In Death 26 - Strangers in Death

financials did.”
    “Then, as you have the information already, yes, she’s a client.”
    “And the services you provide her?”
    “Dallas, you know I can’t. You know there has to be confidentiality between me and a client. I can’t discuss the arrangement without her consent. Sit down, will you?” He said it wearily. “I’m getting a drink. Do you want anything?”
    “We’re fine, Charles.” Roarke nudged Eve to a chair while Charles crossed to a sleek wet bar.
    “How was he killed?”
    “In bed, in what appears to be a sexual bondage and erotic asphyxiation accident.”
    “Oh Christ.” Charles dropped ice into a short glass, poured whiskey over it. “Ava—”
    “Wasn’t there,” Eve finished, and waited while he took the first sip. “It doesn’t seem to surprise you—the manner of death, that his wife wasn’t there. Would that be because she wasn’t into the kink, or was too good at it to mess it up?”
    “You’ll want to ask her that. You’re putting me in a position, Dallas.”
    “How many did you put Ava in?”
    He laughed, quick and amused, and the tension in his face dissolved. “You’ll have to ask her that, too.”
    “How about this? How did she come to be a client?”
    “Referral.” With the whiskey, he crossed back over, slid into a chair. “And no, I’m not going to tell you who. Not without consent. Dallas, my reputation and integrity hinge on consent, and on trust.”
    Eve sat back, debated different angles. “You’d be, arguably, an expert on relationships.” When he laughed again, shook his head, she lifted her hands. “What? You trade in relationships. You told me once it’s not only the sex, but the relationship the client pays for.”
    “True enough.” And the strain was back on his face. “Yes, that’s true enough.”
    “Charles, it’s not my business,” Roarke interrupted, “but as a friend I’ll ask if everything’s all right between you and Louise?”
    Charles looked at Roarke. “Yes, thanks. Everything’s very all right between me and Louise.”
    “Now that we cleared that up,” Eve said, “let’s try it this way. Hypothetically, why would a woman, in a long-term, ostensively happy marriage seek the services of a licensed companion? And seek them on a regular basis.”
    “Hypothetically.” Charles nodded. “It might be that the woman has needs, desires, even fantasies that aren’t or can’t be met within the marriage.”
    “Why?”
    Now he blew out a breath. “It might be that a woman isn’t comfortable seeking those needs and so on from her spouse, or the spouse isn’t comfortable or able to fulfill them. It might be by satisfying those needs with a professional, safely and confidentially, the marriage partners are more content. Not every marriage, however successful, gives both partners complete emotional or sexual satisfaction.”
    “So what, they stay together to have conversation over dinner?”
    “It might be as simple as that, but it’s usually considerably more complex. The fact is, sex, particularly a certain type of sex, is only one part of a relationship. I can’t give you details, Dallas. Not without Ava’s consent. If you get it, I’ll be happy to talk to you again.”
    “Okay.” That would have to do. “Don’t contact her, Charles. If she tries to contact you, I’d appreciate it if you’d dodge until I’ve had a go with her on this.”
    “All right. I can do that.”
    “Good enough.” Eve rose. “I’ll be in touch. Hi to Louise and all that.”
    “I’ll tell her.” He stood, leaned over to kiss Eve’s cheek.
     
    I don’t get it. I don’t get it.” Eve frowned through the windshield as Roarke drove home. “I know he’s right, I know it’s true, but I don’t get it.”
    “Precisely what would it be?”
    “How you can have the sex outside marriage, and that’s just hunky with everybody involved? Why bother with the marriage thing?”
    “Finances, companionship, habit, security, status.”
    “Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.”
    “You really should learn to form more definite opinions.”
    “And the other thing, that she can’t get all her jollies from within the marriage? Okay, true—I hear this all the time, especially after he kills her or vice versa, but what crap.” Sheer annoyance had her slumping down in her seat. “If you didn’t have the sex buzz, you shouldn’t have hooked up.”
    “Sometimes the buzz changes frequencies for one of the partners.”
    “Okay. All