Page 15 of Little Bitter Truths
“Did you drive straight back to Paso Robles?”
“I grabbed some gas in town, and then yes, I drove home.”
I took a sip of my iced tea, buying myself a second to think.Outside the window, two women walked past with shopping bags swinging from their wrists, laughing.
“What was Wren’s mood like when you left?”I asked.
“She seemed lighter, like getting things off her chest helped.”
“Why didn’t you tell Foley or Whitlock about your visit?”
For the first time since we’d met, I detected a hint of irritation.
“I already told you,” he said.“I was in shock.”
The same simple response seemed to be coming up too much.
It wasn’t good enough.
“I can understand forgetting a minor detail,” I said.“But seeing her right before she diedisn’ta minor detail.It’s not the kind of thing people forget.”
His shoulders sagged.“I know how it sounds.”
“Do you?”
“It seems like I’m guilty of something.”
That, at least, was an honest answer.
“Why hide your visit with Wren?”I pressed.
“When Foley and Whitlock showed up at my house and told me what happened, it was the worst day of my life.”
Still not good enough.
But I decided to give him a moment before pushing again.
I glanced at his plate.“You should eat something.”
A somber smile brushed his mouth.“You’ve been picking at your salad.You’re not eating either.”
For the next few minutes, we sat in silence.I ate a few bites, and he ate a few bites.Then he put his fork down.
“I apologize,” he said.“I haven’t had much of an appetite for a while now.”
“No need to apologize.I’ve lost loved ones.I know how hard it can be to return to any semblance of a normal life when all you want to do is run from it.Tell me this … when Wren suggested starting over, did she seem certain of that decision?”
He looked out the window, thinking.“Certain enough to give me hope.”
I’d gone just about as far as I could with my preliminary questions for now.I took a few more bites of salad and pushed it to the side.“Before I go, I need you to be straight with me about why you didn’t tell the police about your visit.”
“I was scared, all right?”
At long last, an answer I could accept.
“Being scared is normal, but withholding information can get you in a lot more trouble than just coming right out and telling the truth.If Foley asks why you failed to mention your visit with Wren during your first interview, what do you plan to tell him?”
“The truth.I’ll tell him I was overwhelmed and worried.And I’ll remind him that I loved my wife.”
