Vera reached way down deep for her patience. The woman had been using every tactic available to avoid diving into this interview. First with Bent and now with Vera. Erwin had begun her evasion tactics by asking a dozen questions of her own. Then, like now, she interrupted each time Bent or Vera began.
“I’m a crime analyst. Sheriff Benton asked me to have a look at the case.” She produced a smile even a dead man would recognize as fake. “Now, let’s get started, shall we?”
“Do I need a lawyer?” Again, the younger woman looked from Vera to Bent, but this time her attention remained on the sheriff. “I mean, I feel like the two of you are sort of ganging up on me.”
Now she was just plain old being uncooperative. Where was the emotional wreck Bent had told Vera about? The woman who couldn’t stop crying?
“You are welcome to call your attorney,” Vera said. “We can wait.”
“How about I step outside? I have some calls to make.” Bent gave Erwin a nod and walked out of the room.
Vera barely suppressed a smile at his strategy. It was easy to guess, particularly considering the way Erwin’s face fell, that she had not intended for Bent to be the one to go. Well, Vera squared her shoulders. Erwin would just have to get over it.
The uncooperative witness shifted her startled attention back to Vera, who readied her pen once more to jot notes onto her pad. For the most part the pad and pen were props used when needed to increase tension in the interviewee. “Now, where were we? Oh yes, how did you come to be acquainted with Mr. Wilton?”
In most cases, it was advantageous to start at the actual beginning. Since Alicia Wilton might not survive her injuries, for now this woman was the only firsthand perspective they had to learn one damned thing about the people involved in this mess. Erwin was young. Maybe twenty-eight or nine. She dressed casually but well. Black linen slacks and a billowy, cream-colored blouse with a large collar. Her dark-brown hair was stick straight, as were her bangs. She was petite and quite pretty. Though her personality so far was less than appealing.
“Just over five years ago, I moved from Nashville to Fayetteville,” she finally began. “I wasn’t sure finding a job would be possible.” She shrugged. “I started my search in Huntsville. Most people commute there for the better jobs.”
This was true. Huntsville was where the high-tech jobs were, for sure. Basically any sort of work you might look for could be found in the Rocket City.
“Why Fayetteville? Do you have family here?” It wasn’t like the area was a go-to place for new college grads searching for their first jobs, or anyone else for that matter. It was a really nice town with lots of friendly folks, but the job market was woefully limited.
“A friend I attended Lipscomb with talked me into it. We were roommates.”
Vera would very much like to speak with this friend. “What is your friend’s name, and does she still live in the area?”
Erwin shook her head. “Nola Childers. She died right after graduation. She was my best friend.” Tears made an appearance. “It was a really terrible time.”
“I imagine so.” After scribbling a few notes to pique Erwin’s curiosity, Vera moved to the next question. It was actually a repeat of the first, but Erwin appeared to prefer taking the long way around to answer. “Is that when you met Thomas Wilton?”
A frown furrowed the other woman’s face. “I actually heard about the position at my friend’s wake.”
Not surprising. It was a southern tradition to gather at a family’s home with truckloads of food to pay respects after the loss of a loved one. Conversations often lapsed into the latest news and/or gossip. One more push for the answer to her original question. “Is this where you met Wilton?”
“We didn’t officially meet there.” Erwin smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I mean, he was there with his first wife—Lena, the one who died. It wasn’t until a few days later that I went to his home and applied for the position I have now.”
Vera knew little to nothing about Thomas Wilton. Obviously she had heard the name and the scuttlebutt about his big inventions and mega mansion. “You’ve worked on his staff for five years then?”
“Yes.”
Another jotted note. “Can you describe your duties as his personal assistant?”
Erwin heaved a sigh. “I’ve already gone over this with the sheriff. Do we really have to do it again?” She shuddered visibly. “I just want to be alone. I have a great deal of planning to do.”
“Planning?”
“There’s the funeral.” Erwin turned her hands up. “The dozens of meetings I have to cancel. Business associates I have to notify. The sheer magnitude of what needs to be done is overwhelming.”
Vera nodded her understanding. “I’ll hurry this along as quickly as possible.” She readied her pen. “Your duties were?”
Resignation settled into Erwin’s features. “I did the usual clerical and administrative type duties as well as coordination of his social activities with his business appointments. I accompanied him on business trips when needed, and I took care of personal errands more often than not.” She stared at Vera then, a question on her face. “Is there anything else you’d like to know?”
“Are you aware of anyone who may have wanted to harm Thomas Wilton or his wife?”
Erwin made a face and shook her head adamantly. “As I told Sheriff Benton, no. Absolutely not.”
“Anyone he had angered over a business deal or a personal decision?”
