questioned them. A retired gentleman who lives next door was trimming his rosebushes and could see them arguing through Emma’s kitchen window. He saw David hit her.”
“Trimming his rosebushes, huh?”
“Ha. More likely, he was out pretending to trim the bushes so he could be nosy, but either way, it was a good thing for Ms. Frederick. Between the eyewitness report and her hospital records, we had no question of credibility, and because of that, it was easy to forgo any charges against her for David’s death. The DA took one look at the file and said ‘Thank her for her service to society and cut her loose.’”
“So you didn’t investigate any further? You didn’t check out David any further?”
“Why would we?”
She sighed. “You wouldn’t. Your case was closed.”
Jackson frowned. “Why do you want to know more about David? You’ve already agreed that he can’t be the stalker.”
“Yes, but someone who knew certain traits about David is, and no one was stalking Emma before she killed her husband.”
“Okay. I’ll give you the personal traits item. And I agree the timing is suspect, if we assume that the stalking is a recent occurrence. But it could be that someone was stalking Ms. Frederick before she killed David and she simply wasn’t paying close attention then because she was focused on her marital problems.”
“That’s fair enough,” Shaye said, but he could tell she didn’t like conceding the point. “But if we assume someone was stalking Emma before David returned from Iraq, then the question is why? She doesn’t strike me as the sort of woman who goes around making enemies.”
“Agreed. I don’t think Ms. Frederick is intentionally seeking out trouble, but by virtue of her job, she could have gotten a rise out of someone unstable…say someone who lost a loved one under her care and is looking for someone to blame.”
Shaye frowned.
“You’re wondering if someone would really take things that far over something so innocuous,” he said.
“No, not at all. I have a limited amount of faith in humans as a species, and have little problem imagining someone that petty and insane.”
Jackson marveled at the way she easily processed a diabolical mind. “You are a wealth of comfort, Ms. Archer.”
“People can see their friends, mother, priest for comfort. That’s not part of my job description. But in my next meeting with Emma, I’ll ask about her patients.”
“Even though you’re still leaning toward the David connection theory?”
“Yes. Again, it’s the timing and the personal information, and that whole coincidence thing.”
If he was being honest, Jackson agreed with her. Assuming Emma Frederick had a stalker, it was more likely someone connected to her dead husband rather than a patient. But the thought of this young, inexperienced woman tangling with the kind of person who’d go on a revenge kick over a piece of shit like David Grange had him feeling more than a little uneasy.
“How old are you, if you don’t mind my asking? Jackson asked.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Fair enough. Because you look too young to hold a private investigator’s license. And that’s a compliment, not an insult.”
“I’m twenty-four and an overachiever.”
“Good for you. Who did you intern with?”
“Breaux Investigations.”
Jackson knew the agency by reputation. They operated a clean business, mostly handling insurance fraud and disability cases. He’d never heard of them delving into the felony end of things.
“What?” Shaye asked. “You have that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where there’s something you want to say to me, but you’re figuring I’ll tell you to mind your business.”
“Or something less polite given your love of truthful and direct. Tell you what, instead of the big brother speech, I’ll just split the difference and say ‘Please be careful with your investigation.’”
“Of course, but why the
“Trimming his rosebushes, huh?”
“Ha. More likely, he was out pretending to trim the bushes so he could be nosy, but either way, it was a good thing for Ms. Frederick. Between the eyewitness report and her hospital records, we had no question of credibility, and because of that, it was easy to forgo any charges against her for David’s death. The DA took one look at the file and said ‘Thank her for her service to society and cut her loose.’”
“So you didn’t investigate any further? You didn’t check out David any further?”
“Why would we?”
She sighed. “You wouldn’t. Your case was closed.”
Jackson frowned. “Why do you want to know more about David? You’ve already agreed that he can’t be the stalker.”
“Yes, but someone who knew certain traits about David is, and no one was stalking Emma before she killed her husband.”
“Okay. I’ll give you the personal traits item. And I agree the timing is suspect, if we assume that the stalking is a recent occurrence. But it could be that someone was stalking Ms. Frederick before she killed David and she simply wasn’t paying close attention then because she was focused on her marital problems.”
“That’s fair enough,” Shaye said, but he could tell she didn’t like conceding the point. “But if we assume someone was stalking Emma before David returned from Iraq, then the question is why? She doesn’t strike me as the sort of woman who goes around making enemies.”
“Agreed. I don’t think Ms. Frederick is intentionally seeking out trouble, but by virtue of her job, she could have gotten a rise out of someone unstable…say someone who lost a loved one under her care and is looking for someone to blame.”
Shaye frowned.
“You’re wondering if someone would really take things that far over something so innocuous,” he said.
“No, not at all. I have a limited amount of faith in humans as a species, and have little problem imagining someone that petty and insane.”
Jackson marveled at the way she easily processed a diabolical mind. “You are a wealth of comfort, Ms. Archer.”
“People can see their friends, mother, priest for comfort. That’s not part of my job description. But in my next meeting with Emma, I’ll ask about her patients.”
“Even though you’re still leaning toward the David connection theory?”
“Yes. Again, it’s the timing and the personal information, and that whole coincidence thing.”
If he was being honest, Jackson agreed with her. Assuming Emma Frederick had a stalker, it was more likely someone connected to her dead husband rather than a patient. But the thought of this young, inexperienced woman tangling with the kind of person who’d go on a revenge kick over a piece of shit like David Grange had him feeling more than a little uneasy.
“How old are you, if you don’t mind my asking? Jackson asked.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Fair enough. Because you look too young to hold a private investigator’s license. And that’s a compliment, not an insult.”
“I’m twenty-four and an overachiever.”
“Good for you. Who did you intern with?”
“Breaux Investigations.”
Jackson knew the agency by reputation. They operated a clean business, mostly handling insurance fraud and disability cases. He’d never heard of them delving into the felony end of things.
“What?” Shaye asked. “You have that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where there’s something you want to say to me, but you’re figuring I’ll tell you to mind your business.”
“Or something less polite given your love of truthful and direct. Tell you what, instead of the big brother speech, I’ll just split the difference and say ‘Please be careful with your investigation.’”
“Of course, but why the
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