Chapter 2: Billy Stern’s interview

As Red and I were coming back from lunch, Billy Stern pulled up with his son Taylor. After introductions and handshakes Billy wanted to know what was going on and if there were any new leads in the case.

“Look Billy, Phil wants to go back over everything. He needs to hear what everybody has to say with his own ears. He is a lot better detective than me so maybe he will find something that I missed.

We walked inside and Phil introduced himself to Taylor. Taylor was asked to sit in the lobby while Phil talked to his father alone.

As Phil and Billy sat down, Phil assured Billy that the cameras and the recording devices in that room were turned off. Phil wanted the truth and figured Billy would be more forthcoming if he was not being recorded.

“As I understand it Carmen and Dion were having an affair...”

“No! That’s not how it was. You know what Carmen did for a living, right?”

“She was an editor for a Publishing company?”

“Yes that’s right. She was an English major in college and she got that job when she graduated. It was perfect for her. She could work from home so she could set her own hours.”

“I understand. She was your second wife?”

“My first wife died when Taylor was born. He never knew his mother, only Carmen. We married when he was five years old. He adored her and she loved him like her own son.”

“So how did this thing with Dion start.”

“She was sent this book to proof. She let me read it and well ... you sure no one is listening?”

“I’m sure. Go on.”

“That book. It was really well written and so descriptive! It was about a married woman who had taken a black man as her lover. She described the sex so ... vividly! Carmen let me read it. After reading a chapter Carmen and I would have sex and you know ‘role play’ I guess you call it. Things progressed to the point that one night I asked her if she would like to try it for real.

We talked about it for weeks. Things like what we would do and how we would do it. I told her I did not want to be like the husband in the book. I did not want to sit and watch her with another man. I thought her telling me about it while we made love would satisfy me. She agreed and said that she would feel too self-conscience if I was there watching her. She thought she would be too inhibited. She wanted to really let go, sort to speak, and enjoy the experience.”

“So how did Dion become involved?”

“Dion was my idea. He works as a driver at the Co-op. As manager I handle all the deliveries. One day I heard him talking about not having the money to travel to see his fiancé down at State. I had an idea.

I called him into my office and offered him a deal. I told him my wife wanted to fuck a black man and that I would pay him $100 if he would do it. He agreed if we would keep it quiet and not tell anyone. He did not want his fiancé to find out because he thought she would break up with him if she caught him cheating. That was perfect for us!