years.
Strange. He seemed to really care about his
sister. Why leave and never bother to come home for a visit? Was he
so career-driven he could just forget about his family?
It wasn’t as if his family was anything like
hers.
Less said about them, the better.
Chapter Nine
The Canandaigua Police Department wasn’t used
to major crimes, and the lack of activity in the waiting room
showed it. In fact, they weren’t used to much crime at all. Alex
showed his ID to the desk sergeant and asked to see his
brother-in-law. They directed him back to an interview room. He
stood in the hall and observed Brad through the two-way mirror.
His usually well-pressed brother-in-law
looked like he could use a few hours of sleep. His eyes were a
bleary red, and his five o’clock shadow darkened his cheeks. For
the moment, he was alone, and his fingers beat a steady tattoo on
the table top. The door opened, and Brad jumped as if startled
awake.
Detective Spitz strutted into the small room
and sat. “Come on, Stinnett. Give it up. What did you do with your
wife? How’d it go, you got in an argument and lost your temper?
That happens, you know. We all lose our tempers with our wives.
Geez, they can really be bitches.”
Brad straightened his back and said patiently
as if speaking to a child, “I told you, Detective. I was in New
York City at a conference.”
“Yeah, about that. No one really remembers
you being there from about five o’clock on until we located you
this morning. You had plenty of time to get back to your wife’s
office and do away with her. Hell, maybe you even offed her at
home. Have some help from that hot little office manager of hers?
Can’t say as I blame you if you sampled some of that.” With a
knowing smirk, Spitz nodded. “Yeah.”
Spitz’s technique was right-on, and if the
detective hadn’t been talking about people Alex knew, he would have
approved of the line of questioning. But he did know them, and
tension gathered in his midsection. His jaw clenched.
“I didn’t have anything to do with my wife’s
disappearance. I love my wife.”
Beads of sweat collected on Brad’s upper lip.
All those telltale glances to the left. He had to be hiding
something. But what?
“Okay, Brad,” Spitz said, “just so you know,
you’re not leaving this room until you tell the truth. Where’s your
wife? Maybe you didn’t kill her. Maybe we can still pull your ass
out of the fire on this. Just tell me where she is.”
Brad buried his head in his hands. “I don’t know where she is. I told you and told you. I need to get to
my son, please.”
“Should’ve thought about your son before you
killed his mother.” Spitz shook his head. “Men like you make me
sick. Excuse me while I go out in the hall and puke.”
The detective left the interview room and
scowled at Alex. “You back?”
“I’d like to have a go at him. If he’s done
something to my sister, I want his ass.” He punctuated his remark
by hitting his palm with his other fist. He hadn’t known his
brother-in-law all that well, but what he did know was from high
school. Brad had been a dog and a bully. Maybe he’d never grown out
of it.
The detective nodded, his shiny head
glistening under the lights. “Have at it. He ain’t talking. They
never do until we catch ’em in an outright lie.”
“Thanks.” Alex entered the interview room and
took a bottle of water with him. “Here.” He handed the water to his
brother-in-law. Maybe it was time for a little “good cop,” since
Spitz’s “bad cop” routine wasn’t working. “Dude, that detective’s a
real asshole, isn’t he?”
Relief flooded his sister’s husband’s face.
“Man, am I glad you’re here. They think I did something to Jackie.
I was in frigging New York City.”
“Yeah? Or were you in New York dicking around
just like the detective said?” Okay, so maybe his good cop routine
had already left the building. Dammit. He was too close to
the
Strange. He seemed to really care about his
sister. Why leave and never bother to come home for a visit? Was he
so career-driven he could just forget about his family?
It wasn’t as if his family was anything like
hers.
Less said about them, the better.
Chapter Nine
The Canandaigua Police Department wasn’t used
to major crimes, and the lack of activity in the waiting room
showed it. In fact, they weren’t used to much crime at all. Alex
showed his ID to the desk sergeant and asked to see his
brother-in-law. They directed him back to an interview room. He
stood in the hall and observed Brad through the two-way mirror.
His usually well-pressed brother-in-law
looked like he could use a few hours of sleep. His eyes were a
bleary red, and his five o’clock shadow darkened his cheeks. For
the moment, he was alone, and his fingers beat a steady tattoo on
the table top. The door opened, and Brad jumped as if startled
awake.
Detective Spitz strutted into the small room
and sat. “Come on, Stinnett. Give it up. What did you do with your
wife? How’d it go, you got in an argument and lost your temper?
That happens, you know. We all lose our tempers with our wives.
Geez, they can really be bitches.”
Brad straightened his back and said patiently
as if speaking to a child, “I told you, Detective. I was in New
York City at a conference.”
“Yeah, about that. No one really remembers
you being there from about five o’clock on until we located you
this morning. You had plenty of time to get back to your wife’s
office and do away with her. Hell, maybe you even offed her at
home. Have some help from that hot little office manager of hers?
Can’t say as I blame you if you sampled some of that.” With a
knowing smirk, Spitz nodded. “Yeah.”
Spitz’s technique was right-on, and if the
detective hadn’t been talking about people Alex knew, he would have
approved of the line of questioning. But he did know them, and
tension gathered in his midsection. His jaw clenched.
“I didn’t have anything to do with my wife’s
disappearance. I love my wife.”
Beads of sweat collected on Brad’s upper lip.
All those telltale glances to the left. He had to be hiding
something. But what?
“Okay, Brad,” Spitz said, “just so you know,
you’re not leaving this room until you tell the truth. Where’s your
wife? Maybe you didn’t kill her. Maybe we can still pull your ass
out of the fire on this. Just tell me where she is.”
Brad buried his head in his hands. “I don’t know where she is. I told you and told you. I need to get to
my son, please.”
“Should’ve thought about your son before you
killed his mother.” Spitz shook his head. “Men like you make me
sick. Excuse me while I go out in the hall and puke.”
The detective left the interview room and
scowled at Alex. “You back?”
“I’d like to have a go at him. If he’s done
something to my sister, I want his ass.” He punctuated his remark
by hitting his palm with his other fist. He hadn’t known his
brother-in-law all that well, but what he did know was from high
school. Brad had been a dog and a bully. Maybe he’d never grown out
of it.
The detective nodded, his shiny head
glistening under the lights. “Have at it. He ain’t talking. They
never do until we catch ’em in an outright lie.”
“Thanks.” Alex entered the interview room and
took a bottle of water with him. “Here.” He handed the water to his
brother-in-law. Maybe it was time for a little “good cop,” since
Spitz’s “bad cop” routine wasn’t working. “Dude, that detective’s a
real asshole, isn’t he?”
Relief flooded his sister’s husband’s face.
“Man, am I glad you’re here. They think I did something to Jackie.
I was in frigging New York City.”
“Yeah? Or were you in New York dicking around
just like the detective said?” Okay, so maybe his good cop routine
had already left the building. Dammit. He was too close to
the
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