“I have no idea.” His expression hardens. The same notion, no doubt, is springing to his mind that came to Jane and Andy when they saw it. A burner phone she used for an extramarital affair.
He looks around like he wants to hit something. “So therewassomeone else,” he says. Now that he’s beyond speculation, he seems to care more than he let on a moment earlier. The anger shows in his coloring, the tightness of the jaw. “Who? Who’s the other man?”
“We don’t know if therewasanother man,” Jane says. “And if there was, we don’t know who.”
“What’s the...” He gestures to the phone. “Are there text messages? There must be.”
“It’s not something we can get into right now,” she says.
“Answer me that, though. Are there messages? Love notes?”
“There are text messages, yes. I promise that when I can give you—”
“When did they start? How long has this...” He looks away with a bitter smirk.
“I can’t, sir.”
“Just tell me that much. Give me a date.”
“Mr. Betancourt, please. Soon, I promise, but not now.”
Conrad stews on that, trying to deal with his anger in a composed manner and only barely succeeding. But slowly he decelerates and seems to realize that his reaction to the prospect of his wife’s extramarital affair could only deepen any suspicions the officers might have of him.
“Great,” he mumbles. “That’s just... great.”
“Mr. Betancourt, can you excuse us a second?” Andy says.
Jane follows Andy into the Betancourts’ kitchen, where Andy removes from a folder a copy of the transcript of text messages.
“Here,” Andy whispers. “Here, read these messages from September nineteenth.”
Jane reads over his shoulder:
UNKNOWN CALLER
VICTIM’S PHONE (EVIDENCE #1)
Mon, Sept 19, 10:01 AM
Top of the mornin’ to yah, lassie.
Mon, Sept 19, 10:04 AM
Good morning, my queen.
Mon, Sept 19, 10:06 AM
Sounds like you’re otherwise occupied. Will try you tonight my love.
Mon, Sept 19, 8:00 PM
Top of the evenin’ to yah, lassie.
Mon, Sept 19, 8:01 PM
Um, Lassie was a dog but ok
Mon, Sept 19, 8:01 PM