“She’ll be fine. But we need to take your statement.”
“I’m not leaving her.”
“She’ll be right outside, nothing is going to happen to her.” The cop nodded at the EMT and they rolled her out. I don’t know if she even realized what was happening. I made a promise to myself that as soon as we could we were going on a vacation alone to wherever she wanted.
“Fine.Whatever.”
“Are you the person who called it in?”
“Yes.”
“Your name?”
“Eric Matthews.” It was strange giving my real name. I never used it now except when I had to sign documents. I handed him my driver’s license and he took down my information. Next the crime scene people came in and took pictures.
“Can you walk me through what happened?”
“Only as far as what I heard and saw.”
“That’ll be fine. Whatever you remember.”
I explained everything I knew including the drugging episode the other night and gave him Detective Harris’ card so he could verify what I told him. I wasn’t sure he believed the old lady offed herself, and I was right when he asked if they could test my hands and clothing for gunshot residue. I agreed. I had nothing to hide and neither did Michelle, she was the victim in all of this. There’s no way they could say otherwise.
The cop finished his notes and gave me a searching look. “Will you be in town or are you going back on tour?”
I’d wondered if he’d recognized me or the name. I didn’t try to hide it but I wasn’t bragging about it either. We were still getting used to the fame. “I’ll be here, or in New Jersey, but you’ll be able to reach me by phone.”
“Good.”
“I’m not going anywhere until this is all settled.”
He nodded and said I could go see Michelle. I’d hoped they hadn’t taken her to the hospital, I still wasn’t sure if she was injured. I didn’t think so but there was so much blood everywhere. Who figured a little gun could do so much damage.
As I approached the ambulance I saw Detective Harris was questioning Michelle.
“So she came in to the room and you and Mr. Williams were already there?”
“Yes,” Michelle answered but her voice was still barely above a whisper. She was white as sheet and I wanted to take her awayand protect her. I’d never been so scared in my life. If I’d lost her my heart would have stopped. I know it. Somehow, slowly over the last nine months she’d crawled inside my heart and made it hers. There would be no life without her. None.
“And she told you Mr. Williams was her son?”
“No he said it.”
“Did you know this before?”
“No. I had no idea she was freakin’ crazy either.”
Detective Harris’ raised his eyebrows at her outburst but what the fuck dude, she’d just seen two people die. Was he really that fuckin’ inconsiderate?
“I think you should wait till she’s okay.”
“I need to get this information while it’s fresh in her mind. You’re okay with that aren’t you, Ms. DeAngelo?”
Michelle nodded and I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She looked so brittle but she had an inner strength I couldn’t believe. I can’t imagine how scared she must have been and yet she fought ‘til the end.
Detective Harris asked a few more questions and I listened to Michelle explain a lot of what I’d heard through the door but the whole mother/son thing confused me and it looked like Harris was going to be digging deeper into it too.
“Well young lady you were lucky. I’m sure we’ll find the same drugs that turned up in your water at Mrs. Pincher’s house. It sounds like she was the planner.”
