CHAPTER4
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Niall Davis was just about to call his wife. He’d been in meetings all morning and hadn’t had a chance to check in on her and the kids. It’s something he never forgets to do and he was sure she’d be wondering what was keeping him.
“Nancy?” He picked up the phone and spoke to his assistant who sat at a desk just outside the doors to his executive office.
“Yes Mr. Davis?”
“Has my wife called?”
“No sir, she hasn’t would you like me to call her now? Oh wait a minute sir.”
He heard her greet someone who’d walked into the office. “Sir,” she came back on the line, “the police are here, they say they need to speak with you.” The police? What could they want?
“Send them in.” He hung up the phone and got to his feet as they came through the door, led by his assistant. He came around from behind his desk with his hands in his pockets.
“Hello, what can I do for you? That will be all Nancy.” He turned his attention to his assistant who nodded in acknowledgement and left, closing the door behind her.
Detective Sparks had made up her mind on the way up in the elevator that there was only one way to do this. No matter how many times you’ve done it before, each situation was different, but the end result was always the same, someone’s life was going to be devastated.
“Mr. Davis, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but there’s been an accident.” She took a deep breath and forged on at the befuddled look on his face. “Your wife was killed earlier this morning.” He looked at her with a sort of bemused look on his face not quite registering her words. “I don’t understand, what do you mean?”
Niall was fast losing all the feeling in his limbs and it felt like the blood had drained from his brain, leaving him with a feeling of lightheadedness. It had to be a joke, a very sick one, but a joke nonetheless. “I don’t think that’s funny.”
“I’m sorry sir, but it’s not a joke. We found your wife’s body in the woods outside of town, near the O’Rourke farm.”
“In the woods? You’re mistaken my wife doesn’t go into the woods. She’s at home with our children.” He reached for the phone and put that call in to his home.
The housekeeper answered on the second ring. “Hello, Davis residence may I help you?”
“Yes, this is Mr. Davis, put my wife on the phone please.”
“I’m sorry Mr. Davis, but your wife’s not at home.”
“Well where is she?” He looked at the cops as the truth began to dawn. This couldn’t be; she must be out shopping, Sonya loves to shop.
“I’m not certain sir, she left a little after eight this morning and haven’t returned.”
“Why that’s impossible, she would’ve told me if she was going to be away from home that long.” He hung up the phone without saying anything more and dropped down into his seat.
There was a buzzing in his ear and his limbs felt weak. This couldn’t be happening. “How did it…how did she die? Was there some sort of accident?”
“Well sir, the truth is we think she was murdered.” His eyes shot up to the detective’s in disbelief.
“Murdered? Why that’s preposterous.”
“That’s the way it looks sir. Now I have to ask, where were you between the hours of eight and nine this morning?”
“You think… you can’t think that I had anything to do with it.”
“We’re questioning everyone who knew or was in anyway acquainted with the victim sir.” Niall rubbed his hand over his face and tried to get his thoughts in order. “Well I was here of course, same as I always am every morning. I came in at seven thirty on the dot.”
“Can anyone vouch for that sir?”
“Well no, I’m always the first one here every morning; no one else gets here until eight thirty.”
“Why so early? The bank doesn’t open until nine.”