Page 78 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

“She wouldn’t have told anyone. Something like this… It would’ve set off a nuclear bomb in her life if people found out. You have to understand… Our football family was tight. Everyone knows everyone, and this would’ve been a huge scandal. And I promise you, if anyone knew, it would’ve gotten out. People wouldn’t have kept it quiet. It would be too salacious, too tempting.” He took a deep breath and let it out in an even deeper sigh. “It wasn’t bad enough that she was murdered. Now this.”

“We’re sorry to add to your grief,” Freddie said.

He shrugged. “You’re just doing your jobs. It’s not your fault that my wife cheated on me with a complete asshole.” After another long pause, he looked to Sam. “Did he say why she did it?”

“I, uh, he said they were both in long marriages, and some of the spark had gone out.”

“That’s a fucking lie,” Tappen said, his eyes flashing with outrage. “The spark was very much alive in our marriage.”

“I’m, ah, just telling you what he said.”

“Maybe that was true for him, but not for her. I’ll never believe she thought that.”

“Can you think of anyone who might’ve learned about the affair and would be upset enough about it to do what was done to Pam?” Sam asked.

“Other than myself or Josie, no, and from what you tell me, she didn’t know about it any more than I did.”

“Would it be possible that one of your children knew?”

He stared at her in disbelief. “You think one of my children, who adored their mother, could’ve heard about an affair and murdered their mother in the most torturous way possible? They wouldn’t have murdered her. They’d have been too heartbroken to even think up such a diabolical plan. If you don’t believe me, do you want to be the ones to tell them what their mother was up to with Ouellette? You can see for yourself that none of them knew, because if they did, they would’ve raised holy hell about it with her and with me.”

Sam absolutely did not want to be the one to tell Tappen’s kids about the affair, but she did want to see their reactions to hearing about it. “If you’ll bring them in, we’ll ask them if they knew.”

Freddie gave her a “holy shit, are you for real?” look, letting her know he wanted nothing to do with this either.

She couldn’t blame him.

Tappen went to get his three children. When they were in the room, he said, “Go ahead. Tell them what you told me.”

Sam once again looked to Freddie.

If looks could kill, she’d be so dead.

“It’s come to our attention,” he said, “that your mother was having a romantic relationship with Mark Ouellette.”

Justin snorted through his nose. “No way. She couldn’t stand him.”

“She said all the time what a blowhard he is,” Lucas said, glancing at his dad for confirmation.

“My mother wouldn’t do that to my father,” Molly said. “That’s not who she was.”

“Mr. Ouellette has confirmed the affair. He’d have no reason to make himself a potential person of interest in a homicide investigation if it wasn’t true.”

“You think he did it?” Lucas asked, sounding incredulous.

“He has an alibi for the time your mother most likely went missing,” Sam said. “He was at a football tournament in Delaware.”

“We were there, too,” Lucas said, including his brother. “We saw him and Aidan there.”

“We have to ask this, as difficult as it may be,” Freddie said. “But did any of you have any inkling whatsoever that your mother was involved with Mr. Ouellette?”

“Hell no,” Justin said. “That’s so disgusting.”

“I didn’t,” Lucas said.

A long beat of silence passed before Molly said, “I didn’t know.”

Sam zeroed in on her with the laser stare that made criminals wilt in the interrogation room. “If you know anything, now is the time to say so, Molly. If we find out that you withheld information pertinent to our investigation, that can cause you trouble.”

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