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“Tell me,” she said as soon as they were out of earshot of her husband, “are you any closer to finding a suspect?”
“We’re getting there, Mrs. O’Rourke, we’re getting there.”
“Good, that’s good. I’m sure poor Niall would appreciate it. By the way, thanks for not bringing up what I told you in front of my husband. Sonya was my very best friend. I wouldn’t want my husband thinking badly of her even though she’s no longer with us.”
Detective Sparks nodded and repeated her goodbyes before heading down the steps to the waiting car. She hadn’t learned much more than she already knew, but things were starting to take shape in her mind.
“Where to now boss?” Officer Bailey asked, as he got strapped in in the passenger seat. Detective Sparks tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and looked straight ahead before putting the key in the ignition.
“We’ve got to get Mr. Davis to let us go through his wife’s things. I’d like to do it without having to go through the hassle of getting a warrant but if push comes to shove I’ll do it.”
“How do plan on getting him to do it?”
“I’m not sure but I have to give it one last try.” She put the car in gear and drove down the lane away from the farmhouse.
* * *
Nettie lookedon as the nanny who she didn’t have much use for fed the baby in her highchair. There was something different about the girl this morning but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what that something was.
She wouldn’t be surprised if the new style in dress and the lipstick had something to do with catching Mr. Niall’s eye. If the mistress were still around she wouldn’t have dared. These young people today have the morals of an alley cat.
Here it is just three days since the woman died, her body wasn’t even cold in the grave yet and this one was already playing up to her husband. Not that Mrs. Davis was deserving of her pity. She’d been another one.
Nettie had suspected that there was something fishy going on with the woman before she died, but she’d never had any proof and wasn’t one for gossip. But now with everyone else already saying it, she was thinking harder and harder about the things she’d overlooked.
She looked over when Mr. Niall entered the kitchen, his bloodshot eyes telling her what kind of night he’d had. Poor thing, to be this broken up over that worthless woman who didn’t deserve it.
She hated thinking this way about the woman who was now dead, the mother of those poor babies, but she couldn’t deny the truth of what she’d seen with her own eyes.
All the running around, coming and going at all hours of the day when Mr. Niall was hard at work, the very things she’d once excused away were now plain to see, and with everyone else thinking the same thing…
Why even widow Connors had seen her going and coming from the old Miller barn with some man. She didn’t believe for a second that the man had been Mr. Niall; the man she knew wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like that. And besides, why would he need to go there when he had a house like this to come home to?
If that detective came back here she’d be sure to tell her what she was thinking this time instead of beating around the bush. She knew Mr. Niall was refusing to let them go through her things, but she knew something that might help.
She felt a moment’s qualms about going behind his back. She’d been with him for so long, but it was for his own sake wasn’t it? The sooner the police got to the bottom of this mess the sooner he could carry on with his life.
She knew he wouldn’t be caught up in the murder, she’d already checked with that Nancy Parish the day it happened after the police had come by and she knew that he’d been in his office at the time it had happened.
Nettie could have no idea that the murderer hadn’t been on sight when the deed was done, that it had been a setup, a trap laid for the unsuspecting Mrs. Davis. So when the cops showed up not long after she made up her mind to do what she must.
No one had to know that she’d been the one to do it; she’d get their word that they’ll keep her name out of it, or else she wouldn’t tell them what she knew. But she for one was hoping to get the whole ordeal over and done with, put it behind them.
Niall had awakened feeling a bit under the weather so the last thing he wanted to see before he even said hello to his kids was the cops at his door. “Look officers, I’ve had a rough night, and I’d like to spend some time with my children. If you want to see me again contact my attorney.”
Detective Sparks knew those words meant she had no recourse but to turn around and go back the way she came. It didn’t matter what she’d come here to say, once the person invoked their rights, whether they’d been placed under arrest or she just had a few questions, everything had to stop as soon as those words were put into play.
She was surprised though when Ms. Nettie the housekeeper caught up with her at the car door. “Pssst!” The way the older woman kept looking back over her shoulder it was obvious she didn’t want to be seen talking to them, so Detective Sparks didn’t waste any time getting her to a blind spot beside the house and out of the line of prying eyes.
“Here, I found this when I took some of her things to the cleaners last week. I knew what it was when I saw it because my daddy used to have one just like it when I was a little girl.”
“What is it?” Detective Sparks turned the key over in her hand.”
“It’s a key to a safety deposit box. They haven’t changed those things in over fifty years see. If you look real close you’ll see the number written on top.” Detective Sparks squinted and sure enough there were three numbers etched into the old key that felt like it weighed a ton.
“Thank you very much for this MS. Nettie.”
“It’s not for you it’s for him. I figure the sooner you get to the bottom of this, the better, then he and those kids can go on with their lives.” She huffed and looked around as if expecting to see someone.
“We live in a small town; I know I don’t have to tell you how much damage gossip can do to a body. Whatever she’s done she’s gone now, but Mr. Niall and those babies still have to live here. It’s best we get this thing behind us before any more tongues get to wagging.” And with that Ms. Nettie turned and walked back inside.
