Perfect Night (Mason Creek)

My finger hovered over my phone. I couldn’t call Emma and warn her. I just hope she understood when I explained later, why I couldn’t. My cell phone records could be subpoenaed in the future. They could tie a call from me to her before Sheriff interviewed her. It would look bad and give the real killer reasonable doubt in jurors’ minds. So I put down my phone and prayed she’d forgive me.

I’d been listening for Emma showing up since the sheriff didn’t tell me when she was due to arrive. I also didn’t ask. When I heard her up front, I left my office and went directly to the viewing room with the one-way glass to see into the interrogation room. I wasn’t hiding. It was better Emma didn’t see or hear from me until after the sheriff talked to her.

A camera was set up already in the room. I clenched my fist as the sheriff explained he would be turning it on and then read her the Miranda warning. She shouldn’t be here, I thought.

The sheriff laid into her. “Emma, can you tell me where you were the night of your father’s death?”

“In bed. Why are you asking me this? You asked me these things after you found him.”

“This is for the official record now that we have proof he was murdered.”

I could see the anger in her face as she figured out why she was there. “Proof I paid to get. I told you from the beginning I thought Dad was killed.”

“I know that, Emma. But I have to ask. Please tell me where you were that night.”

“In bed. Alone and no, no one was with me.”

“Not even Evan?” Sheriff asked.

“No. Dad wouldn’t allow us to share a room because we weren’t married.”

“Where did Evan sleep?”

“In the downstairs room.”

“Would you know if he left the house?” he asked.

“No.”

“Would he know if you left the house?”

She shrugged. “It’s possible. The room is in the back, but if the house was silent, I suppose he might hear the front door open.”

“But you couldn’t?”

“I had ear buds in that night.”

“Is that something you normally do?”

“Sometimes,” she said.

“But that night you did?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Do you know your father’s state of mind that night?”

I scrubbed a hand over my face because this was a damning piece of evidence that could be used against her.

“The last I saw him, he wasn’t happy. He and Evan didn’t get along and things turned ugly at the dinner table.”

“What was said?” Sheriff asked.

“Evan asked my father about his no sleeping in the same room rule. Dad said he didn’t have to explain himself. It was his house. Evan told Dad he was too old fashion and that he and I had slept together many times so saving my virtue was far too late.” I hoped the next time I met Evan we weren’t in Mason Creek and I wasn’t on duty. “Dad told him he didn’t deserve any of my virtue and he hoped I’d wake up before I made the biggest mistake of my life.”

“What happened next?”

“I told them to stop. I told Dad no one was ever good enough for me in his eyes. I told Evan that he should leave in the morning if he couldn’t respect my father. Then, I left.”

“Did you see your father after that?” Sheriff asked.

She shook her head but finally answered no.

“What about Evan?”

“He came up to my room and I told him to leave.”

“He came upstairs even though your father was home.”

“Yes, and it pissed me off. I knew then things were finished with us.”

That I hadn’t known.

“Did you tell Evan things were over?”

“No. I just wanted him to leave. I thought about going to talk to Dad but decided to wait until morning and it was too late.” Her words ended in a muffled sob.

“Just a few more questions, Emma. Did you leave your room at any time that night and notice if your father or Evan were gone?”

“No. I woke up just before you came to the door and Evan came out of his room.”

“Was that the first time you saw Evan that morning?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“You said you couldn’t hear if someone left, right?”

“That was with my ear buds in. I took them off at some point in the night. Your banging was quite incessant.” She sniffled and I wanted to bring her tissues.

“Did your father have an insurance policy?”

She nodded. “He had a small twenty-five-thousand-dollar policy. I used it to pay for his funeral and pay off his truck.”

“So, you are unaware of any other policy he might have had?”

“He didn’t have any other one,” she said.

“Did he mention considering buying a policy?”

“No.”

“If I told you your father took out a two-million-dollar policy a month or two before he died, you would be surprised?”

She nodded. “I would.”