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"What were you doing there?"
"Roy Hubbard called me," Dell explained, rubbing the back of his neck."Said they had a termite problem.Real bad one, too—they were eating through the floorboards in the kitchen.He wanted me to spray the whole place down with termite killer before it got any worse."
Sheila glanced over at Finn, who remained silent, his arms crossed firmly over his chest.Turning her gaze back to Dell, she asked, "And did you?"
Dell shook his head."No, I didn't.Never got the chance to."
Sheila leaned in closer, her eyes focused on Dell's every movement."What are you talking about?"
Dell rubbed his bruised wrist nervously."I did a walkthrough to see the extent of the infestation.Then, after a left—well, that was when things got interesting."
Sheila studied him, waiting.
"Okay, so I was leaving the house, right?"Dell began, clearing his throat as he recalled the events."I got into my car, started it up...and that's when I heard something moving in the back seat."
Sheila watched as Finn uncrossed his arms, intrigued by Dell's story.She could tell that he, too, sensed there was more to this than met the eye.
"Go on," she said.
"Before I knew it, there was a knife pressed against my throat," Dell continued, swallowing hard."The guy told me not to turn around, and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck.I thought I was done for, you know?Like, I was about to be murdered or something."
"Must've been terrifying," Sheila said, studying him carefully.He seemed to be genuinely upset at the recollection—either that, or he was an exceptional liar.
"Terrifying doesn't even begin to cover it," he admitted, running a hand through his disheveled hair."But then something weird happened."
"Weirder than having a knife to your throat?"Finn asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Way weirder," Dell said."The guy tossed a stack of bills onto my lap, just like that."He snapped his fingers for emphasis."Asked me if I knew what it was for."
"Did you?"Sheila asked, her heart racing at the implications of Dell's story.
"Course not.So he told me.Said he wanted me to tell him about the layout of the Hubbards' house.And I did, 'cause what else was I gonna do with a knife at my throat?"
"And then?"Finn asked, a note of skepticism in his voice.
"Then he said he wanted me to rob the Hubbards," Dell explained, his voice barely above a whisper."And if I did it, he'd pay me double the money on my lap.I agreed – I would've been an idiot not to – and he just...let me go."
Sheila leaned forward, her eyes locked on Dell's."So, did you go through with the robbery?"
Dell shifted uncomfortably in his chair, avoiding Sheila's gaze."No, I didn't," he mumbled."I went to the house the next night, looked around a bit, and then...I chickened out and left.And I haven't heard from that guy since."
Finn studied Dell for any sign of deceit."Why didn't you report any of this to the police?"he asked, his voice stern.
"Because," Dell hesitated, swallowing hard."I was afraid they'd make me give up the money if I told them what happened."
Sheila frowned, but she couldn't deny there was a certain logic to Dell's reasoning.She decided to change the subject."Where were you last night, Dell?"
"Last night?"He paused, thinking."I was at my cousin's birthday party.It was over at his place, a few blocks from here."
"Anyone who can vouch for your whereabouts?"Finn asked, still skeptical.
"Of course!"Dell replied defensively."My whole family was there—my cousins, my aunt, my uncle.Even some neighbors dropped by.You can ask any of them.They all saw me there."
"Did you leave the party at any point during the night?"
"Only once," Dell admitted."I stepped out to grab some ice from the corner store.My cousin ran out of it, and we needed more for the drinks.But I wasn't gone more than twenty minutes, tops."
"Can anyone confirm that?"Sheila asked, her tone softer than Finn’s but no less probing.
