Page 15 of The Husband's Secret
“That’s good,” he assured her. “Really good.” He made a few more notes.
“I guess I should look around and see if he took anything.” Surely he hadn’t been in her room with her asleep in the bed. She had a few pieces of jewelry that were fairly valuable. But most of what she owned carried only sentimental value.
“You should, yes. But—” his gaze connected fully with hers “—we don’t think this was a typical robbery.”
A frown tugged at her lips. “What do you mean?”
“There was jewelry in your bedroom. Cash in your handbag. A laptop and iPad in your office. Not to mention your cell phone. None of that was taken. Also, you have some pain medication in your medicine cabinet.”
She nodded, remembering Scott’s accident on the racquetball court last summer. “My husband fractured his ankle. They sent him home with pain meds, but he never took them.” She should have dropped them off at a disposal center already.
The officer held up a hand. “I understand. My point is there were a lot of things he could have taken for readily converting to cash but didn’t. Do you have any reason to believe someone would be looking for anything in particular in your home?”
She moved her head side to side. “No. I’m a writer, but I’m far from rich. I don’t have anything, not one thing I would call valuable for someone looking to make quick cash—except the things you already named.”
“I ask because…” He picked up his cell phone, tapped the screen then turned it toward her. “This was spray-painted on the interior of your garage door.”
WHERE IS IT?
Her breath escaped her in a rush. “I… I have no idea what that means.” She lifted her gaze to the officer’s. “I can only assume it’s about my husband.”
“Does your husband not live here with you?” he asked. “And do you have reason to believe he, or someone associated with him, may have been the intruder who came into your home tonight?”
Brenda moistened her lips. “Officer…” She looked at his name tag. “Officer Grayson, just a couple of weeks ago I buried what I believed were my husband’s remains.” At his look of confusion she went on. “Until yesterday I’ve spent the better part of a month believing he was dead.”
Grayson readied his pen above his notepad. “Let’s start at the beginning,” he suggested. “From when you first woke up and heard the intruder. When we have tonight’s ordeal down, we’ll talk about your husband.”
Brenda glanced toward the kitchen, where Ben and Janey were still happily ensconced around the island. What in the world was happening to their lives?
What had Scott gotten them into?
Chapter Six
9:30 a.m.
Brenda stared at the words painted on the inside of her garage door.
WHERE IS IT?
This was over-the-top…completely mad.
The police had dusted for prints in her house and garage. Brenda and Janey had provided theirs to narrow down the numerous impressions taken. Detective Shelton had arrived at seven. He had informed the officers that Scott’s prints had already been lifted from his home on The Ledges, which would provide further elimination of the many taken from her home.
Shelton had questioned her again about Scott. But she knew nothing that she hadn’t already shared. Well, except the story about thinking she had seen him in Los Angeles. Considering the DNA results and then this break-in, she had told the detective about the strange encounter at LAX. She suspected, based on his reaction, that she hadn’t helped her case with the news. If he hadn’t already thought she was guilty of something, he surely thought so now. His suggestion that her trip to Los Angeles was about meeting Scott rather than about her writing had infuriated her.
The idea that she hadn’t told him from the start would forever be suspicious in his opinion.
Finally, about half an hour ago, all the Huntsville PD personnel, including Shelton, had packed up and left. Brendawanted to feel glad they were gone, but right now all she felt was confused. Mallory had arrived as they were leaving. Brenda had called her and explained the situation. She couldn’t come to work at her usual time of eight with the police still working.
Now, Brenda only wanted to call a housekeeper. She generally took care of her own housekeeping and laundry, but this mess was overwhelming. Not to mention she felt the need to sanitize the whole house considering a stranger had gone through it—had touched their things. Then the police had done the same. Mallory had taken one look around and offered to help, but Brenda just wanted to order a bulldozer.
The garage was even worse. She and Ben had come to have a firsthand look to better assess the situation. Unbelievably, even her Christmas tree and decorations had been dumped on the floor.
Ben turned to her—they had both been staring at the graffiti for the past minute or so. “I can cover this if you have paint.”
“I think I do. Somewhere around here.” She studied him for a moment, doubts assaulting her. “That really would be above and beyond the call for a new neighbor.”
He chuckled. “I grew up on a farm in rural Illinois. Trust me, this is what good neighbors, new or old, do.”
