personal. There’s only so much official police procedure will let us do.”
Darcy knew what he meant. She’d seen enough police interrogations now, being with Jon, to know his hands were tied by the laws he upheld. Still, she admired him for doing what he did. How did he deal with things like this every day and not come home angry every night?
She loved him more in that moment than she had the moment before, and she figured the next moment would bring something new for her to love.
As Jon pulled up in front of Ray’s house in one of the city’s residential districts, Darcy could see that the home was small but well kept. It had white painted board siding and little shrubs to the sides of the front steps. A little stone walkway joined the house to the sidewalk. Someone had spent a lot of time on it all. It had a very inviting atmosphere and definitely showed a woman’s touches.
Darcy knocked on the door while Jon stood back by silent agreement. A few moments later, the door was opened by a middle-aged woman with graying blonde hair in a slim blue dress. She had a worried look in her eyes and Darcy knew immediately that this was Ray’s wife. “Mrs. Stephenson,” Darcy said to her with a careful smile. “My name is Darcy Sweet. This is Jon Tinker. Um. My brother-in-law was taken in the robbery. Just like Ray. Do you…could we come in, do you think?”
The woman blinked and seemed to come back to herself. “Oh sorry, yes sure. Please. Come on in.” She stood back to let them enter and then guided them into the living room. It was a cozy space, small but brightly decorated with knick knacks and stylish lamps and two plush couches that had floral designs on their cushions. She motioned Darcy and Jon to one of these. “Please sit down. I’m…I’m so sorry about your brother-in-law, Darcy.”
She started to cry, but then caught herself and sat down on the couch across from them. “Now. What can I do for you?”
“Mrs. Stephenson—“ Darcy began.
“Please call me Heather,” the woman said with a weary smile.
Darcy nodded. “Heather. Could you tell me more about Ray? Anything that might help us understand what happened to Aaron?”
“Aaron? Is that your brother-in-law?”
Darcy nodded. “Yes. We’re very worried about him. Just like you are for Ray. Maybe we can help each other. Can you think of any reason why the robbers would take Ray hostage?”
Heather’s eyes widened. “I never thought of…no. There’s no reason for it. Ray wasn’t into anything dangerous. He didn’t gamble. He didn’t even go out to drink! What are you saying? Are you saying that this is my Ray’s fault?”
Darcy knew she had offended Heather with her question even though she hadn’t meant to. Jon leaned forward to take over. “We know it wasn’t Ray’s fault, Heather. We’re just trying to figure out anything we can. Aaron is a good man, too. He has a baby on the way and his wife is worried sick.”
“Oh my,” Heather said, putting her hands to her mouth. “I didn’t know. Ray…Ray was my whole world. Without him, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” She couldn’t hold the tears back anymore, and they started falling down her cheeks.
As Jon continued to ask questions, getting little or no answer, Darcy stood up and quietly began walking around the living room. There were several photographs hung on the wall, and she recognized Ray in several of them. He smiled in most of them, his green eyes a good match for his red hair. He seemed so happy. A good man caught in a bad situation. On a corner table where one of the lamps stood, there was a little bowl full of loose change and other things. Among them, a plastic nametag with Ray’s name on it.
Checking quickly over her shoulder to make sure Heather wasn’t watching, Darcy palmed the nametag and stuffed it into her pocket.
Jon looked
Darcy knew what he meant. She’d seen enough police interrogations now, being with Jon, to know his hands were tied by the laws he upheld. Still, she admired him for doing what he did. How did he deal with things like this every day and not come home angry every night?
She loved him more in that moment than she had the moment before, and she figured the next moment would bring something new for her to love.
As Jon pulled up in front of Ray’s house in one of the city’s residential districts, Darcy could see that the home was small but well kept. It had white painted board siding and little shrubs to the sides of the front steps. A little stone walkway joined the house to the sidewalk. Someone had spent a lot of time on it all. It had a very inviting atmosphere and definitely showed a woman’s touches.
Darcy knocked on the door while Jon stood back by silent agreement. A few moments later, the door was opened by a middle-aged woman with graying blonde hair in a slim blue dress. She had a worried look in her eyes and Darcy knew immediately that this was Ray’s wife. “Mrs. Stephenson,” Darcy said to her with a careful smile. “My name is Darcy Sweet. This is Jon Tinker. Um. My brother-in-law was taken in the robbery. Just like Ray. Do you…could we come in, do you think?”
The woman blinked and seemed to come back to herself. “Oh sorry, yes sure. Please. Come on in.” She stood back to let them enter and then guided them into the living room. It was a cozy space, small but brightly decorated with knick knacks and stylish lamps and two plush couches that had floral designs on their cushions. She motioned Darcy and Jon to one of these. “Please sit down. I’m…I’m so sorry about your brother-in-law, Darcy.”
She started to cry, but then caught herself and sat down on the couch across from them. “Now. What can I do for you?”
“Mrs. Stephenson—“ Darcy began.
“Please call me Heather,” the woman said with a weary smile.
Darcy nodded. “Heather. Could you tell me more about Ray? Anything that might help us understand what happened to Aaron?”
“Aaron? Is that your brother-in-law?”
Darcy nodded. “Yes. We’re very worried about him. Just like you are for Ray. Maybe we can help each other. Can you think of any reason why the robbers would take Ray hostage?”
Heather’s eyes widened. “I never thought of…no. There’s no reason for it. Ray wasn’t into anything dangerous. He didn’t gamble. He didn’t even go out to drink! What are you saying? Are you saying that this is my Ray’s fault?”
Darcy knew she had offended Heather with her question even though she hadn’t meant to. Jon leaned forward to take over. “We know it wasn’t Ray’s fault, Heather. We’re just trying to figure out anything we can. Aaron is a good man, too. He has a baby on the way and his wife is worried sick.”
“Oh my,” Heather said, putting her hands to her mouth. “I didn’t know. Ray…Ray was my whole world. Without him, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” She couldn’t hold the tears back anymore, and they started falling down her cheeks.
As Jon continued to ask questions, getting little or no answer, Darcy stood up and quietly began walking around the living room. There were several photographs hung on the wall, and she recognized Ray in several of them. He smiled in most of them, his green eyes a good match for his red hair. He seemed so happy. A good man caught in a bad situation. On a corner table where one of the lamps stood, there was a little bowl full of loose change and other things. Among them, a plastic nametag with Ray’s name on it.
Checking quickly over her shoulder to make sure Heather wasn’t watching, Darcy palmed the nametag and stuffed it into her pocket.
Jon looked
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