AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What in the world is going on, Joe?” Ada asked, storming into the hallway, drying her hands on a cup towel. “They’re going through our things.”
“They’ve got a warrant,” Joe told her.
“So call our attorney,” she said. “This is ridiculous. Thank God Lydia isn’t here to see this.”
“Let’s go in the kitchen,” Jack said. “Is your son home? We need to keep everyone contained while the search is going on.”
“No,” Ada said. “He’s having dinner at a friend’s house tonight.” And then she turned angrily on her heels and went back into the kitchen.
“Sorry,” Joe said. “She’s been really upset by all of this. She and Lydia are close like sisters, but things have been strained.”
“Since she found out what Steve planned to do with the team for the upcoming season?” Jack asked.
Joe stopped and looked at Jack. “Yeah, I guess you’d know all about that stuff by now. Come on back. Y’all want coffee or anything? I’ve already got a pot made.”
“I’ll take some,” I told him. “Just black is fine.”
“Sheriff?” Joe asked.
“None for me, thanks,” Jack said. “I’ll be up all night.”
I gave Jack a curious look. Joe Able was not acting like a man who had anything to hide.
Ada was putting away food from dinner and stacking dishes precisely in the dishwasher after she rinsed them off.
“Why are there cops going through my home?” she asked again. “I don’t care about a warrant. If you’ve got a warrant it means you believe we’re hiding something or that we had something to do with this.”
“Ada likes to watch crime shows,” Joe said with a small smile.
“This is serious, Joe,” she said, scowling at him.
“I’m not sure Lydia told you, but Steve Hargrove’s death has been ruled a homicide,” Jack said.
Ada stopped stacking dishes and stared at me. “That’s a cruel thing to do to Lydia,” she scolded. “I can understand why you’d want to make Steve’s death easier on her by telling her it was murder, but she told me how she found him. He blew his head off. There was no one else here.”
“Come sit down, Ada,” Joe said. “I’m sure they wouldn’t call it a homicide if they weren’t sure.”
Ada dried her hands on a cup towel again and came to sit by her husband.
Jack looked at Joe steadily, biding his time. “Who else could have done it but you, Joe?” Jack asked.
Ada gasped and was poised to stand up but Joe put his hand on her arm and held her down.
“Ahh,” Joe said. “So this is what this is about. You think I killed Steve.”
“Joe would never hurt anyone,” Ada spat angrily. “He’s the best man I know.”
“They would have heard about the argument Steve and I had a couple of weeks ago,” Joe said. “We were all upset when we found out what the plans were for the team and the football program. So to answer your question, Sheriff, I can think of a lot of people who could have killed him.”
“Everyone else has an alibi,” Jack said. “Your son had left for school. Your wife for work. The team and coaches were all accounted for at the weight room. Lydia was at the grocery store. But you were here at home. Alone. You know where Steve keeps his shotgun. And you know the back door is unlocked. All you had to do was walk over and confront him before he left for work.”
“Except I didn’t,” Joe said. “I told you I heard the shotgun blast. I just figured he was at it with the squirrels again. I was barely up and hadn’t even started getting ready for the day. I don’t usually go into the office until ten on Fridays.”
“Stop talking, Joe,” Ada said, patting his hand. “We need to call our lawyer. Don’t say anything else.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Joe insisted, looking at her with hurt in his eyes. “Surely you don’t think I did.”
“Of course not,” she said. “But we should call our lawyer all the same.”
