“Of course,” I say, doing all I can to steel myself.
After taking down my contact information, he asks me to describemy connection to Jamie. I explain, haltingly at times, that we were romantically involved for two plus years and engaged for about half of that period. The relationship, I tell him, ended in March, and since I suspect he might get around to asking, I mention that I was the one who called off the wedding.
“Did you have any contact with Mr. Larsson tonight?” Calistro asks, glancing up from his notebook.
“Yes, we spoke twice, but only briefly each time.”
“The final conversation was when?”
“Right before he left. I bumped into him in the solarium, and after we talked for a minute, he mentioned that he’d already wished Vic and Ava good night and was going to split. He went out the solarium door.”
“Was he alone when he exited?”
“Yes.” My eyes brim with tears as I’m flung back to that moment, realizing now that as I wished Jamie good night, he was only minutes away from his death. I picture him hesitating in the doorway, as if about to say something, then changing his mind and disappearing into the darkness.
“And how long after he left were you aware that something was wrong?”
“Within only a couple of minutes. I—I went to the front of the house to say goodbye to the Davenports, and as I was standing in the foyer, we heard what we thought was a firecracker. And then the car horn.”
He nods, making more notes, and then returns his gaze to me.
“Did you notice anything out of the ordinary tonight, especially regarding Mr. Larsson?”
The question takes me aback. It sounds like he’s considering something other than robbery, that one of theguestsmight have met up with Jamie in the field and killed him in his car.
“No, but I wasn’t around him much. When we spoke in the solarium, he did mention that his date had left before he did, but he didn’t seem all that bothered by it.”
The girl will be a suspect, I realize suddenly. God, could she have killed him in some kind of rage? “I don’t know her name, but Ava—Mrs. Davenport—will.”
Calistro nods, looking down at his notes, and then glances back at me. His brown eyes are round and small like pennies, but they don’t seem to miss anything.
“Was Mr. Larsson drinking this evening?”
“Um, he was having a glass of wine when I first saw him... but nothing later on. He’s not—he was never a big drinker.... Why?”
“We’re just trying to get a full picture of the evening.”
“Okay.”
“Can you describe the nature of your second conversation with Mr. Larsson?”
“As I said before, it was very brief,” I reply, with my heart picking up speed again. “We acknowledged that the evening was a bit awkward for both of us, but he said he didn’t mind that I’d come.”
I’m certainly not going to volunteer anything about the conversation I overheard between Jamie and Sam.
“Was your ex-fiancé right- or left-handed?”
I hear the words, but I hesitate before answering, confused by the inquiry. And then, with a sickening jolt, I realize why he’s asking.
“Right-handed,” I say. “Butplease, I hope you’re not thinking Jamie could have done this to himself. That’s just not possible. Jamie was a very happy, very positive person. Talk to any of his friends or relatives and they’ll tell you the same thing.”
Calistro nods, as if in empathy, but his expression is still totally neutral. “When you were discussing the awkwardness of being here at the same time, did he seem morose to you?”
“No, nothing like that,” I say, as my stomach twists. “He told me he was getting on with his life, and he didn’t harbor any negative feelings. Jamie always looked on the bright side of things, and I promise you he wasn’t the type of guy to let a breakup undo him. And—and tonight I even overheard him mention a bunch of fun plans he had for the rest of the summer.”
I sound almost desperate, I realize, protesting far too much.
“Ms. Reed, we’re simply considering every angle,” he says, with kindness in his voice now. “A team from the state police will examine the scene here, and we’ll investigate the situation as thoroughly as possible. And there’ll be an officer on duty here tonight, keeping an eye on the premises.”
