Our Wicked Lies by Gledé Kabongo (story read aloud TXT) 📗

“I don’t get your meaning.”

“Did you and the deceased have arguments that lead to physical altercations in the past?”

“No.”

“Never?”

“Never, Detective.”

“When did you find out about the affair between your husband and Mrs. DeLuca?”

“The day before the argument in her office.”

“Are you sure about the timeline?”

“I’m sure.”

“You had no knowledge of the affair prior to the day before you argued with Mrs. DeLuca in her office?” He looked at Alicia closely. “Just a reminder, lying to the police during an investigation could land you in trouble. Obstruction of justice.”

“I’m not lying. I had knowledge of ‘an affair’. I had no idea Kat was the other party until the day before I went to her office. She even bragged about how clueless I was.”

The admission still hurt even now, but Eliot had been right. They had gone through Kat’s computer with a fine-tooth comb and had discovered the email exchange between her and Faith. Their tech guys must have figured out what Rina had done illegally, that Faith was Kat. Only Eliot knew the truth of how she found out about Kat, and he wasn’t about to say anything.

“As your witness explained, Detective,” she continued, “he found her on the floor. She was very much alive when I left that office.”

He pretended to be engrossed in his notebook. An invisible cloak of silence hung between them. She would wait him out.

Then he threw a fast ball at her. “Did you know Mrs. DeLuca was pregnant with your husband’s child?”

He wanted her off balance. His question was a little shock value to cause her to stumble, make a mistake. She was ready. Detective McBride would not trick her, not today.

“Richard DeLuca confided in me that she was pregnant. That’s all I know. What proof do you have that she was carrying Eliot’s baby?”

His eyes widened, ever so slightly. He obviously hadn’t expected that. He straightened the collar of his button-down shirt when it didn’t need straightening.

“We’ve established that she was carrying on an affair with your husband.”

“That’s correct, Detective, but I don’t know who else she was sleeping with. The baby could have been her husband’s or a third party that we’re unaware of. Anything is possible.”

“Right. Is there anyone who can corroborate your whereabouts, that you were home at the time of Mrs. DeLuca’s death?”

“You have the timestamp of the text message from Rina Stark.”

“Yes, but we have no way of proving you were home when you received that text. You could have been at the DeLuca residence prior to receiving the message. You live on the same street. The text would have pinged off the same cell phone tower.”

She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “Are you accusing me of something, Detective? Do I need to call my husband and have him send an attorney down here?”

“Just trying to solve a mystery, Alicia. The faster we have answers, the faster we can bring the case to a close. We appreciate you coming down. Please take nothing personally. It’s all just routine questioning.”

She was about to say something snarky but changed her mind. This was neither the time nor place. She just needed to get through this interview and get out of there. She had done nothing wrong. Kat’s death was a tragic accident. She fell and hit her head. Case closed. But Detective McBride seemed determined to aim his blinding spotlight directly at Alicia.

“I don’t know what else to tell you, Detective. I heard the sirens, like everyone else on our street. It was chaos by the time I got there. You said this was just a routine interview, but it sounds like the interrogation of a suspect. What did I do wrong? There’s no law against having a dispute with a friend.”

“But there is against assault.”

“Well, she didn’t file any charges.”

She immediately regretted her outburst. Did she just say that? She gulped. Her palms were moist, and the back of her blouse felt like it was sticking to her skin.

“This is difficult, okay. Although Kat hurt me, she was the closest thing I had to a sister in my entire life. I grew up an only child. And now she’s gone, and I’ll never see her again. We’ll never have the chance to make amends.”

He nodded as if he understood. “I’m sorry if this has been difficult for you, Alicia. Believe me, my only objective is to get to the truth. As long as you’re being straight with me, you have nothing to worry about.”

CHAPTER 49

By the time six o’clock rolled around, it was clear the story was far from over. After receiving a text from Rina to turn on the TV, Alicia could only watch in stunned disbelief at the horrendous train wreck that unfolded before her eyes.

“A new twist in the investigation into the death of Weston resident and CEO of KTM Creative Edge, Katalina Torres DeLuca. According to an insider with knowledge of the investigation, Katalina and her best friend Alicia Gray, also of Weston, had a violent confrontation days before Katalina was found unresponsive in her home. The quarrel appeared to be over an alleged affair between Katalina and Alicia’s husband, prominent attorney, Eliot Gray, a partner at Tillerson Brenner.

A photo of Alicia and Kat at a gala, dressed to the nines with big grins on their faces and dripping in diamonds, flashed on the screen. Alicia crumpled down onto the sofa as she watched the new nightmare unfold. The reporter tightened the screws.

“Weston police refuse to say whether Alicia Gray is a suspect in the death of her friend.”

The broadcast cut to a pack of reporters outside the Weston Police Station and a somber McBride at their mercy. They fired questions at him, but he said nothing as he hustled to his car in the parking lot.

“Is the case now officially a murder investigation?”

“Is an arrest imminent?”

“Is Eliot Gray a suspect in the death of his mistress?”

“Was Richard DeLuca aware