The sound of a fridge opening, and ice cubes clinking slid across the line. “No,” Aiden said. “I didn’t know them very well, but if I remember right, when Richard Basanelli disappeared, there were rumors around town that he was guilty of domestic abuse. Nobody had known anything about it until then, though. I was surprised.”
“You were?” I asked. “Why?”
“I don’t know. They seemed like they had the perfect life. You know, three brothers, mom and dad. They were all into sports and good at it. I guess you just never know what’s happening behind closed doors.”
I swallowed. That was the damn truth.
“I always wanted a sibling,” Aiden said, his tone thoughtful.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I like it a lot.” I didn’t know what I would do without my sisters. I wanted to remind him that if he ever joined my family, he’d have tons of relatives, but I wasn’t ready to go there. At least, not right now.
“I have to go, Angel. Work calls.”
I pushed the covers off, and the instant chill almost had me cuddling back in. But I had plenty to do, as well. “Me, too. Maybe I’ll go to the office early.”
“That’s fine, but just stay out of danger. If Basanelli didn’t kill his dad, somebody did, and that person won’t be happy those bodies were found.”
Good point. Very good point.
Chapter12
Ibribed my way up to Detective Pierce’s floor with homemade huckleberry muffins, making sure to keep a couple for him. A quick glance inside his office confirmed that he’d probably already moved down to the interrogation room.
Excellent.
I walked down the long hallway as quietly as possible in my snow boots and turned left, going into the silent observation room where I gingerly closed the door. The space went dark. Holding my breath, I flicked on a light. Camera equipment and a computer sat on a table against the side wall, and I moved forward to see Detective Pierce with his back to me, facing two men across a scarred wooden table.
I’d been inside the actual interrogation room before, and the place always kind of creeped me out. I much preferred being in this room and watching through the one-way mirror.
If Pierce heard me pop inside, he gave no indication. I had been fairly quiet. The room was stuffy and warm, so I shed my wool coat and dropped it over the lone chair by the computer. Then I moved closer to the window and flicked the button on the speaker so I could listen.
“Thank you for coming in today,” Pierce said to the two men.
I studied them, not having seen either of them before. The guy directly across from Pierce had to be in his mid to late fifties with unnaturally black hair and light blue eyes. Like many men I’d seen, he was fighting going gray.
He was built kind of like a lumberjack with thick arms and a pretty big belly. I couldn’t really tell from my position, but he looked to be around five foot nine or so, which was about average.
“Please state your name for the record, Wayne,” Pierce said.
Wayne blinked. “For the record? For what record? You told me you were reopening the investigation into my wife’s disappearance. Why are we on the record?”
The other man, who had darker blue eyes, straightened in his seat. Unlike Wayne, he wore a three-piece suit with a muted red tie that almost matched the red in his gray hair. He wasn’t fighting the gray, and the red looked interesting, brushed back from his face. He cleared his throat. “My brother—I mean, my client—doesn’t have to talk to you. What is going on, Detective Pierce?”
Pierce ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, Spencer, you’re not licensed to practice law in Idaho, but I’m letting you sit in here. I know you’re here to protect your brother, but I just need some answers, all right?”
That made sense. If either of my sisters were called in to speak with the law, I would want to be present as their lawyer. I studied him. He looked to be about the same height as Wayne at probably five nine-ish. Wayne’s nose was bigger and Spencer’s jaw wider.
Pierce cleared his throat. I imagined the expression he wore was one of mild interest. I had been interviewed by him before. “Run me through the last time you saw your wife, Wayne.”
Wayne looked at his brother and then shrugged. “Fine. It was the day she left. She told me she was in love with Richard Basanelli and that they were going to sail the world together.” He rolled his eyes. “She hated the water, man. She got seasick even going out on a dinghy. But, oh no, she was going to go sail away with Richard.”
Spencer patted his brother’s arm. “It was a long time ago, Wayne.”
“I know. I just can’t believe she left me for that jackass,” Wayne said. “I tried to talk her out of it.” He looked down at his hands.
“What?” Pierce asked.
“I begged her not to leave me,” Wayne said, a flush creeping across his hangdog face. “I think she felt sorry for me because she said she would think about it.”
