CHAPTER16
* * *
“Well that was a complete waste of time.” Officer Bailey grumbled when they got back into the car.
“Not necessarily Pete.” Detective Sparks put the car in gear and headed back to town.
The bank was only open half a day today and Monday was a holiday. She wasn’t taking any chances that something would stand in the way of her getting into that safety deposit box today.
“Well, it’s like this; I’ve already started putting the pieces together in my head and the key Ms. Nettie just gave me just might be the one thing I need to gain access to the answers.”
“Are you going to tell me about the DNA?”
“Oh that, I almost forgot. It’s hers and his.”
“What, but that doesn’t make any sense.” She nodded her head. “On the cigarette butts and the blanket. Mr. and Mrs. Davis’ DNA is the only thing that we found.”
“I don’t understand!”
“I do, I’ll explain it to you later.” She called Andy who’d come in today only because he too was now more determined than ever to crack the passcode on Sonya Davis’ phone.
“I haven’t got it yet but I’m hopeful. I got my hands on a new piece of equipment that’s supposed to crack encryptions. I only have it until Tuesday so I’m going to be working on this baby all day. Can’t talk now detective.” She looked at the dead phone in her hand and shook her head.
“He didn’t let me get a word in edgewise.” She couldn’t be mad at him since she liked what he had to say. As she pulled up to the bank she thought of the legalities of what she was about to do. She was playing it a bit close since she was sure Ms. Nettie wasn’t the cosigner of the box, but on the other hand she wasn’t breaking in so didn’t need a warrant.
The key had been given to her without her even asking so there was no reason why she shouldn’t use it. Plus she had the sneaky suspicion that Niall Davis wouldn’t mind once she found what she was hoping to.
She walked into the bank and headed to the front desk. “Good morning, I need to get into safety deposit box number nine twenty-three.” She showed the woman the key but didn’t identify herself as a cop just in case there was an issue.
She’d left officer Bailey in the car for just this reason as well. Since the key had been given to her she saw no reason why she shouldn’t use it, and because she was sure her reasoning would hold up in a court of law since she hadn’t pressured the housekeeper to give her the key, and didn’t even know the woman had one.
The lady behind the desk didn’t ask her any questions which is exactly what she wanted as she lead her to the back and into the vault where the boxes were kept. “I’ll leave you to it then, once you’re done please make sure you lock it.”
She turned and left, leaving Detective Sparks to open the box herself with the key she’d been given. Her hand shook with excitement as she put the key in the hole and it turned. Her heart raced when she saw the thin leather volume that she was sure before she held it in her gloved hand was a journal. “Yes!”
She closed up the safety deposit box and put the journal in an evidence bag before removing the gloves she’d put on after the other lady had left. She walked out of the bank and into the car with no real expression on her face.
“Find anything?”
“Yes, I think this case is about to take a turn for the better.” She lifted the journal in its protective bag from beneath her jacket and put the key in the ignition. She was almost tempted to let him drive them back to the station so she could dive right in, but there was no point in cracking the case if she were dead; the boy can’t drive.
* * *
Niall didn’t seehis housekeeper go outside after the cops and he wasn’t interested. Last night he’d had an epiphany and this morning had awakened with a new outlook on life. He was more inclined now than he had been two days ago to believe that his wife had indeed been having an affair.
Though he hadn’t been back to town since leaving the bank on Thursday, he was well aware of what the whole town was saying. He’d seen it in the mailman’s eyes yesterday morning, had sensed something when Riley came over to see him.
He was still struggling with the idea that it was his friend, the man who’d lent him a shoulder to lean on that she’d been having the affair with, but stranger things have happened. He was now imagining that the other man had used his weaknesses, everything that he’d shared with him, to get his wife into his bed.
He sat at his kitchen table across from his children, mad at the world and wanting his pound of flesh. To be betrayed by one of them was bad enough, but a betrayal by two people he’d trusted was more than he could bear. Had they been laughing at him?
His mind went to the last dinner they’d shared together as couples and as he thought of that night something tickled the edges of his mind. Something that was as elusive as a lot of things has been lately; something that no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t bring into focus.
The nanny smiled at him; what was her name again? Bridgette! Yes, not a bad looking girl. He found it odd that he’d never really noticed her before. But then again, with Sonya around, he’d never noticed anyone else.
She’d been his world his everything and he’d always thought that he and the children were hers. Now he smiled back at the nanny. Why not? If Sonya had been out there fucking around what’s to stop him doing it now that she was gone?
Bridgette wondered if he’d woken up this morning and realized that last night hadn’t been a dream after all and that’s why he was smiling at her now. She felt herself relax at the thought. When she woke up this morning she’d been afraid that she’d gone too far and was worried about the consequences if he did come to his senses and realized that it was she who’d been in his bed the night before.