“I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken. I’m not hiding anything.”
“You told me that you and Tom began seeing each other secretly about six months ago, is this correct?”
“Yes. I met him by chance on one of my walks and he came back here for coffee. It began then.” She remembered the day with a longing so sharp that Tom might be sitting across from her now. “Tom was going through a personal crisis. He was despondent about work and his life with Laurel. We found we had a lot in common.”
“You also said that you stopped seeing each other. You’d decided to wait until you were both free before moving away together, is this correct?”
“Yes, we agreed not to see each other until we’d taken steps to leave our marriages.”
“Had you begun proceedings before Tom was killed?”
“No. I planned to tell Clinton I was moving out after the Christmas break. I believe if he knew about me and Tom, he would have told me by now.”
“Are you still planning to leave the marriage?”
“There doesn’t seem to be much point now.”
“Has anyone in Tom’s family let on that they knew about your relationship?”
“No. As I told you, we were discreet. I’d also like to thank you for not telling anyone. You know, Detective, I never believed that our affair had anything to do with Tom’s death, or Bennie’s for that matter. Their deaths had to be linked to their work.”
“You may well be right.” Kala turned toward the door. “Here comes Officer Bennett with our tea.”
Clinton followed Bennett into the room. He walked over to Susan. “I’m on my way then. I’ll see you in a few weeks.” He bent down to kiss her cheek. “I’ll call tonight.”
“I’ll be waiting by the phone at the usual time,” she said.
Susan watched the officers leave from behind the curtain in the den. She didn’t know why she’d kept secret that she and Tom had met the night before he went missing. It just felt like the last precious memory she had to hold on to. She didn’t want their last time together to be defiled by the police or to be investigated. Nobody else knew about that night. How could it possibly have anything to do with his murder? She let the curtain drop back into place and stepped back from the window.
Clinton must be half way to Trenton. It was a clear winter day and he should make good time on the highway. She’d planned to clean the house today, but her shoulder ached too much to do any lifting. She’d have a hot bath and curl up with a book. If she felt like it later, she might walk over to Pauline’s to see if she wanted to go to a movie. It would cheer them both up. Then she remembered that it was New Year’s Day. Pauline would be doing something with her family. Normally she was included, but there was nothing normal about this holiday.
Perhaps she’d just slip back into bed for a nap. They’d had a late night at the country club and then Clinton had gone into that tirade after she’d been reluctant to have sex. She should have just given in without telling him she was tired. This time it had been her fault.
She started walking slowly upstairs, undoing her blouse as she went. She winced as she pulled the sleeve down her arm. A sleep and then a bath. The detective seemed awfully concerned with her welfare no matter how many times she told her not to be. Susan stood at the entrance to the bedroom she shared with Clinton and looked at the king size bed for a moment before continuing down the hall. The bed in the smallest spare room was made up and the place she slept when Clinton was away.
The detective didn’t need to be so concerned with her welfare because she wasn’t. If someone wanted to kill her, she’d welcome it. A quick death was preferable to the empty life that lay before her without Tom. It would be considerably better than the miserable existence she was going to have with Clinton if she didn’t work up the energy to leave him. If she could close her eyes and never wake up, she would choose to do so with no regret, no looking back. Death would be a blessing.
34
Friday, February 24, 12:50 p.m.
“‘This time, say the lines as if you’re talking to a superior who’s also a girlfriend. Aim for officious but caring.’ Can you believe the nonsense?” said Kala. She picked up her milkshake and took a slurp. “I would never tell my girlfriend that financial constraints are the reason the department’s murder- solving stats are low. Besides, more resources aren’t the problem. We have to go into investigations with an open mind and screw the politics.”
Whelan grinned. “You’re the only one I know who’s actually questioned the canned message in media training. The important thing though is to pass.”
“Oh, I’ll pass. This afternoon we get our final feedback and a certificate. Then I’ll be the brown face of the department.”
“Well, you’ll be a more refreshing face than the old guy doing it now.”
“That sounds like ageism, Whelan, which is about as pretty as racism.”
“Guilty as charged. We’re a shallow lot, me and my male friends. That includes men of all ages and races. Personally, I’m hoping they put you in a miniskirt.”
Kala laughed. “Are you going to finish that burger? It is your second.”
Whelan lifted it from the table and took a bite. “I’m keeping up my strength. I’m back on the beat, interviewing cab drivers this afternoon.”
“It’s not looking promising, is it?”
“No. We need someone to come forward.”
“No developments on the Underwood and Goldstone murders?”
“Nothing concrete. Of course, I’m just doing grunt paperwork now and not one of those in the know.”
“Almost March already. The trail is cold.”
“The latest theory is that J.P. Belliveau hired someone to kill them. We’re close to arresting him if you believe Grayson.”
“I’d still like to know how Grayson weaseled himself onto the lead team.”
“Grayson will always land on his feet. He’s a self-serving animal. So, have you found an apartment yet?”
“Nope, I’m still at the Y. The place is growing on me. I’ve started using the gym after work now that overtime has ended.”
“Don’t forget we’re having you and the Maliks over for supper Sunday.”
“I’m looking forward to it. The kids are good?”
“Yes, knock on wood. Our lives are back to normal for the moment. I’m just sorry I missed all the excitement over the Christmas holidays. It would have been something to be part of the murder investigations, if only for a week. Lousy timing.”
“I wanted to solve the murders so Rouleau would get credit.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Whelan scrunched up the wrappings from his hamburgers and stood. “Well, time to get back to the office, and you’ll be needing to get your TV star certificate. See you Sunday around six. Don’t bring anything but yourself.”
“I’ll be there. You go ahead. I’m just going to go buy another chocolate shake to take back to the classroom.”
“The camera puts on ten pounds, don’t forget.”
“Whatever gets me out of wearing a miniskirt.”
Kala watched Whelan walk away, then joined the line up in front of the cashiers. This might put her a few minutes late, but it wasn’t like