Page 29 of Wild Wolf
Hannah's demise would be the talk of the town, especially in these circles.
"Yes, I heard something about that. Terrible tragedy. Do you have any leads? Any suspects?”
"We’re piecing things together.”
"Good. I hope you catch the bastards responsible. This area doesn't feel safe anymore. I don't mind saying that, either. I know you guys do what you do, but…”
I saw right through the concerned citizen act. "Can you tell me where you were last night between 9 and 11:00 PM?”
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The question flustered him. “I was at home with my wife,” he said with emphasis.
"We’ll need to speak with her in a minute, but I've got questions for you first," I said.
Dalton was in his mid-to-late 30s with long dark hair that hung past his ears. A trimmed beard lined his jaw. He didn't quite have the physique to pull off mountain man vibes, but he looked like the kind of guy who loved the outdoors and would probably be just as happy sleeping in a camper van rather than a Platinum Dunes mansion. Something told me his wife wouldn't be as enthusiastic about that lifestyle.
“It's my understanding that you were close to the deceased,” I said, putting it delicately.
His face tightened. Dalton stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind him. He didn’t want his wife to hear this conversation. In a hushed voice, he said, "I don't know what you mean by close, but I knew Hannah rather well. She was a prominent figure in our community.”
"It’s my understanding you two were having an affair.”
He swallowed again and glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot. "That was a long time ago. My wife is fully aware of my past indiscretion, and we have moved on,” he whispered. “As you can imagine, it's a sore subject and one I would prefer not to rehash.”
"A long time ago?" I said, about to drop the hammer.
"Yes, I haven't been with Hannah intimately in quite a long time now.”
"Is that why you two were exchanging naughty text messages at all hours of the night over the last few weeks?” Isabella’s intel had come through again.
Dalton's face went pale, and he swallowed hard. "How do you know that?”
"I know a lot of things. So how about you stop bullshitting me, and let's have an honest discussion?”
Dalton gave another cautious look around. Through a tight jaw, he said, "Okay, yes. We may have rekindled certain aspects of ourfriendship.”
"Friendship?” I said in a doubtful tone.
"Look, I don't know how to describe it, but Hannah had certain qualities. I just couldn't say no to her. Believe me, I tried. I wanted to be a good husband. Now, if you don't mind, can we stop talking about this before my wife overhears?”
"When was the last time you saw Hannah?”
Dalton shifted uncomfortably. He looked around again for his wife and said quietly, "We hooked up a few days ago, okay? I really don't see what this has to do with anything. Certainly not her death. Drudging up our affair is not going to bring Hannah back.”
"Did she blackmail you?"
His brow knitted with confusion. “Why would she blackmail me?”
“You’re a judge in the competition, aren’t you?”
“Yes, what has that got to do with anything?”
“By all accounts, Hannah was competitive. She wanted to win.”
He scoffed. “Hannah never blackmailed me about the competition.” Dalton paused. “She did threaten to tell my wife if I stopped sleeping with her, but I think she was joking.”
He gave it serious consideration, then dismissed the notion.
