Page 43
“I see. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” she said, giving me a quizzical look.
“With what I found out about your husband… had you confronted him yet?”
She looked back down at her hands. I wasn’t sure whether her behavior was genuine, because her demeanor didn’t match the woman who had been in my office last week, full of confidence and poise. The stoic socialite she’d presented was gone. Perhaps she held the stoic behavior only as a mask.
“I did, soon after I’d gotten home from you giving me those photos,” she replied. “He was in his study.”
“Did he try to deny what was in the photos?”
“No. He confessed. He told me he and Dash had been in a relationship for over a year.” She snickered before continuing. “Dash Matthews… a good twenty years younger than Raymond. Tell me something, as men get older, and apparently bored in their marriages, do they usually latch onto a younger plaything?”
Her casual reference to ‘plaything’ struck me as strange, and I suppressed a laugh before I answered. “I guess it depends on the man and what he fancies.” I watched her eyes glance at my left hand.
“Are you married, Craig?” she asked. I wasn’t sure where that line of questioning would lead, so I decided to be truthful. I reminded myself it was just a friendly conversation.
“No…I’m not married, but I am in a relationship with a man named Gabriel.”
Her expression didn’t shift at my mention of Jonesy. “And… what does he do?”
That was where I needed to spin a little white lie and not mention that he worked for the police department. “He’s an investigator, like me.”
“How long have you been together?”
“Three years,” I replied, hoping that would placate her curiosity.
“Three years is an investment. I hope you’re both happy?” I nodded, confirming we were.
She looked out of the large windows framing the Bay Bridge in the distance. “As numb as I was by his admission that he’d always preferred men, I stayed calm, walked out, and went to pack a bag. I needed to get out of this house for a while. I told him he’d be hearing from my lawyer as I left. The betrayal, the hurt… it was too much to be under the same roof as him.”
I actually felt sorry for her. My instinct was to ask if she thought Raymond could have been distraught enough to take his own life once confronted with the photos. But the police could ask her that. “Again, I’m sorry things ended this way,” I said instead.
“Thank you. As upset and angry as I was by his admission of the affair, I’m glad it came to light. It could have been an easy divorce. I wasn’t going to fight for a man who’d been lying to me.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sure I’ll be gossip fodder in social circles for a while, but I don’t care. I’ll be too busy planning his funeral and memorial service. At least my sister came back after I got the news, to help me get through it.”
I gave her a weak smile as I stood. She escorted me to the front door, hooking her arm through mine. She seemed grateful I’d paid my respects. Her sincerity was convincing, and she thanked me for my kindness as we said our goodbyes. My suspicions about her involvement in his death eased.
Pulling out my phone as I sat in my car, I texted Jonesy, hoping he’d respond quickly.
Me: Hey, babe. I’m just leaving the Chandler residence. When would your captain like to chat with me?
Within a few seconds, I saw dancing dots.
Jonesy: Anytime after one o’clock. How did your interrogation go?
Me: (Laughing emoji) It wasn’t an interrogation. I just wanted to see how she’d respond.
Jonesy: And what did you think?
Me: I’ll tell you once I get to the station, but she seemed sincere. No red flags. BTW, can you sit in on the conversation with the captain?
Jonesy: I’m pretty sure I can, since I was the one who told him about Mrs. Chandler and that she was a client of yours.
Me: Okay, I’m gonna hit the gym and then grab lunch. I’ll see you a little after one o’clock. Love you. (heart emoji)
Jonesy: Love you, too…Howler.
A smile crossed my face seeing his endearment. I knew he felt safe saying it in a text, and I accepted it gladly with a heart emoji response. I closed the message app and dialed Chet’s number in Lake Tahoe. It went to voicemail after a few rings.
