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“Yes. Well, the day before, technically. The night before. We had dinner together, said our goodbyes, and she went to bed. I left the house at four the next morning to catch a 6 a.m. flight out.”
“So you didn’t sleep in the same bed that night?”
“Irrelevant.” Dennis speaks. “And his schedule has already been verified, Detective.”
“Yes, it has. Just covering the bases. Okay, so you last saw your wife Wednesday night. When did you last speak to her?”
For a second—a split-second—Zach looks down. He quickly corrects this misstep and returns his focus to me.
“Wednesday night at dinner was the last time I spoke with my wife.”
“You didn’t wake her to say goodbye before you left Thursday morning?”
“No.”
“And you didn’t speak to her after that?”
“No.”
“Not once?”
“No.”
“So, just so that I understand, you left for an international trip and didn’t bother to check in with your wife a single time while you were gone—not even when you landed to tell her you were safe?”
“That’s correct.”
“May I ask why?”
“It’s really not abnormal for us, especially when I travel. She knows I’m busy.”
“How about text messages?” Kellan asks from the corner of the room where he’s standing, arms crossed over his chest. “Not even a single text?”
Zach shakes his head. “No.”
An awkward silence lingers in the room. Yes, it is extremely abnormal that a man would travel internationally and not be in communication with his wife—but it does not make him a murderer.
“Do you know if your wife had plans while you were out of the country?”
“I’m not sure. She mentioned gardening and I’m sure she went to her Pilates class. But, no, I don’t know of any specific plans.”
“Who are Alyssa’s closest friends?”
“She has a high school friend named Julie, who I think she keeps in touch with. But other than her, none that I’m aware of. She’s kind of a loner.”
“What about enemies?”
“Enemies?”
I nod.
“No, Alyssa didn’t have any enemies.”
“Think for a moment: Is there anyone that she might’ve mentioned who made her mad, or perhaps she made them mad? Friends, family? Think. Even something as mundane as an incident at the grocery store. Or pulling out in front of somebody—road rage, whatever. Is there anything she mentioned recently?”
Zach thinks for a moment then shakes his head. “No.”
“Alyssa does not have an ex-husband, correct? She didn’t marry before you?”
