Page 16 of Passions in Death
“No.” She leaned against Becca, closed her eyes again. “The last person I hung with before I met Erin, we weren’t serious that way. It was just convenient sex and someone to hang out with—go to dinner or the vids or whatever with.”
“Could we have his name? It’s routine,” Eve stressed.
“Oh God, he’s just a nice man, good in bed, and we made each other laugh. We’re friends, just with, you know, benefits. He’s coming—was coming—to the wedding. Marcus Stillwater. He’s a publicist for Fordam Publishing.”
“Who broke up with whom?”
“I guess I pulled the plug on the sex. Just a month or so after I met Erin, and realized I had feelings. I told him I met someone I thought I could get serious about. We didn’t fight, he wasn’t upset. We were friends before we started sleeping together. We were friends when we slept together. We’re still friends.”
“He met Erin then?”
“Sure. They liked each other.”
“What about before him?”
She heaved out a breath. “Look, I wasn’t promiscuous, but I dated a lot of men. I didn’t have sex with all of them. But I’m twenty-six, I was a single woman in New York.”
“No one’s judging you. It’s routine,” Peabody told her. “Every detail can matter.”
“All right. Okay.” Shauna shoved at her hair again. “The guy I dated before Marcus, we were together a couple months. But it just didn’t really work for me. It didn’t click, so I broke it off. He wasn’t happy about it, but I didn’t break his heart, either.”
“Name?”
“Jon Rierdon. He runs a home goods store on… I don’t remember.”
“That’s good enough.”
“Hell, how far back should I go? If I track back to high school, there’s Greg.”
Becca let out a quick laugh, then immediately winced. “I’m sorry, so sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. Greg, Shauna, and I all went to high school together. They were an item. Actually, The Item. The homecoming queen and the quarterback. Greg and I have been cohabs for over two years.”
“We all scattered after college. Greg and I kept in touch off and on. Then Becca and I ran into each other on the street, just hey.”
“It turned out we lived in the same neighborhood—Shauna had just moved to the city, and we ran into each other.”
“There were two guys in college on the serious side,” Shauna continued, “and a couple—no, three—between that and Jon. Nobody got their hearts broken.”
“What about Erin? Exes.”
“I know a couple, but we didn’t go into all that much. We were together, and that’s what mattered.”
“Would you know?” Eve asked Angie.
“Yeah, probably. I could give you ones I do know, but another thing I know. Erin didn’t love anyone she was with before. Liked, was attracted to, enjoyed. But she didn’t love until Shauna.”
“Names would help, just to eliminate. Then we’ll let you go. If you think of anything else, or have any questions, you can contact me or Detective Peabody. It would also help if you give us access to where you lived with Erin.”
“You can have it. I don’t want to go back there, not yet.” Her lips trembled. “Maybe not ever.”
“You’ll stay with me. I’ve got room.” Angie took her hand again. “As long as you need.”
Chapter Three
When Eve judged she’d gotten all she’d get from the three women, she let them go.
“Go home, hit the rack. We’ll meet up at the vic’s apartment at oh-eight hundred. See if Feeney can spare McNab to check out the e’s.”
“Can do.” Peabody rubbed her tired eyes. “Are you heading out, too?”
