Page 151 of Dark Romeo

“You didn’t go anywhere?”

Her frown deepened. “No. Where would I go?”

“So you were…at home, asleep, between midnight and two a.m.? Is that what you’re saying?”

Her eyes widened with shock. “Y-You think I shot him? I didn’t do it. I didn’t do nothing.”

I studied her reaction carefully. Most innocent people asked for their lawyers. There was fear in her reaction. Maybe…guilt.

She was hiding something.

Maybe Roman was lying. Maybe he hadn’t pulled the trigger. Maybe she was the classic battered wife. She had put up with his abuse until she couldn’t take it anymore and bang! she snapped.

I didn’t want her to be guilty. What would happen to her kids? Her girls?

I had to follow every lead, that was my job, even if I didn’t like where they led.

“Can anyone corroborate your story? Neighbors? Friends?” I offered. Give me something so I can rule you out. “Did anyone call you at home? Did anyone stop by?”

“No.” Her fingers fidgeted at her hem. “It was just me and the girls at home. I was asleep,” she repeated. “I didn’t kill him. I didn’t do it. I didn’t even know about the money.”

Money?

I straightened. “What money?”

Rosa made a small choking sound. She’d said something she shouldn’t have.

I leaned in. “What money?”

Her lip trembled even as she pressed them shut.

“Rosa, I want to help you. I want to help you keep your kids. I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s going on. If you’re not honest with me, then that’s what I have to tell social services.”

Her eyes widened. “You can’t take them. You can’t.” She began to rise out of the chair, her eyes flying to the window again. I placed a hand on her knee, forcing her to remain seated.

I hated using her kids against her, twisting the truth to get answers out of her. But it was for the greater good. “If you tell me the truth, Rosa, nobody will take your kids.”

Her wet eyes snapped towards me. She wanted to believe me.

“Just tell me about the money.”

She sniffed and nodded.

I leaned forward.

“After Eddie died, I got a call from an insurance company. Turns out that Eddie had taken out an insurance policy on his life two years ago. Now that he’s dead, it all came to me.”

“How much?”

“A million dollars,” she whispered.

I nodded. “Okay. There’s nothing wrong with that, Rosa.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Understand what?”

“The insurance man came to my house. I needed to sign some papers so I could get the money. I saw the insurance policy, the one that Eddie took out.”

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