had been a homicide detective for over twenty years in Washington, D.C. Police Chief David O’Callaghan was young. He was sharp, but still young. That was why he always called Mac Faraday in when it came to a murder on Deep Creek Lake.
If anyone was going to nail him, it was going to be Mac Faraday. “You were very well aware of Kim’s habits, weren’t you?”
“I loved Kim.” Sound offended by the suggestion.
“She dumped you for a dog.” The corner of Mac’s lips curled. “As a matter of fact, her lawyer tells us that she had an appointment for changing her will on Monday morning. She was disinheriting you to make Sparky her beneficiary again.”
“I was here in the lounge with a date last night,” he said.
David pounced on the slip. “I didn’t ask you for an alibi. We didn’t even say it was murder.”
Mac was cocking his head at the tennis instructor.
Behind his master, Gnarly was also cocking his head in his direction. The dog had sat back down in the passenger seat of the sport car and rested his front paws on top of the door. He seemed to be enjoying the show.
Is that dog smirking at me?
Lance sucked in a deep breath and regrouped. “Why are you here talking to me then if you’re not asking for an alibi? Kim was only twenty-eight years old. She was healthy. Why else would she drop dead if someone hadn’t killed her?”
David and Mac exchanged glances before the police chief said, “That’s our thought exactly. And you’re right up there at the top of the list, Lance. Whirlwind romance and marriage that lasted only a couple of days past two months. Prenup that’s tighter than a bank vault. She kicked you out with only the clothes on your back and that Ferrari that you got for a wedding present.”
“I was here last night. I had a date. You can call her if you need to check out my alibi.”
Mac said, “But you were at your wife’s house yesterday afternoon before she collapsed. The caterer had let you in. What were you doing there?”
“Same thing I’ve been doing there ever since Kim kicked me out,” Lance replied. “Begging her to take me back. I told you. I loved her. Yesterday, I took her two dozen long stem red roses, just like I had every day for the last ten days since she kicked me out. I’m sure you found them there along with all of the other roses that I’ve been bringing her.”
David was nodding his head. “The caterer told us that you had sent her out of the room to get a vase to put them in.”
Roll your eyes. Let them see how silly this whole line of questioning is. If you act like its silly, they’ll feel the same and back off—especially when they have no proof. “Excuse me for wanting her to come home and find them on display in the middle of the dining room table.”
Mac replied, “And while the caterer was getting the vase, you were alone in the dining room where the bar with the vodka and drink mix is. Are you sure you didn’t slip anything into the vodka while you were alone?”
Of course, Mac would notice that.
“I wasn’t completely alone,” Lance smirked. “Sparky was there, too.” He showed them the bite marks on his ankle. “That rat bit me.” He cocked his head at them. “And I kicked him. Do you want to arrest me for that, too?”
“As you mentioned,” David said, “you and Kim were married for two months. You’re aware of her schedule by now. Friday afternoons, she goes to the salon to get her hair done. Why did you take roses to her when you knew she wouldn’t be there?”
He shot back with the answer that he had thought out very well. “Because I knew she wouldn’t let me in. But if she hadn’t have died, if I had a chance, I know that she would have taken me back eventually.” He sniffed while willing the tears to come to his eyes. “I know she loved me.” He covered his face with his hands when the tears didn’t come.
The interview ended with Police Chief O’Callaghan asking for the phone number of his date
If anyone was going to nail him, it was going to be Mac Faraday. “You were very well aware of Kim’s habits, weren’t you?”
“I loved Kim.” Sound offended by the suggestion.
“She dumped you for a dog.” The corner of Mac’s lips curled. “As a matter of fact, her lawyer tells us that she had an appointment for changing her will on Monday morning. She was disinheriting you to make Sparky her beneficiary again.”
“I was here in the lounge with a date last night,” he said.
David pounced on the slip. “I didn’t ask you for an alibi. We didn’t even say it was murder.”
Mac was cocking his head at the tennis instructor.
Behind his master, Gnarly was also cocking his head in his direction. The dog had sat back down in the passenger seat of the sport car and rested his front paws on top of the door. He seemed to be enjoying the show.
Is that dog smirking at me?
Lance sucked in a deep breath and regrouped. “Why are you here talking to me then if you’re not asking for an alibi? Kim was only twenty-eight years old. She was healthy. Why else would she drop dead if someone hadn’t killed her?”
David and Mac exchanged glances before the police chief said, “That’s our thought exactly. And you’re right up there at the top of the list, Lance. Whirlwind romance and marriage that lasted only a couple of days past two months. Prenup that’s tighter than a bank vault. She kicked you out with only the clothes on your back and that Ferrari that you got for a wedding present.”
“I was here last night. I had a date. You can call her if you need to check out my alibi.”
Mac said, “But you were at your wife’s house yesterday afternoon before she collapsed. The caterer had let you in. What were you doing there?”
“Same thing I’ve been doing there ever since Kim kicked me out,” Lance replied. “Begging her to take me back. I told you. I loved her. Yesterday, I took her two dozen long stem red roses, just like I had every day for the last ten days since she kicked me out. I’m sure you found them there along with all of the other roses that I’ve been bringing her.”
David was nodding his head. “The caterer told us that you had sent her out of the room to get a vase to put them in.”
Roll your eyes. Let them see how silly this whole line of questioning is. If you act like its silly, they’ll feel the same and back off—especially when they have no proof. “Excuse me for wanting her to come home and find them on display in the middle of the dining room table.”
Mac replied, “And while the caterer was getting the vase, you were alone in the dining room where the bar with the vodka and drink mix is. Are you sure you didn’t slip anything into the vodka while you were alone?”
Of course, Mac would notice that.
“I wasn’t completely alone,” Lance smirked. “Sparky was there, too.” He showed them the bite marks on his ankle. “That rat bit me.” He cocked his head at them. “And I kicked him. Do you want to arrest me for that, too?”
“As you mentioned,” David said, “you and Kim were married for two months. You’re aware of her schedule by now. Friday afternoons, she goes to the salon to get her hair done. Why did you take roses to her when you knew she wouldn’t be there?”
He shot back with the answer that he had thought out very well. “Because I knew she wouldn’t let me in. But if she hadn’t have died, if I had a chance, I know that she would have taken me back eventually.” He sniffed while willing the tears to come to his eyes. “I know she loved me.” He covered his face with his hands when the tears didn’t come.
The interview ended with Police Chief O’Callaghan asking for the phone number of his date
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