Page 31 of The Perfect Prey

“It’s about Evelyn Channing,” Jessie said.

He looked momentarily surprised before responding.

“Listen, we broke up a few months ago, so whatever issue she has, it’s not with me.Talk to whoever she’s…spending her time with now.”

Jessie decided that this was when to drop the hammer.She could better gauge the sincerity of his reaction before he had too much time to settle in.

“Evelyn is dead,” she said simply.

For a moment, it looked like he hadn’t heard her.But she knew he had when he stumbled backward slightly and reached out for the door to steady himself.

“What?”

“Let’s go inside,” Jessie said softly.His reaction was impressively convincing.Either he was truly stunned, or he was an excellent actor.

He nodded and opened the door wide for them.

“Lead the way,” Susannah said, not wanting him behind them.“Let’s go to the living room.”

He walked ahead of them slowly as if giving himself time to process what they’d said.They entered a cozy room with an oversized sofa and a large flat screen TV in the corner.Jessie knew the guy worked as an executive at a payroll company that specialized in the music industry.But his wealth at an early age apparently hadn’t translated into style yet.His décor suggested that he was still living the post-collegiate single guy lifestyle.He sat down on one end of the couch.Jessie took the other.Susannah remained standing, looking guarded.

“Evelyn is dead?”he repeated as if making sure it was really true.

“Yes,” Jessie said.“She was murdered last night.Since you were her longtime boyfriend until recently, we thought you might have some valuable insights for us.”

For now she left out that he was also an intriguing suspect.

“I don’t know what I can tell you,” he said.“We haven’t been seeing each other for over three months, since January.Other than a couple of texts about dropping off stuff that one of us left at the other’s place, we hadn’t been in touch at all lately.”

“Why did you break up with her?”Susannah asked, ripping the Band-Aid right off.

“Is that appropriate to be talking about at a time like this?”he asked, taken aback.

“It’s the perfect time,” Susannah assured him.“Was it because she dumped you a few months earlier?Were you trying to get back at her?”

“What?No!”he said, offended.“Look, I don’t know what I’m supposed to say here.You’re asking me a really intimate question, and I feel like it would be disrespectful to speak ill of Evelyn now that she’s passed on.”

“She didn’t pass on,” Jessie told him.“She was murdered in her own apartment.We’re trying to catch her killer.So, let’s dispense with the diplomatic platitudes.How about you just tell us the truth?”

“Okay,” he said, chastened.“Here’s the thing.Evy—Evelyn and I dated for most of last year.But just before the holidays, she told me that I was too much of a straight arrow, stuck in my ways, that I wasn’t willing to try new things, and she needed someone who was willing to explore the world more.”

“How did you take that?”Jessie asked.

“I was hurt,” he conceded, “but she wasn’t wrong.I’m more of a traditional guy, and she definitely liked to get…a little wilder.I accepted her decision, and we parted on amicable terms.But then, right after the New Year, she told me that she’d changed her mind, that she wanted to give it another shot.”

“And you agreed to it,” Susannah said.

“Yes, she was very convincing,” he said.“She told me that she’d just gotten cold feet and that our time apart taught her that she really needed the stability I offered.I still had my doubts that it would work, but Evelyn is—was—a lot of fun and really beautiful.I always felt like a more interesting version of myself around her.So I said yes.”

“But you broke up with her three months later,” Susannah reminded him.“Why?”

He looked reluctant to answer.

“Callum,” Jessie said, her tone like a teacher addressing a recalcitrant student, “remember what I said.This is a murder investigation.Just be honest.”

He sighed and then, after swallowing hard, replied.

“I found out that she wasn’t being straight with me,” he said.

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