And Then She Killed Him Read Free

number of errands around the Grand Junction area. Her first stop was Walmart, where she called, via cell phone, horse trainer Sue Boulware and told her that she would be sending her a check that day concerning horse training.
    At 9:03 A.M. , Miriam phoned Alan from the Walmart parking lot and left a voice message on his cell phone. She said, “Hey, Alan. Love you. Just want to let you know I’m going to Walmart. So, um, thought I’d pick up the groceries there instead of going to City Market. I know you’re dropping off your prescription at City Market, but I’m gonna pick up groceries there instead of going two different places. Also, do you want salad this time?
    “You didn’t really give me a list. You said just buy what I want. But that’s not really helping me. I think that’s it. If you’re gonna meet me for lunch, let’s meet at the Chinese buffet. ’Cause I don’t think I can do Mexican today. So if you want to meet me at the Chinese buffet—I know you wanted to do Mexican, but, anyway, once you get your car serviced, call me. Let me know. Love ya. Bye.”
    After being in Walmart for a short time, Miriam went across town to a Safeway store on Horizon Avenue to buy carrots for her horses. Sometime after that, she phoned Alan’s cell phone again at 9:57 A.M. and got his voice mail. “Hi, Alan. Haven’t heard from you, but I have a question. I know you were gonna clean out the truck. But did you happen to leave that bit in there? We can exchange it. I didn’t want to go in there without it. I didn’t want to spend my money on such an expensive bit. So if you have it in your truck, will you let me know? Or when we meet for lunch, we’ll go by and exchange it. Because we’ll be close by the equestrian shop then. So gimme a holler. Love ya. Bye.”
    From the Safeway store, Miriam journeyed to a City Market in Grand Junction. Around that time, she once again phoned Alan, at 10:27 A.M. , and did not speak with him directly, but got his voice mail, instead. Miriam said in a more irritated voice than on the previous calls, “Hey, Alan! You need to turn on your phone! When I went to pick up your prescription, they said you hadn’t been by yet. So, are we still gonna be able to meet for lunch? If not . . . well, give me a holler. Thanks. Bye.”
    Then it was on to Hastings Bookstore to pick up coloring books for Alan’s granddaughters. And finally Miriam drove to a Chinese restaurant around 11:00 A.M. By eleven-fifteen, Miriam’s next phone call to Alan sounded more worried than irritated. She said, “Gee, Alan! This isn’t funny anymore.” She said she had been sitting in front of a Chinese restaurant for fifteen minutes, and he was never late. She decided she would just go home at that point. If he was caught up in business somewhere, he should call her when he got home.
    Miriam made her way through midtown Grand Junction, and then down the highway to Whitewater. She couldn’t bring all of the groceries from the car’s trunk into the house at one time, but she did bring her purse in and a few shopping bags. She walked through the laundry room, as usual, from the garage, where she had parked her car, turned a corner, and saw something that made her stop in her tracks. She first glimpsed an overturned wastepaper basket in the kitchen/work desk area. The next thing she saw was Alan’s legs on the floor. Miriam quickly turned the corner and saw that Alan was stretched out on his back, neither speaking nor moving at all.
    Miriam dropped her purse and bag of items and rushed to Alan’s side. He was not only not moving, but he didn’t appear to be breathing as well. In a panic, Miriam reached for her cell phone and dialed 911.
     
    An operator at the central emergency command post came on the line:

    O PERATOR : This is Arnold. What is your emergency?
    M IRIAM : (Sobbing) Somebody . . .
    O PERATOR : Hello. Hello!
    M IRIAM : (Crying) I came home and . . .
    O PERATOR : Ma’am, where are you?
    M IRIAM :