Sean listened to the story, trying to step back. Lisa /Karen wasn't a friend, but a suspect. This entire story could be bullshit and she could be a cold blooded killer trying to get herself out of trouble. She could be telling the truth. Why say anything at all? She might have felt more and more certain she'd be found out and made a preemptive strike.
Then Chelsea asked the big question.
"I don't know." Sean looked at Karen. She'd been under his nose all this time, and not once did she come across as anything but a caring, dependable young woman. How much was a lie? "No crime is perfect. A criminal always leaves a trail of some sort." But it couldn't always be put together.
"Running was the worst thing you could have done." Panic was normal. Her head wouldn't have been screwed on too straight at thew time if she was telling the truth. "If you'd called the cops then, and hadn't touched the money, prints would have worked in your favor against an embezzlement conviction. Depends on your level of computer skill how that evidence would have worked." Sean ran a hand through his hair. "The killings would have been harder to prove. A woman comes home to find her husband and best friend are not only having an affair but framing her... it's really easy to see an intentional double homicide."
He wasn't about to lie. Not in front of any of the women present. "That's where sitting there and calling the cops would have also helped. But there's no going back in time." At least last time he'd checked. Who knew what was gonna happen next on this ship from hell. It seemed to change the accepted rules of reality daily.
"The kind of money you're talking about would not be released from a bank without the person making the withdrawal being present. You're friend would have had to have gone to a branch of your bank you didn't usually work through and make the withdrawal personally, including several signatures. She'd be on surveillance tapes, even in disguise, and no forgery is perfect. If you're story holds, that wouldn't be your problem. In the end a trace of your office computers to what terminals where used to skim funds times you were in the office, all the resat, they'd have been caught."
No, her problem was worse. The killings. "Waiting will have allowed any signs of the struggle you had to have faded or disappeared. Bruises, abrasions... They had to have gotten the gun somewhere. Its origins would have to be traced to link it to her or your husband." Not always easy, but if neither had any priors or real criminal sophistication, they would have made mistakes.
Sean was too close to this one. His judgment was compromised. "Li... Karen... I'm officially putting you under arrest as of now. I've told you your rights before, do you understand them? You need to get a lawyer. However..." here was the fun part, "we aren't in American waters. I have no idea where we are. The ship is in an American line, so my jurisdiction is limited. There's no brig, no security, and as far as we know at the moment, no Captain. I'm placing you on your own recognizance within the confines of this vessel until such time as we reach port, or until you prove to be a danger to any persons on board this vessel. At no time are you to be alone other than within the confines of a private bathroom. You must have a witness to your whereabouts at all times."
Not really a big problem seeing as how everyone should be buddied up and never alone anyway. "Those in this room and a select few others will be made aware of your story and position, but everything will be done with the intent of keeping you're status of being under house arrest under wraps. This is for your safety. We have a killer on board, who killed when you were accounted for. But people are easily panicked and look for scapegoats. So it's best to keep this as quiet as possible for now."