Sandra closed her eyes.
Mary, who had remained near the doorway, wrapped both arms around herself.
Selena waited.Silence often did more work than pressure.
After several seconds, Sandra opened her eyes.“I thought Warren was having an affair.”
Mary made a small, broken sound.
Sandra turned toward her.“Honey.”
“I can’t do this.”Mary pushed away from the doorframe, tears spilling now.“I can’t listen to this!”
She hurried from the room.
Connor rose halfway, looking to Selena.
Selena gave a small nod.
He followed Mary out, his boots quiet on the polished floor.
Sandra began crying again, but this time there was anger beneath it.She wiped hard at her cheeks.
Selena let her take a moment.“Why did you think Warren was having an affair?”
“He’d been disappearing.”Sandra stared at the rug instead of Selena.“For months.Maybe longer.He’d say he was hunting or meeting one of the men from the club, but things didn’t add up.He stopped answering his phone.Came home late.Changed shirts before he thought I’d notice.”
“Did you know who the other person might be?”
“No.”
“Did you ask?”
“I asked him where he’d been.That was all it took.”
Renee squeezed her hand.“Tell her about William.”
Selena almost winced.They were not just supporting Sandra, they were steering her.It probably wasn’t intentional, but it was enough to contaminate the interview.Exactly what Selena wanted to avoid.And yet, here they were, doing just that.
Sandra breathed out shakily.“William Rankin.One of Warren’s hunting buddies.I saw him outside Davy’s Hardware three weeks ago.I said something about all the trips he and Warren had been taking.William looked at me like I’d lost my mind.”
“What did he say?”
“That he hadn’t hunted with Warren since last deer season.Said they’d talked about going, but it never happened.”
“So Warren had been using him as an alibi.”
Sandra nodded.“Yes.”
“Did you confront Warren?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“How did he react?”
Sandra’s mouth hardened.“He denied it.Again and again.Said I was making a fool of myself.Said I’d become suspicious and bitter.Then he stormed out.”
“Where did he go?”
