Martin took a sip of her tea and set the cup downbefore answering.
“Now that’s where we get to the manipulative part. He would never raise his hand against her. Never scream or threaten.”
“What did he do, then?”
“He would just keep picking away at her, little by little. How she looked, how she dressed. How she should be ashamed she couldn’t be a good wife and mother like the other ladies on the street. He just playedall these mind games with the poor woman, convinced her that everything was her fault. He was quite good at it, the sick bastard. And Fred was cruel to his son too. I think that’s why they don’t have much of a relationship.”
Decker drank some tea and nodded. “I could see how Ross would be like that. Always handy with some reply. Turning things against you. He did that with me.”
Martin pointed at him. “Exactly. Exactly right. Turning everything, even your own words, against you.”
They fell silent for a few moments.
Martin said, “But you wanted to ask me about that night?”
“Have Detectives Lassiter and Green been by to see you?”
“A Detective Green did come by to talk to me. And then, earlier today, Donna came by. Not in herofficial capacity, she said. Just to visit and see how I was doing. I hadn’t seen her in years. I was surprised she was with the police. I thought she would go on to be a doctor or something. Always very bright and, well, gung-ho. Nothing would stop her.”
“Well, you have to be pretty tough to be a cop and homicide detective,” noted Decker.
“Oh, of course, and I’m very proudof her. She’s come a long way and overcome a lot of obstacles.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I suppose you know about her father?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t say anything.”
“I wish you would. It could be helpful.”
“Well, that’s really why I was surprised Donna went on to become a police officer.”
“Why is that?”
“Because her father was convicted of a crime.”
“What crime?” asked Decker.
“Of killing someone.”
“Who?”
“A banker here in town.”
Decker tried to keep his features calm. “When was this?”
“Oh, decades ago. Donna was just a little girl.”
“Why did he kill the banker?”
“Because the bank foreclosed on his house. Donna’sfather worked at the last textile mill in town. It closed down and left Rich Lassiter high and dry along with about a hundred others. He lost his house, he lost everything. He apparently got drunk one night, went to the man’s home, and set fire to it. The banker, I forget his name, lived alone. Anyway, he died in the fire. Rich, I guess, was horrified at what happened. But he admitted to settingthe fire. He went to prison. And he died there about two years later. Maybe from guilt, I don’t know.”
“So Lassiter would have still been a little girl?”
“She was a verysadlittle girl after what happened to her father. I think she turned to religion to help her through the tough times. Her mother committed suicide from a drug overdose after Donna came back here when she finishedcollege.”