Page 51 of Little Empty Promises

Foley reached for the cup of coffee sitting on his desk, took a sip and winced, like it had gone cold.He set it down, rejecting it.

“After speaking to both couples, what are your takeaways?”he asked.

“I haven’t had enough time to process everything they said to me yet.I’m thinking they both need a follow-up visit with someone who has a little more finesse than I do at times.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Whitlock should speak to both wives again, and to their husbands.Afterward, we can reconvene and share notes.Between us, I think we might have a better chance of figuring out if one of them is hiding something.”

Foley paused, as if giving the suggestion some thought.“I like it.I like it a lot.”

“I like it too,” Whitlock said.“I think they’ve been through enough for one day, so I’ll stop in and see them tomorrow.Maybe, just maybe, between the four of them, we’ll find some answers.”

20

“She won’t talk to me,” Simone said.

“Who won’t talk to you?”I asked.

Simone breathed a long sigh into the phone.“Samantha.From what I understand, she’s not talking to anyone.She spoke to the police, but only because she had no choice.She hasn’t left the house since the night of the murder.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t have much in the way of answers.Her husband, Mack, met me at the door.He said his wife wasn’t up to seeing me and that she’s been freaked out ever since Cordelia was murdered.He’s been trying to talk her into seeing a therapist, but she’s not interested.”

The night of the murder when Whitlock and I had a discussion with Samantha, she’d been overwhelmed by the news, which was normal at the time.I didn’t get the impression, however, that she would be affected in the way that Simone was suggesting.

“I’ll try and talk to her,” I said.

“Since she spoke to you before, maybe she’ll be a lot more receptive to you.”

“What about the other employee who works at the library—Johnny?Did you speak to him?”

“I did.”

“And?”

“He’s weird, Georgiana.I couldn’t get a good read on him.On the one hand, you have Samantha, who’s been acting paranoid since the murder.On the other, you have Johnny, whose attitude about it all is blasé.”

“In what way?”

“Ineveryway.”

“Tell me about him,” I said.

“He’s skinny, but in an unhealthy-looking way.He talked so fast, it was hard for me to understand what he was saying, not that he was saying anything important.He was rambling, going from one topic to another.Eyes and hands and shoulders going all different directions.I got the impression he was on drugs of some kind when we talked.”

“Hmm.What were some of the questions and answers?”

“Not much to tell you there.I asked him about his relationship with Cordelia.He said they didn’t have one.When I tried following up with more questions, he kept changing the subject.”

“Where does he live?”

“Wildwood Condominiums.And get this—the guy is a feline fanatic.I counted at least six cats during my visit, and I’m sure there were more.”

“Sounds like I better follow up with him as well.”

“Sorry I don’t have anything better to report.”

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