your wife and daughter left the party around eight. Since they live no more than twenty minutes away, your family should have been home by eight thirty.”
“Like I told the detectives this morning,” Cashion licked his visibly dry lips, “I’ve been working a lot of long hours lately. I crashed last night. Didn’t know I was in the world until about eight this morning.”
“Did your crash have anything to do with the amount of alcohol you consumed?” she prodded. He’d been asked about this already as well, but so far he hadn’t admitted to having gone on a bender. He had no current record. If he’d ever had any legal trouble with alcohol it was not on his record.
“I’ve worked day and night for weeks to win the bid on an account that was stolen from me by a competitor. So, yes, I had a few drinks last night. What else do you want to hear? If you showed as much interest in finding my daughter and wife, maybe they’d be here with me now instead of God knows where!”
“Let’s talk about your first daughter,” Tom cut in smoothly, “the one who died the year before Cassie was born.”
Cashion’s face turned beet red. “I’m not saying anything else without my lawyer present.”
Sarah’s cell vibrated. While Tom attempted to placate the man she withdrew it from her jacket pocket and checked the screen. Larson. She stepped out of the room and accepted the call.
“You have something new for me?” Sarah held her breath. She prayed it wasn’t another missing child.
“Nothing good,” Larson said, his tone somber. “We found Mary Cashion’s body. She was in the pond in the park north of her home. Cause of death appears to be head trauma. The evidence techs are comparing her blood to what was found in the house. I’m guessing they’ll get a match. The lab’s going over both the victim’s car and the husband’s. A uniform is headed your way to make sure Cashion stays put.”
Sarah closed her eyes. Oh hell. “No sign of the little girl?”
“Not yet.”
She blew out a breath. “I guess this means I get the unpleasant duty of telling Cashion his wife’s body has been found.”
“While you’re at it you might suggest this would be a good time for him to start talking.”
“Yeah.” She somehow doubted that would happen. The man was already whining for his lawyer. “Thanks.”
Tom stepped into the corridor. “He’s done.”
Sarah reached for the door. “I’m not.”
“I told you I have nothing else to say!” Cashion ranted as she entered his room once more. He grabbed the call button. “I’m calling security.”
“No need,” Sarah assured him. “There will be a uniformed officer outside your door for the rest of your stay, Mr. Cashion.”
His brow furrowed in question. “Am I in danger?”
His question gave her pause, but Sarah pressed on. “Sir, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your wife’s body was found. This is a homicide investigation now. If there is anything about your previous statements you want to revise, I would suggest you do it now.”
“What about my daughter?” Cashion snatched at the wires monitoring his heart and pulse rates as if he might jerk them loose and make a run for it. “Where’s my daughter?” he screamed.
“Sir.” Sarah held up her hands. “Your daughter is still missing. Only your wife’s body was found.”
Cashion dropped his head against the pillow and howled in agony.
Sarah touched his arm. He jerked, glared at her. “Mr. Cashion, your daughter still needs your help. Is there anything you want to tell me now that might help us find her?”
Cashion’s face wilted. “I don’t know. I blacked out. Woke up with blood all over my hands. Dear God.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I think I killed my wife.”
By the time the uniform arrived Cashion had lapsed into sobs. Sarah reminded him of his rights and took his statement, for what it was worth. He had either killed his wife or he’d found her body and tried to
“Like I told the detectives this morning,” Cashion licked his visibly dry lips, “I’ve been working a lot of long hours lately. I crashed last night. Didn’t know I was in the world until about eight this morning.”
“Did your crash have anything to do with the amount of alcohol you consumed?” she prodded. He’d been asked about this already as well, but so far he hadn’t admitted to having gone on a bender. He had no current record. If he’d ever had any legal trouble with alcohol it was not on his record.
“I’ve worked day and night for weeks to win the bid on an account that was stolen from me by a competitor. So, yes, I had a few drinks last night. What else do you want to hear? If you showed as much interest in finding my daughter and wife, maybe they’d be here with me now instead of God knows where!”
“Let’s talk about your first daughter,” Tom cut in smoothly, “the one who died the year before Cassie was born.”
Cashion’s face turned beet red. “I’m not saying anything else without my lawyer present.”
Sarah’s cell vibrated. While Tom attempted to placate the man she withdrew it from her jacket pocket and checked the screen. Larson. She stepped out of the room and accepted the call.
“You have something new for me?” Sarah held her breath. She prayed it wasn’t another missing child.
“Nothing good,” Larson said, his tone somber. “We found Mary Cashion’s body. She was in the pond in the park north of her home. Cause of death appears to be head trauma. The evidence techs are comparing her blood to what was found in the house. I’m guessing they’ll get a match. The lab’s going over both the victim’s car and the husband’s. A uniform is headed your way to make sure Cashion stays put.”
Sarah closed her eyes. Oh hell. “No sign of the little girl?”
“Not yet.”
She blew out a breath. “I guess this means I get the unpleasant duty of telling Cashion his wife’s body has been found.”
“While you’re at it you might suggest this would be a good time for him to start talking.”
“Yeah.” She somehow doubted that would happen. The man was already whining for his lawyer. “Thanks.”
Tom stepped into the corridor. “He’s done.”
Sarah reached for the door. “I’m not.”
“I told you I have nothing else to say!” Cashion ranted as she entered his room once more. He grabbed the call button. “I’m calling security.”
“No need,” Sarah assured him. “There will be a uniformed officer outside your door for the rest of your stay, Mr. Cashion.”
His brow furrowed in question. “Am I in danger?”
His question gave her pause, but Sarah pressed on. “Sir, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your wife’s body was found. This is a homicide investigation now. If there is anything about your previous statements you want to revise, I would suggest you do it now.”
“What about my daughter?” Cashion snatched at the wires monitoring his heart and pulse rates as if he might jerk them loose and make a run for it. “Where’s my daughter?” he screamed.
“Sir.” Sarah held up her hands. “Your daughter is still missing. Only your wife’s body was found.”
Cashion dropped his head against the pillow and howled in agony.
Sarah touched his arm. He jerked, glared at her. “Mr. Cashion, your daughter still needs your help. Is there anything you want to tell me now that might help us find her?”
Cashion’s face wilted. “I don’t know. I blacked out. Woke up with blood all over my hands. Dear God.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I think I killed my wife.”
By the time the uniform arrived Cashion had lapsed into sobs. Sarah reminded him of his rights and took his statement, for what it was worth. He had either killed his wife or he’d found her body and tried to
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