Alien in the House

conveniently blame Eugene’s straying on. And then Eugene takes up with Pia Ryan, who is also prettier than Lydia and who is also Lydia’s rival for a position she really wants.”
    “How dare you accuse me of anything?” Lydia snapped.
    “It’s pretty easy. You’re not exactly acting like you’re mourning. You’re celebrating, and I don’t think it’s because my daughter just turned one. You saw a chance to turn the tables on everyone and have your cheating husband kill the husband of his first mistress, ensuring that his current mistress would fall out of favor with the big boss.”
    “You have no proof of these ridiculous claims. I’ll sue you for defamation.”
    “The press is eyeing us,” Cliff said in a low voice. “I’m going to get them out of here.” He headed off.
    “That only works if you’re not found guilty.” Looked at my watch. “And, I’m betting that in about fifteen minutes, you’re going to be found guilty.” I looked at Gadoire. “Or you are.”
    “Excuse me?” he sounded shocked out of his mind.
    “I’m not sure if she’s been staying with you all this time because the evidence is at her house, or if she’s been staying with you because the evidence is being planted at your house. If I were a betting girl, which I am, I’d say your house. Which is why we got more than one warrant.”
    “It’s Christmas Day,” Lydia snapped. “There’s no way you could get a warrant that fast.”
    Chuckie’s phone beeped. “Gotten that fast and then some,” he said. “Police in Silver Spring just finished searching Pia Ryan’s house. They found no arsenic, but they did find botulism toxin, in packets identical to the one I found on Eugene after he poisoned Santiago.”
    His phone beeped again. “D.C. police just finished searching Gadoire’s place. There’s a small stash of arsenic and some other very suspicious things. Heading to the Montgomery house now. I wonder what they’ll find?”
    He pulled handcuffs out of his inner pocket. “Lydia Montgomery, I’m arresting you on suspicion of murder and conspiracy.” He slammed the cuffs on her, then pulled out another set. Sometimes I wondered how he carried all the metal and still seemed to saunter everywhere.
    “I want my lawyer,” Lydia said.
    Chuckie smiled. “I’m not taking you to the police. You’re going somewhere much more special. But you won’t be alone. Guy Gadoire, you’re under arrest on suspicion of murder and conspiracy.”
    “Chuckie . . . one moment before you put those cuffs on.” I looked at Gadoire. “Guy, will this arrest cause issues for you?”
    “Hell, yes,” Vance answered for him. “Being arrested for something cool or acceptable, that’s one thing. Being arrested for murdering a bunch of people because you were sleeping with Lydia Montgomery? That’s career death.”
    Guy looked panicked. “Please, Mister Reynolds, you have to believe me—”
    I put up my hand. “Chuckie, I’d take it as a deep,
personal
favor if you’d wait to arrest Guy until we’re a hundred percent
sure
that he was involved in any way. Nothing I found suggested it. And I’ll take complete responsibility for him, too.”
    Chuckie and I had known each other since we were thirteen. He knew what I was trying to tell him when I stressed those two words. He nodded slowly and put the cuffs away. “Don’t leave town,” he said to Gadoire. “You’re still a person of interest.”
    Gadoire sagged with relief. “Person of interest is cool,” Vance said reassuringly.
    “Oh, good. Guy, a private word, just for a moment?” He nodded and staggered a couple steps away with me. “Lillian said that you knew why I was calling last night.”
    “Yes, you need a favor.”
    “I need a huge favor, Guy. I need all the bills going through the House and Senate killed or sent back to committee, and I need that to continue to happen until every one of them has the anti-alien wording removed. And it has to happen before January third. I’ll be happy to tell you exactly what needs to come out of each bill if necessary.”
    “Not necessary at all, my dove. I’m happy to do this favor for you.” He glanced at Chuckie. “Especially since you have gone out of your way to defend and protect me.” He turned back to me. “Did she really do all that?”
    “And more. I’d like you to be checked out by our Embassy doctor, to make sure she didn’t, ah, do something to you.” Like turn him into an android. “But,