“She was a married woman when you met her?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know that.”
The blasted man raised his eyebrows. “She never told you that?”
“No.”
“And you never thought to ask?”
Keep your answers simple. The more you talk, the more trouble you get yourself into.
“No.”
“When did you learn she was married?”
“When I arrived in Galveston.”
This line of questioning was no surprise. A murder investigation was nothing, if not thorough. Except in this case they were only focusing on him. And since he didn’t kill Smith, they were allowing the real murderer to possibly leave the area.
“When you discovered she was married, why didn’t you go back home?”
Hunter raised his eyebrows. “We were friends. Have you never been friends with a married woman?”
“No. And I’ll ask the questions.”
He slumped back in the chair, once more focused on Emily. Hopefully Jeremy was able to keep an eye on her even if he wasn’t able to actually speak with her. She must be swamped with callers, all offering sympathy. He hated that she had no one to turn to. That was the most frustrating part of being in jail. That, and the fact that his hands were tied in trying to conduct his own investigation into Smith’s murder.
“Did you look for a job when you arrived in Galveston?”
“No.”
“How did you expect to live?”
“I have savings.”
“Ah, yes. From when you were a Texas Ranger.”
“That’s right.”
“So you come to Galveston to see your friend, Mrs. Smith. You don’t look for a job, so you didn’t plan to stay?”
“No.”
“This was a vacation?”
“You could say that.”
Grafton pushed his notebook aside and leaned both forearms on the table, fiddling with the pencil. “Why did you tell Officer Mallory that Mr. Smith killed your father in a bank robbery eighteen years ago?”
“Because he did.”
“And you told no one about this?”
“I explained to Mallory that I was only thirteen and was never able to speak of it.”
“So, miraculously, the man married to your friend, Mrs. Smith turned out to be someone who you felt could be charged with murder, and if found guilty would most likely be hanged?”
Since there didn’t seem to be any answer that would help his cause, he remained silent.