Page 97 of Trace of Doubt
“Do you have time for me to run a few things past you?”
He agreed, and I shared the happenings over the last two days.In short, I questioned if Marissa had everyone fooled and if Shelby hadn’t shot her brother-in-law.
“Whoa, you hit me broadside. Have you been drinking?”
“No, Mike, my thinking makes sense.”
“When you told me Shelby refused to handle a weapon, I couldn’t shake it. Let me get this straight. You’re proposing that at an early age Marissa urged Shelby to develop critical thinking by manipulating her to commit crimes under the pretense of games? It’s speculation, but I can’t discount it either. Then again, if Marissa pulled the trigger and took the money, why wait all these years to upgrade her lifestyle?”
“The high-dollar question,” I said. “With Shelby in prison, Marissa might have expanded her business and needed the cover. Or if she is guilty of murder and she took off, would Shelby reveal the truth? If Marissa is driving the threats, I see why she’d encourage Shelby’s suicide before moving on to murder. After all, Shelby is her sister and perhaps paid the price with her freedom. The voice distortion could be Marissa’s, but I don’t think so. If she’s behind the crimes, then she’d have someone else do the dirty work, like we’ve already seen. One more bit of information to process is Marissa’s sudden move to Phoenix. Aria mentioned it to Shelby, and Clay confirmed it.” I relayed all I knew about Marissa abandoning her family.
“Strange there were no goodbyes or taking personal belongings. Don’t you find it interesting Clay made a turnabout with Shelby?”
“Yep. No explanation, and Shelby didn’t ask.”
“Why? Nervous dear old dad might change his tune, or something else?”
I leaned against a horse stall. “Spot-on, in my opinion. I think he may suspect the truth and it’s too much for him to handle. I’ll find out.”
“Maybe Marissa has met somebody, and she’d rather be with him.”
“Except she first claimed to have taken a few days to rest due to her health and abruptly decides to leave the state. Why now? Medical records would give us more insight,” I said.
“I’ll see about gaining access to her medical history. Interesting your theory indicates Marissa could be a narcissist, a high-functioning psychopath.”
“I’d forgotten about your psychology degree.”
“Comes in handy.” Mike chuckled. “But if true, she would implicate her dad.”
“From my one time meeting with her, she’s charming and kind. She demanded the right to talk to Shelby and did so, but later she cowered to Clay. Shelby told me she’d asked Marissa to make amends with him. If that was another Marissa ploy, those traits bring cunning to the table.”
“Give me a moment to piece this together.” Finally Mike spoke. “Sociopaths are very good at what they do, and often victims don’t know they’ve been used until it’s too late. But don’t jump to this until we have more evidence. We still have the testimony from the woman who identified Clay as part of a money-laundering business, but she could have been under orders to ID him. I’ll have her brought in for another interview.”
“I contacted the FIG to see if they have anything on Marissa, specifically any links between Eli Chandler and her. The voice distortion wasn’t in their database, and Chandler’s voice is there.”
“Denton, if what you’ve uncovered is legit, Marissa is the one who should have suffered in prison for fifteen years. I realize that’s a no-brainer.”
“Glad to hear I’m not losing my mind.”
“Because you’re falling for Shelby?”
“I’m pleading the Fifth.”
“At least you’re not in full denial. Have you detected any arrested development issues in her?”
“Such as?”
“Considering her age during incarceration and the need to findways to cope with the trauma, has Shelby shown you a rough or distant personality? Even another means demonstrating a lack in emotional processing?”
I considered my conversations with her and her behavior. “A little distant or, should I say, cautious at times, but nothing unexpected. She’s in counseling.”
“Good. Mahatma Gandhi has a saying about women like Shelby, ‘The real ornament of woman is her character, her purity.’”
I sobered. “Took me a long time to see that. Thanks. As soon I hear back from the FIG, I’ll forward the report. If all this checks out with evidence pointing to Shelby’s innocence, I’ve got to confront her.”
I pocketed my phone and hobbled back to the cabin. Having Shelby close brought back all my thoughts of one day having a wife and family.
Later, Denton. Save her life first.
