A Twisted Web - Benoit Blanc

Five - Reveal

The questioning was taking forever - the police and Blanc were still at it hours later. They were certainly thorough, of course, they must be.  This day seemed to be dragging on for forever.

Flora felt a bit better after finishing up her interview.  But, if she had thought that the day started off bad, it got a whole lot worse.

She  was about to go out onto the porch to look through some emails, however heard voices already out there. Elliot, Wagner, Blanc, and Marta.

This made her pause.

"Now Miss Cabrera, I've heard that you have a regurgative reaction to mistruthin'," Blanc was saying.

"Who told you that?" cried Marta. 

"Is it true?"

"Yes.  It's something I've had since I was a kid. Even just the thought of lying - it makes me puke."

"Really? Is Richard having an affair?" Blanc asked.

Flora's heart lurched. What?

"Richard?" repeated Marta, sounding nervous.  "An affair?"

Okay, first Blanc points a murdering finger at her family, and now he was calling her father adulterous? Oh hell no! Who the hell did he think he was?

"I cannot believe you-" Without another thought she stormed out onto the porch - drawn to a sudden halt by the sound of Marta retching.

"Oh shit!" cried Elliot as Marta threw up into a nearby flower pot.

Oh no. 

"My dear girl I am sorry, I assumed you were speaking figuratively," Blanc told Marta.  

"I have Wet-Naps in the car," offered Wagner as Elliot handed Marta his own glass of water.

Blanc handed her a handkerchief.  "Take that. That's quite something, hmm?" He turned to Flora.  "Ms. Drysdale - how much did you hear?"

"Enough." Flora looked to Marta who was wiping her lips, wearing a devastated look.  "Marta-"

"Flora, I'm so sorry," Marta cried, jumping up.  

"Dad's cheating on Mom?"

Marta only nodded sadly.  

"And you knew?"

"Harlan found out, and told me."

"How long?"

"A few months.  At least that Harlan knew.  I don't know how long the affair has been going on for."

This did nothing to reassure her. 

Her father was cheating on her mother. Marta and her 'regurgative reaction' as Blanc had put it had just proven that.

"You're not gonna puke too, are you?" Elliot asked. He and Wagner took a cautious step back. 

"I just might..." She collapsed into an open chair, the world around her spinning.

"Flora, I'm so sorry," Marta said again, but Flora barely heard her.

Poor Mom. "I can't believe it. I just can't believe it..."

"Flora, I'm sorry," Marta said again.

"But you see, I was obviously right, Richard is  having an affair," Blanc told the two officers.  "His father-in-law found out, confronted him about it - 'You tell her, or I will'."

"Okay, but even if that were the case-" said Elliot, pausing when Marta gagged.  "-Even if that were the case, protecting a relationship as a motive? That's weak sauce, you know that."