Sarah paled and gulped audibly before nodding.
“How do you know him?”
“We dated,” she whispered.
“Dated? Past tense?” Allina asked.
“Yes.”
“When did you break up?” Jonathon asked.
“About six months ago.”
Six months. This must have been the trigger that started the change in Thomas’ behavior. If it were true. Jonathon wasn't getting a psychopathic child killer vibe off the woman, but they needed to know more before they dismissed her as a suspect. “Did he break up with you or did you break up with him?”
“I broke up with him,” Sarah replied, chewing on her bottom lip like she was just waiting for them to hit her with a hammer.
“Why?”
“Why are you asking me questions about Tommy?” she countered.
“Are you aware that Thomas was recently killed in a shootout with the police?” Allina asked.
Dumbfounded, Sarah shook her head, and then something that looked like relief flared in her eyes.
“After carjacking a woman,” Jonathon added, searching Sarah’s face for signs that she was aware of Thomas’ violent streak.
“Tommy carjacked someone? And shot at the police?” Sarah repeated, looking like she was sure they must have been making it up.
“After cutting the woman’s neck and making her drive from the police for ninety minutes,” Jonathon elaborated, pleased that he said it calmly even though thoughts of how terrified Clara must have been left him wanting to hit something.
“Thomas was never violent with you?” Allina asked.
“No, never,” she replied adamantly.
“What about with your children?”
“He was great with the children. In fact, he was the first man that I'd dated that I allowed to even meet them. The kids were always important to him; he made that clear from the beginning of our relationship. He wanted us to be a family. I still waited a while before introducing him to them. My husband died when I was pregnant with my youngest; the other two were so young they don’t remember their father. I didn’t want them to get attached to Thomas if I wasn't serious about him,” Sarah explained.
“So you were serious about your relationship with him?” Jonathon clarified.
“I was.”
“But something changed because you broke up with him.”
“Yes.”
Feeling like they were pulling teeth, Jonathon prompted, “Why did you end things then? If you saw a future, and your children liked him, why break up?”
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “Tommy is dead, why does it matter now?”
“It matters,” he assured her.
“I found out something about him,” Sarah began uncomfortably.
“What did you find out?”
“Christina told me something about him,” she continued, looking like she’d rather be anywhere but here.