I got home and put on some comfortable clothes. Picking up the phone, I called Lucas and paced around the house. He picked up after three rings; I gave out a sigh of relief.
“Angie?” He asked.
“Yeah. She was here today.” I whispered. I suspected she was watching me or listening in, and I could only whisper to prevent her from hearing me talk.
“Oh. What did she say?”
“I recorded our conversation, and she didn’t say much about anything at all.” I stifled a groan. I felt like a failure. I had one job, one! And I’d failed it.
“That’s good. I mean that you recorded everything. It’s better to hear her since I can’t see her.” He at least had the decency not to sound scornful.
“You still don’t believe me,” I said.
“No, Angie. I believe you. It’s… that came out wrong. I meant that it’s better now that I have the recording and I can hear the voice and try to recognise it.” He now sounded desperate. I gave a nod I knew he couldn’t see.
“Yeah, okay. Whatever.” I said. “What do you want me to do now?”
“Nothing!” He said, a little too quickly. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
I thanked him and hung up. Then I dragged myself to the kitchen to get a drink.
Lucas came to my aunt’s house and decided that he had a brilliant idea.
“You’ll drop by her house… a friendly brief visit. Strike up some conversation then I’ll come and ask her some questions.”
“Questions?”
“Yes. her husband. Still hasn’t been located. My guys did a ‘ping’ test…? From cell phone towers and collected information on his phone.”
“Oh. You mean where you look to see where his phone last ‘pinged’ at a cell phone tower?”
“Yes. Exactly! And turns out his phone didn’t even leave Lesbrook. Hasn’t left for three and a half months at least.”
“Isn’t that enough to arrest Tanya or something? Because I’m scared of her now.” I explained. I couldn’t think I could walk into her house and act like nothing was up. She was a suspect in a murder, and now her husband’s disappearance.
“You entertained Alison for who knows how long and didn’t even break a sweat. You can do this too.”
“I don’t think you understand the amount of stress I felt in sinews. She petrified me. And one time, she looked down at my phone, almost like she suspected something was up. Then she left immediately after.” During my tiny narration, he’d guided me to his car and shove me into the passenger’s seat.
“See? You even came up with a good cover-up story.”
“She only suspected something was up because of the light my phone has when I have unread texts,” I said. “So that wasn’t a tough story to come up with, it was only pure honesty.”
“I can’t drop you off right in front of her house. I’ll drop you off a few houses before and then you walk to her house like you always do.”
“Okay.”
“So, the press from your hometown caught a whiff of our case, which makes it a great story… you know? Publicity.” He said. He must notice my confusion because he explained the reason he was telling me this. “That means we- I - must solve this case before they portray our PD in an unpleasant light.”
He told me to have my recorder on, in case she said anything worth noting.
Delete Created with Sketch.
Ignorance is bliss because Tanya opened her door wide and welcomed me into her humble abode. She made us tea and sat down to talk about my day. She seemed more cheery than usual today. Almost like she was elated something had happened… or was about to happen.
“How’s your day been so far?” She asked me.
Oh, so where do I start? The part where a person I didn’t know dropped by to visit me? How I suspected the unknown person of murder or involvement in? Or how I suspected Tanya in the murder, too? Or the involvement in? Or maybe I should mention how Detective Lawrance would come knocking a few minutes?
“It’s been fine,” I said. “My Aunt’s not home so I got bored.” I gave a shallow laugh. “How about you?”
“Nothing much.” But her happiness didn’t quite scream ‘nothing’s happened’.
I looked out the window, and for the first time, appreciated the beauty of her garden. She had a beautiful garden, an out-of-this-world kind of beauty. “You have a beautiful garden.”
“His greatest pride was our garden.” She gave a rueful smile that didn’t reach her eyes. None of her smiles ever did, not even today when she was so happy.
“Who? Your husband?”
“Yes. He did adore it.” I noticed the past tense when she talked about him, and I shuddered as a shiver crawled up my spine. My hair stood on end. At that point, I was convinced she’d done it. She’d done something to her husband.
“Where is he, Tanya?” I urged. I assumed she was in a daze now and would open up about anything, but boy was I wrong! My question jarred her back into reality, and she threw me a blank stare.
“He’s with his dad.” She said. “His dad passed away.” Looking up at me, then back at her window, she stood up and walked up to it. She touched the window with her palm out flat in front of her. She continued her staring into the garden.
I knew then that her husband wasn’t alive; he was dead. I decided if Lucas wouldn’t be showing up soon; I’d find out by myself.
“Where did you take him?” I asked. She turned back to me, her face still blank. Her eyes carried no emotion. She did everything in slow motion, which helped increase my anxiety and also increased my blood pressure. I was grateful for both these changes.
“I didn’t take him anywhere. I don’t see what you’re talking about.” But I knew she did. She knew way more than she let on. She knew exactly what I was insinuating, and she wasn’t falling for it. So, I played along with her. Playing dumb was one of my best suites, I’m good at it.
“Yes,” I whispered. “How is he then?” I didn’t intend for the question to come out sounding so accusatory, but it did, and it ruined the little chance I had of any information out of her now.
“He’s fine. But maybe a little sad; his dad died, you know?”
“How did he die?”
“Suicide. He overdosed.” Her eyes lit up now. She gave a small smile, then turned her smile into a frown. She knew frowning was the required expression, not smiling. But I knew her facade had slipped once more, and I knew she had something to do with that too.
“What did he overdose on?”
“Potassium,” she said. “He had a heart attack. They called an ambulance, but it was too late. He died before they got there.”
’How does one overdose on potassium?’ I wanted to ask. But I said; “Oh, that’s so sad.”
I shivered. My silent prayer was answered, and Lucas knocked on the door. My eyes widened in faux confusion and worry. But she stayed unbothered, smoothed her dress and walked to the door. They exchanged a few words, and Lucas let himself in. He held up a Search Warrant and shoved it into Tanya’s face. Just then, I saw it. How had I missed it before, but right now; as she looked calm and unbothered, I saw it. The resemblance was astonishing really, obvious too.
“Tanya, I need to talk to you a bit. And I brought guys here with me to search your house.”
“Why?” she asked as she read through the warrant.
“Because we have… a few reasons to believe there are things in this house that can help us solve the case.” I don’t think he wanted to tell her he thought she knew something about the murder.
A few of Lucas’ workmates barged in and started looking through the house. She didn’t make so much as a squeak the entire time. She kept silent and emotionless. At one point, the only time she showed any human reaction to being almost arrested. She turned to me, held eye contact, and her eyes flashed with anger.
“How can I help you, detective?” She asked. At that moment, I had an idea.
“Do you mind if I…?” I gestured to the kitchen. Her house was like my aunt’s house, so I knew where to go. I took my purse with me. In the kitchen, I got myself some water and looked around to see if any of the officers could see me. The coast was clear.
The kitchen had a door that leads to the stairs. If I went up the stairs a bit. I’d get to Tanya’s room and bathroom, and I knew that’s where I needed to be in less than a minute. I could leave before any police officers caught me.
Her bathroom was neat and inconspicuous. I opened her medicine cabinet and there was nothing in there but medicines. Then I opened a little cupboard in the room’s corner and I found it there, the plastic bag I was looking for. With everything I needed.
I shoved the plastic bag into my purse, smoothed my hair, and left the bathroom. Time for the show to begin.
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