“See?”Nicki said nervously.“This is no big deal, Dale.”
“Yeah?Then why are we the only ones here?”Dale demanded.“Plenty of other people were down at the harbor the day Eddie died.I was at home.Why drag me in?”
“Nobody dragged you here.”I frowned.“You came in voluntarily.”
Dale snorted.“Did we, though?We’re not stupid.We know if we refuse to come in, you’ll try and make a big stink about it.”
Nicki looked embarrassed.“We don’t mind coming in to talk to you.Dale’s just stressed out.”
“I understand.”I met her gaze, making sure I sounded reasonable and non-threatening.I met Bree’s gaze over Dale’s shoulder.“Would you mind taking Mr.Pruitt into interview Room C?”
“Of course.”Bree smiled at Dale.“Will you follow me, Mr.Pruitt?”
He scowled.“What about Nicki?”
“She’s going to talk to me in a different room.”I met his gaze.“It’s just easier for me than trying to keep up with two people talking at once.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s why you’re separating us,” Dale jeered, shaking his head.“This is complete bullshit.”
I ignored him and smiled at Nicki.“Do you mind following me, Mrs.Pruitt?”
“Okay,” she said meekly, shooting an uneasy glance at her husband.
Dale scowled and stalked off after Bree.
I got Nicki situated in the interview room.I chatted with her about work and offered her coffee.Once she was settled in her chair and sipping some java, she seemed more relaxed.Maybe it was just the fact she wasn’t around her angry husband that had her calmer.
I clasped my hands on top of the table.“Nicki, when we spoke at the harbor, you told me Dale was home all night the evening Eddie died.Is that accurate?”
She avoided my gaze, staring at a point behind me near the door.“Yes.”
“Okay.”I nodded.“Can you refresh my memory?What time did he get home from work again?”
“Um… let’s see.”She swallowed hard.“Oh, yeah.He came home around noon.Then he stayed home the whole night.”She sounded robotic, as if she’d memorized the words.
“And he didn’t leave the house after that?”
A pause.Just a beat too long.“No.”
“Not at all?”I made sure to sound conversational.“Not even for a little while?”
Her face tensed.“I told you he was home all night, but you keep asking me the same question over and over.”
“No need to get upset, Nicki.”I sighed.“A man died, and I’m just trying to figure out what happened.”
She winced.“God, poor Eddie.It’s just so awful.”
I nodded.“It is.That’s why I have to keep asking the difficult questions.I’m sure you want Rosa to get the answers she needs, right?”
She blinked at me and then nodded.“Of course.”
I leaned forward, keeping my voice gentle.“I thought I’d make sure everything was accurate about your statement.The night Eddie died was traumatic.Sometimes when people give statements right after something that stressful, they’re upset and they misremember details.It happens all the time, and nobody would hold it against you if that happened to you too that night.So I wanted to double-check and see if there was anything you wanted to correct about your statement.Now would be the perfect time for that.”
She twisted her wedding ring around her finger, a deep line between her brows.
“Was there anything like that in your statement, Nicki?”I asked.“Maybe something you’ve remembered that you got wrong the night Eddie died?”
“No.”She bit her bottom lip, looking uncertain.
