The door of our room opens and in walks Deputy Marcus Hudson, smug as ever. His shoulders are held high and there’s a shit-eating grin on his face.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“Observing this interrogation as I have every right to do.” He stands behind, towering over Matthew and me.

“Every right to, but no reason to…” Matthew scoffs at him. “You fucking reek of suspicion.”

Deputy Hudson laughs. “Be that as it may, I’m the law around here.”

“Just keep your mouth shut and let me do my job—and you better be ready to be the law when I call you to the stand,” I say without even looking back at him.

Deputy Hudson groans and I hear his feet shuffle, and the air around me becomes less stuffy. I glance over my shoulder. He is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest. His shit-eating grin is now a scowl.

I redirect my attention to the interrogation room.

“Would you care to explain how you knew Kelly Summers or, better yet, Jenna Way?” Sheriff Stevens asks.

“She was married to my brother,” Bob replies.

“Your brother from Wisconsin?”

“Correct.”

“Whom she murdered?”

“I didn’t say that. She was never found guilty of such a crime so any statement coming to that conclusion would be pure speculation,” Bob says with a tinge of contempt in his voice. It would appear Sheriff Stevens has found the right button to press.

“I’m sorry. Let me rephrase. Your brother whom she was married to, who then wound up murdered and then she fled the state, nowhere to be found.” Sheriff Stevens depresses his finger slightly further onto the big red button marked “Dead Brother” that lies just under Bob’s skin.

“Yes, she was married to him. Yes, he was murdered. Whether or not she quote fled the state as opposed to just leaving under standard circumstances is, again, speculation.” His frustration builds further.

“Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. Did anyone ever end up being charged as it pertains to your brother being…” Sheriff Stevens runs a finger across his throat to signal Bob’s brother’s death.

“No. No one was charged in my brother’s…” Bob pantomimes the action back to Sheriff Stevens, spit coming through his clenched teeth as he answers.