“We need to start by demanding to see her bank account. That will tell us a lot.”
“But we need to make sure she doesn’t pull a weapon, make a run for it, something like that. From the minute we get in there, we need to be alert and on the defensive.”
It was a sobering thought. They were about to confront a woman for two murders. If she were to attack them, they would be forced to defend themselves.
“Yes. We must be on our guard,” May agreed.
“We must also record everything she says if she starts to confess,” Owen said.
“Good idea,” May said. “I have my phone with me.”
“And I have my tablet,” Owen said. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the device.
“Good.” May’s heart was racing. Everything was happening fast. “I don’t think we’ll need to use our guns, though. I hope we don’t.”
“Me too,” Owen said.
“Here we are,” May said. “This is her road. Her house is number five.”
The house was small but well kept. In the dusk, May could see it had a great view of the lake behind it. A spectacular sunset was brightening the sky in shades of amber, rust, and gold.
“This is the place,” she said, letting out a long breath.
“Looks quiet. Let’s go up and knock,” Owen said.
They parked the car in front of Emily’s house and walked up to the front door. Adrenaline surged inside her. She couldn’t wait to confront this strong suspect, who had a motive for both murders. Was she home?
May could see a light on in the window. She hoped that meant Emily was home. But her heart started beating faster as she approached the front door.
It wasn’t locked. It wasn’t even fully closed. It was standing ajar, with a beam of faint light filtering out.
“What’s going on here? This isn’t right,” Owen whispered.
“No, it isn’t,” she agreed, as they slowed down and looked at each other. Worst-case scenarios were flooding May’s mind. She didn’t want to think about the reason for that partly open door.
May stepped up to the door and knocked hard, peeking through the gap as she did.
“Emily Oxman!” she called. “Are you inside?”
There was no answer. The house was quiet. The light was on in the hall, but it didn’t look to be disturbed. Nothing was knocked over or lying around.
With a sinking sensation, May was starting to suspect the worst. What if someone else had come for Emily, to get their revenge?
Looking at Owen, she could see he shared this exact fear. He tiptoed around to the closest window.
“I can’t see anything in the lounge,” he reported in a whisper. Moving further around the house, he added, “And the garage door is open, with no car inside.”
May pushed the front door wider and walked inside. She had to know if this woman was lying dead inside her house, or not.
The curtains were still open in the bedroom, she saw. Some clothes lay on the bed, which was neatly made. The wardrobe door was open, and one of the drawers on the dressing table was, too. Otherwise, there was no sign of disturbance in the small room, or in the kitchen, or in the bathroom as she hurried from room to room, checking. No toothbrush in the bathroom. That was gone.
She walked outside again and met Owen there.
“I’ve checked the yard. Nothing’s out of place,” he reported.
“I think she’s fled,” May concluded. “This doesn’t seem like a burglary. There’s no sign of a struggle and no sign of her car. It looks like she packed some clothes in the bedroom, took what she needed, and left. I think she knew we’d suspect she did it, and she’s done a runner.”
It was a clear sign of her guilt. But she had the jump on them, and they were lagging behind.
Their strong suspect had gotten away, and now they would have to hunt her down.