely," she answered.

"Just a minute," Diane said, observing the arrival of Will and Kalinda. "I'll be right back."

"Will, thank God," Diane exclaimed, following him into his office. "Where the hell of you been?"

"Long story," he answered. "Where are we up to with Sweeney?"

"I've just come from the PD," said Kalinda, loitering in the doorway. "They have the murder weapon. A nine mill. It was kept in a locked cabinet in the study. The killer forced open the cabinet, grabbed the gun, went to the bedroom, shot him once at point blank range and returned the gun to the study. The ME says time of death was between three and five pm."

"Prints?" asked Will.

"Wiped clean."

"How did the killer gain access?" asked Diane.

"There was no forced entry," Kalinda replied. "The killer must have had a key. As far as anyone knows, only Sweeney and Miss Swift had keys to the apartment."

"What about cams?" said Will.

"They're going through them, but they'll be nothing from one twenty to six thirty."

"We need to look into that," said Will.

"And did Miss Swift know about the gun?" Diane asked.

"Oh yes," Kalinda confirmed. "She admitted that much."

"So," Will said. "She had opportunity. What about motive?"

"As far as we know he died in testate," Diane said. "Which means it all goes to his son. All fifty million."

"But that's not all," Kalinda said. "Miss Swift sent an email to a friend of hers in which she said; maybe I should kill him before he kills me."

"Okay," Will said. "We need to - "

"Wait," interrupted Kalinda. "There's more. She has no alibi. She told the cops she was with someone, but she won't say who."

Meanwhile:

"I expect you'll miss him as much as anyone Mrs. Florrick." Isobel smiled sweetly, and helped herself to a cup of water.

"What makes you say that," Alicia said, feeling dangerously ill at ease.

"You know he had a thing for you right?"

"Mr. Sweeney was a client," Alicia retorted. "That's all."

"That's not what he said," Isobel teased.

"Look Miss Swift," said Alicia firmly. "Mr. Sweeney is dead. Murdered in all probability. This isn't the time for games."

Isobel chuckled insidiously. "That's just it, Mrs. Florrick. Colin loved to play games. But in the end he lost, in a game of his own making. And by the way," she declared holding out her left hand. "It's no longer Miss Swift. Colin and I were secretly married a week ago in Hawaii. But then, you already knew that didn't you?" Alicia stared at the gold band on Isobel's finger. Sweeney had told her about the marriage when he'd called her, but it was hard to tell with Sweeney, between the truth and the lies. "Naturally I'll be taking control of the company from here on," Isobel asserted.

"Do you think that's wise, Miss – Mrs. Sweeney?"

"It's what Colin would have wanted," Isobel declared. "What a good looking boy he is," she said suddenly, spying Cary through the glass of the office window. "I imagine I could have some fun with him." Alicia said nothing. "Then of course," Isobel went on, "there's that dashing Mr. Gardener. How much imagination do you think I'd need with him?"

Alicia had had enough. "I'll just be a moment," she said.

Cary had joined Diane, Will and Kalinda in Will's office. "Cary, I want you to get down to the power company. I want all the details."

"It's just a coincidence," Cary protested.

"Go," Will commanded.

Alicia joined the party and broke the news. "As his wife she gets everything," she stated, "including his majority stock holding in Herald Equity."

When the telephone rang Diane picked up. "It's the chairman of the board," she whispered loudly.

Two sharp knocks on the door made them all turn their heads. "Detective Burton," he said announcing himself. "I have some questions." Burton singled out Kalinda with the force of his stare, and she returned the look, in spades.

"Mrs. - Miss Swift will not be - " Will began.

"I haven't come to question Mrs. Sweeney," Burton interrupted. "I need to ask you some questions Mrs. Florrick."

Kalinda walked Cary to the elevator. "Is Alicia in trouble?" Cary asked.

"She might have been if she hadn't cancelled the meet," Kalinda replied.

"That's a relief," he said. And then, registering her cold look of disapproval: "Come on Kalinda. How was I to know there was a psycho on the loose?"

"Why did you cancel?" she demanded.

Cary stopped at the elevator door and lowered his voice. "Sweeney called me. He made it quite clear my presence was not required. And he told me not to tell Alicia."

Alicia escorted Mrs. Sweeney to Diane's office. When her phone rang it was Zach. "Mom, where have you been? Didn't you get my message?"

"I'm sorry Zach, it's been hectic. I'll call you back. I promise."

"So, Mrs. Florrick," Burton said cheerfully, when Alicia returned to her office. "Just like old times."

"Not exactly, Detective." Alicia said coolly.

"No. Not exactly. This time it's Sweeney on the wrong end of a bullet."

Alicia smiled severely. "How can I help?" she said.

"You visited Mr. Sweeney at his apartment yesterday afternoon just after one o'clock. Is that right?"

"No, it's not."

"Are you sure Mrs. Florrick? Would you like some time to re-consider your answer?"

Alicia knew she had to stay calm, but inside she was a mess. "I was scheduled to meet Mr. Sweeney, but I called it off."

Burton stared into her eyes unblinking. "Take a look at this," he said finally, removing a laptop from his briefcase. Alicia braced herself. The film showed her getting out of her car across the street from Sweeney's place. Then, there she was again on the sidewalk making a call, after which the screen went mercifully blank.

"So, you didn't enter the building," Burton said.

"No."

"What made you change your mind?"

"Second thoughts. I think we both remember what happened the last time I visited Mr. Sweeney unaccompanied."

Burton looked at her askance. "Who else knew about this meeting?" he asked.

Alicia despaired, but there was no room to manoeuvre. Will and Diane were sure to find out, but there was no point in involving Cary. "No one," she declared.

"Any reason for the secrecy?"

"Yes."

"Would you care to elaborate Mrs. Florrick?"

"No."

Burton scowled. "What about the gun?" he asked.

"Gun?" she replied.

"The nine millimetre Glock that was locked in the study cabinet. You knew about that didn't you?"

"No, of course not. How would I?"

"Because, Mrs. Sweeney told you about it."

"That's a lie," Alicia stated.

"So, where were you yesterday between one twenty and six thirty pm?"

"I went straight home. I wasn't feeling well. I spent a quiet afternoon – in bed."

"Can you verify that?"

"My associate, Miss Sharma was with me – at my apartment I mean."

Burton raised his eyebrows. "That would be Kalinda Sharma?"

"Yes."

"Don't leave the country Mrs. Florrick," he warned.

"What was that all about?" demanded Will, when Burton had departed.

Alicia wanted to throw herself on his mercy. She wanted to say she was being framed for murder and to beg him for his help. But instead, she said simply: "A misunderstanding."

Will wasn't about to let it go, but his phone interrupted him. "That was Cary," he said, when he'd finished the call. "There's been another murder. A sub station worker. Cary thinks he was somehow involved in the power outage."

"Does this have a bearing on the case?" Alicia asked.

"I don't know," Will answered. "What now?" he said, looking over Alicia's shoulder. Kalinda made her way towards them, with another woman in tow, a young, attractive looking brunette.

"This is Miss True," announced Kalinda. "Miss Bell True. She has something interesting to tell us about that email."

"Okay," Will said. "We'll use my office. Alicia, you'd better come too."

Alicia answered her phone, expecting it to be Zach again, but it wasn't. "Mrs. Florrick?" said the muffled voice of a man.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"I have the disc Mrs. Florrick. We need to get together."

"Problem?" Kalinda asked, as the colour drained from Alicia's cheeks.