gone on, and now, those same sources confirmed the police had a suspect. His name was Michael Norton. A few minutes of research netted her the relationship between Shaft and Norton.
She also obtained the name of the victim’s wife, Mrs. Maria Shaft. And that’s where she had to start her story.
Don pulled the Channel 7 Action News van to the curb in front of the Shaft residence. Lisa hopped from the passenger side door while Don grabbed the camera equipment from the back and hurried to catch up.
“Don, roll the camera now. We don’t want to miss anything.”
Don dropped the camera on his shoulder, and in a moment, the red light glowed. He aimed it toward the house and hurried up the walkway behind Lisa.
She rang the bell and stood back. There was no answer. She glanced toward the driveway. A dark-green Mazda was parked in front of the garage. Someone must be home.
She rang the bell again. Finally, the door opened a crack and a woman stuck her nose out.
“Maria Shaft?” Lisa asked.
The woman nodded. “Yes?”
“I’m Lisa Krunk from Channel 7 Action News. Could I ask you a few questions regarding the murder of your husband?”
The woman frowned, and then the frown disappeared as her lips curled into a weak smile. “Yes,” she said, and opened the door, motioning for them to enter.
Lisa stepped inside the foyer, Don close behind, and they followed her into the front room.
Maria sat, Don stood, and Lisa moved in.
“Mrs. Shaft,” Lisa said, the microphone on and poised. “I’m sorry to hear about the murder of your husband.” She continued with her pretense of sympathy. “Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time and I’m sure my viewers will express the same concern.”
The words almost made her gag, and she spewed them out, realizing it was the best way to get on the interviewee’s good side before moving in for the kill—so to speak.
Maria Shaft smiled weakly. “Thank you.”
Lisa pulled a footstool in close, sat down, and leaned in. “Tell me about your husband, Mrs. Shaft,” she said, pushing the microphone at the woman.
Maria glanced at the mike, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes again and spoke. “My husband was a good man and didn’t deserve this.” She looked at the camera trained on her face. “I want everyone to know that.”
Lisa spoke again, “Mrs. Shaft.” She paused. “May I call you Maria?”
Maria Shaft nodded.
Lisa continued, “Maria, what can you tell me about the relationship between your husband and the suspect, Michael Norton?”
Maria’s face darkened. “There’s no relationship and there hasn’t been for years.”
Time to move in with the heavy artillery. “Maria, I understand your husband and Norton were convicted of burglary several years ago. Would you not call that a relationship?”
Maria scowled. “That was a long time ago, in another lifetime. A lot has happened since then.”
Lisa nodded encouragingly and forced a sympathetic smile to cross her wide mouth. “After all this time, why do you think Michael Norton would kill your husband? Was it for revenge?”
Maria looked at the camera again, her eyes moistening. “I don’t know. The police are doing what they can, and I’ve retained a private investigation firm to help. If anyone out there knows anything, please let me know.”
Lisa stood, hugged the mike, and looked down her long, sharp nose at the camera. “I urge my viewers to contact me directly if they have any information as to the whereabouts of this man.” She paused. She would edit in a photo of Norton at this point.
She sat back down and faced Maria again. The woman was looking toward the door. Lisa followed her gaze to a man standing inside the doorway, a heavy frown on his face.
“What’s this all about?” he asked, looking at Lisa.
Lisa stood and approached him, thinking quickly, the eye of the camera following. “I’m doing a story on the sad murder of Werner Shaft and I
She also obtained the name of the victim’s wife, Mrs. Maria Shaft. And that’s where she had to start her story.
Don pulled the Channel 7 Action News van to the curb in front of the Shaft residence. Lisa hopped from the passenger side door while Don grabbed the camera equipment from the back and hurried to catch up.
“Don, roll the camera now. We don’t want to miss anything.”
Don dropped the camera on his shoulder, and in a moment, the red light glowed. He aimed it toward the house and hurried up the walkway behind Lisa.
She rang the bell and stood back. There was no answer. She glanced toward the driveway. A dark-green Mazda was parked in front of the garage. Someone must be home.
She rang the bell again. Finally, the door opened a crack and a woman stuck her nose out.
“Maria Shaft?” Lisa asked.
The woman nodded. “Yes?”
“I’m Lisa Krunk from Channel 7 Action News. Could I ask you a few questions regarding the murder of your husband?”
The woman frowned, and then the frown disappeared as her lips curled into a weak smile. “Yes,” she said, and opened the door, motioning for them to enter.
Lisa stepped inside the foyer, Don close behind, and they followed her into the front room.
Maria sat, Don stood, and Lisa moved in.
“Mrs. Shaft,” Lisa said, the microphone on and poised. “I’m sorry to hear about the murder of your husband.” She continued with her pretense of sympathy. “Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time and I’m sure my viewers will express the same concern.”
The words almost made her gag, and she spewed them out, realizing it was the best way to get on the interviewee’s good side before moving in for the kill—so to speak.
Maria Shaft smiled weakly. “Thank you.”
Lisa pulled a footstool in close, sat down, and leaned in. “Tell me about your husband, Mrs. Shaft,” she said, pushing the microphone at the woman.
Maria glanced at the mike, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes again and spoke. “My husband was a good man and didn’t deserve this.” She looked at the camera trained on her face. “I want everyone to know that.”
Lisa spoke again, “Mrs. Shaft.” She paused. “May I call you Maria?”
Maria Shaft nodded.
Lisa continued, “Maria, what can you tell me about the relationship between your husband and the suspect, Michael Norton?”
Maria’s face darkened. “There’s no relationship and there hasn’t been for years.”
Time to move in with the heavy artillery. “Maria, I understand your husband and Norton were convicted of burglary several years ago. Would you not call that a relationship?”
Maria scowled. “That was a long time ago, in another lifetime. A lot has happened since then.”
Lisa nodded encouragingly and forced a sympathetic smile to cross her wide mouth. “After all this time, why do you think Michael Norton would kill your husband? Was it for revenge?”
Maria looked at the camera again, her eyes moistening. “I don’t know. The police are doing what they can, and I’ve retained a private investigation firm to help. If anyone out there knows anything, please let me know.”
Lisa stood, hugged the mike, and looked down her long, sharp nose at the camera. “I urge my viewers to contact me directly if they have any information as to the whereabouts of this man.” She paused. She would edit in a photo of Norton at this point.
She sat back down and faced Maria again. The woman was looking toward the door. Lisa followed her gaze to a man standing inside the doorway, a heavy frown on his face.
“What’s this all about?” he asked, looking at Lisa.
Lisa stood and approached him, thinking quickly, the eye of the camera following. “I’m doing a story on the sad murder of Werner Shaft and I
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