“It could get worse.”Unfortunately, it could get much, much worse…
“And what do you do, Mr. Ellis?” Detective Rubio asks, leaning forward on the table. “Do you ever retaliate?”
“What do you mean? Like, do I hit her back? No! Of course not.”It was an accident. “I usually just let her go until she tires herself out or do my best to take myself out of the situation.” All this is true. Beth usually would become more violent if I tried to walk away from her, but on some occasions, I was able to get away. She would calm down eventually and then leave, I’m assuming to Joshua’s, or whoever else she was fucking at the time.
“So what happened after this fight, Mr. Ellis? What did she do? What did you do?”
Slam.
Slam.
Slam! Her head crunches against the edge of the wall. Blood splashes me in the eye, some of it shooting into my mouth. I don’t taste it, but it's there, burning my lips.
“I just walked away… went downstairs and out to the forest in our backyard to cool off.” Dropping my stare, I gaze at the yellowish tile floor. I let the odd browns captivate me for a moment, and then I resume eye contact. “When I got out, she was gone.”
“In her car?”
“No,” I say, pretending to think back to that night. “But that isn’t unusual.”
“Shame, it’s going to be what humanizes you. No husband is going to be okay with his wife getting dick from another man, so you can’t act all nonchalant about it when they ask. Shame. It’ll save you.”
“My wife… her family, they’re big names in this town. So I need you to promise that what I’m about to say isn’t going to leave this room.”
Sharing another glance, they nod their heads, going as far as to shut off the recording device before gesturing for me to continue.Don’t overact, don’t overact.If I do this just right, everything will be fine.
“My wife has been having an affair for the majority of our marriage… after most arguments, whoever it is at the time will come by and pick her up. It’s not uncommon for her to stay there for a few days.”
Not a lie, just a little… altered. Beth does call whoever he is at the time, recently being Joshua, after almost every fight, and she does disappear into her lover's home for days at a time. But he’s never come to my house. At least not while I was there.It was just one of the many things she bragged about.
“I didn’t say anything because I figured that’s where she was. Instead, I just packed my bags and headed to the family cabin for a week.”
“And you hadn’t heard from her in all that time?”
“No. It’s usually best to leave her alone.”
As Scarlett said, it’s a strange thing for a husband to disclose, but my humiliation is enough to keep the questions away. For now.
After another hour of generic, non-suspicious questions, I’m free to go.
Mindful not to touch anything with my hands, I ready myself to leave behind them when Detective Dane swivels around and pierces me with the same vibrant eyes as his daughter.
“Just to let you know, Mr. Ellis, it’s routine to search the home. So, are you fine with my partner and me coming around tomorrow morning to look around, or would you prefer for us to wait until the warrant has been processed?”
Tomorrow morning? Shit! That doesn’t give me a lot of time to clean and get rid of any evidence left behind. But I don’t really have a choice. If I say no, and they’re forced to wait for the warrant, my guilt rises tenfold, and their hunt will only intensify.
Forcing a relaxed expression to stay in place, I say through gritted teeth. “It’s no problem. I’ll see you in the morning.”
With them escorting me out of the building, I keep my posture relaxed. It consumes my concentration, but it gets me to the parking lot without a skeptical glance.
“Have a safe drive, Mr. Ellis. If your wife is home when you get there, just give us a call.”
“Will do,” I say, putting the car into drive and backing out of my space. Glancing through my rearview mirror, I watch as Officer Dane eyes my vehicle. Even from this distance, I spot the crevice between his brows. It’s funny, Scarlett does the same when she’s thinking, but on her father, it’s much more unsettling.
What’s he thinking?
Did he believe me before?
I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
