“Elijah,” Paul began. “I need to ask you some questions regarding the disappearance of Delores Stanton.” Paul let the sentence settle between themselves, watching with eager eyes for any sign that this was not new news to Elijah.
Elijah stared straight ahead, but the subtle sucking in of his breath could be heard over the oppressive silence that had settled between the two men.
“Okay,” Elijah finally said.
Paul cleared his throat. “Do you know Mrs. Stanton?”
“You know I do,” Elijah said, his adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”
Paul nodded and looked away, his gaze travelling back down to the notes on his pad. “Did you know that she was missing?”
“I knew that something wasn’t right,” Elijah answered immediately. Paul looked up, catching Elijah’s gaze. “We were having an affair. But I’m sure by now you’ve worked that out.” Elijah gave a small shrug.
“How long has the affair being going on?”
“Five months.”
“Do you know where Mrs. Stanton is, Elijah?”
Elijah shook his head. “No, if I did I wouldn’t be here.”
Paul arched an eyebrow. “And why’s that?”
“Because I’d be with her.” Elijah let out a long sigh. He leaned forwards on the table and dragged a hand down his tired face. “She was leaving him.”
“Her husband?”
“Yes.” Elijah shook his head, his action opposing his words. “I said I would go with her when she told him, but she said no. She insisted on going on her own.” Elijah closed his eyes, getting lost in the memories. “I should have gone with her.”
Paul made a note of this new information on his pad, the soft scribblings echoing softly throughout the room. When he looked up, he saw the sincerity on Elijah’s face; the worry, the angst, and underneath that…the anger.
“When was this?” Paul asked.
“Two days ago—Thursday afternoon. She left my house at around noon. She came to my house distressed, there were scratches down her arms.”
“Did you ask her where she got the scratches?”
“Yes, of course I did. She said she didn’t remember.”
Paul frowned and made another note. “What else did she say? I need to know everything.”
“I begged her to leave her husband, and she agreed. She phoned him at work and said that she needed him to come home early because she wanted to speak to him.” Elijah sat back in his chair, the softtap tap tapof his foot on the floor underneath the table. “I should have gone with her,” he murmured to himself once again.
“And that was the last time you saw her?”
“Yes.”
“And how did she seem?”
Elijah swallowed again, his gaze not being able to stay on Pauls. “She was scared.”
“Scared?” Paul asked, and when Elijah nodded he continued. “Scared of who?”
“Of her husband.”
Chapter Twelve
Delores
