“She had other lovers: Miss Arnot had her own code of ethics.”
“In confidence, can you give me any names?”
He saw her stiffen, and anger chased the wary expression from her eyes.
“I have no intention of taking part in any smear campaign the District Attorney may be considering,” she said sharply. “If that is all you wish to know, Mr. Conrad, perhaps you will excuse me. I have a lot of work to do.”
“This is not a smear campaign,” Conrad said quietly. “I am investigating a murder, Miss Powell. We’re not entirely satisfied that Jordan did kill Miss Arnot.”
She sat very still, looking at him.
“Then I must have misread the newspapers.”
“I said we were not entirely satisfied,” Conrad said patiently. “On the face of it, it would seem pretty obvious that Jordan did kill her, but we have learned not to accept the obvious. Is it a fact that Miss Arnot and Jack Maurer were lovers?”
She stiffened, and her mouth set in a hard line.
“I don’t know,” she said in a flat, cool voice that was so final Conrad knew he would be wasting his time to press the question.