If the cop hadn’t been so tired, Vaughn might have guessed that this was another deliberate, accurate attempt at copying him.
“You okay?”
Delaney nodded.
“Yeah. Just... you know how it is. Telling someone that their husband is dead is the fucking worst.”
Oh, Vaughn knew, alright. And it was the one job that he was glad Darnell had passed off to Delaney.
“What happened?”
Delaney shrugged, let out a long breath.
“Just what she said on the phone. Basically, her husband went out for some game show thing and never came home. It was him—victim number three. Showed a photo and she confirmed it. Then she just... broke.”
Delaney had a far-off look in his eyes, and Vaughn gave him a moment.
Darnell did not.
“What did she know about the game?”
“Nothing. I mean, she was completely destroyed. Said something about not having any money, about how they’d been forced to cancel Harrison’s life insurance policy just a few weeks back. That’s name, by the way. Harrison. This was supposed to be their chance, you know? And they had this kid... a fucking baby. Just kept wailing.”
The man shuddered.
“She didn’t know anything about the game?”
“No.”
“You said she mentioned the game when she reported her missing husband on the 911 call.”
“Yeah, I heard the call; that’s what she said.”
“Did you even ask her about it?”
“Darnell...” Vaughn warned.
“Of course I asked her,” Delaney shot back. “She said she didn’t know. Only that Harrison said he was going to a game show, said that it was a secret and he couldn’t say more.”
“You sure you asked her?”
“Jesus fucking Christ, man! I asked her! Shedidn’tknow.”
Darnell grimaced.
“The fuck were you guys doing? I’ve been running around all over the place trying to—”
“Hey, we’re the detectives here. Not you. You do as we fucking say, alright? Got a problem with that, talk to the captain.”
Darnell stepped forward aggressively and Vaughn slid between them.
“Calm down—just calm the fuck down, both of you.”
And leave the captain out of this.
The fact that the grumpy old man hadn’t butted in already was a miracle. Vaughn wanted to keep it this way for as long as possible.
Delaney backed off while Darnell remained rooted in place.
