Who Killed My Husband? Read Free

corner of her lips. “She’s been the greatest help during these past few days. She’s hardly left my side.”
     
     
    Jack leaned forward in his seat, suddenly interested. “You two sound close. Did she know your husband, as well?”
     
    Rochelle nodded, although she furrowed her eyebrows slightly. “Yes, we were all good friends. Why do you ask?”
     
    “In cases like this, it’s always good to cover all our bases.” Jack leaned back in his seat, mind racing. “Is there anyway you could get Shelby to come in here for a few minutes? I’d like to run some questions by her.”
     
    Rochelle seemed dubious. She nodded and stood up, but hesitated before stepping away. “Do you think Shelby would know anything about Darren’s dea--his disappearance?” She winced as she stumbled over the words, unable to verbalize her husband’s fate.
     
    “Possibly,” Jack said patiently. “She may have noticed something you didn’t.”
     
    Satisfied with this answer, Rochelle turned and exited the room. A knock sounded at the door approximately five minutes later and she poked her head back into the room.
     
    “She’s here,” Rochelle said hesitantly. Jack nodded to her and she opened the door wider, revealing a thin woman with reddish-brown hair and tan skin standing behind her.
     
    “Come in, please,” Jack said, gesturing towards the seat in front of his desk which Rochelle had previously been sitting in. Shelby inched into the room, shooting a nervous glance over her shoulder at Rochelle before settling into the chair.
     
    The door shut, and they were alone.
     
    Jack reached across the desk to shake Shelby’s hand. “My name is Detective Jack Blanks. Rochelle tells me you’re her neighbor?”
     
    Shelby nodded. “Shelby Lynn. I’ve been Rochelle and Darren’s neighbor for the past six years. We’re very good friends.”
     
    “I can imagine,” Jack said with a nod. “You seem close. Now, can you tell me about yourself? Do you live alone?”
     
    Jack went through a series of basic questions with Shelby. The longer she sat in the room with him, the more she fidgeted. She could hardly sit still, constantly running a hand through her hair or tapping her foot or biting her nails. Maintaining eye contact with her was difficult.
     
    “Are you alright, Ms. Lynn?” Jack asked during a lull in the conversation, as he scribbled down her answers. “You seem nervous.”
     
    “I’m a little on edge, yes,” Shelby answered, her voice suddenly hard. “These past few days have been stressful. Especially after yesterday.” Her voice cracked on the last word, and Jack looked up at her.
     
    “Were you especially close to Mr. Jones?”
     
    Shelby blinked rapidly, looking away from Jack. “I don’t know what you mean.”
     
    “You were a friend of the family who lived next door, and you appear to be very close with Mrs. Jones. I’m simply asking if you had a similar relationship with her husband?”
     
    Something wasn’t right. Shelby was becoming increasingly distressed. Her face had grown bright red and if Jack wasn’t mistaken, she appeared to be sweating.
     
    “Ms. Lynn?” Jack put down his pen. “I need you to be honest with me. A man is dead.”
     
    With those four words, Shelby burst into tears. She bowed her head and cried soundlessly, but he could see the shaking of her shoulders.
     
    Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”
     
    “I can’t believe he’s dead,” Shelby cried, choking each word out between sobs. “He can’t be dead. I love him!”
     
    It took everything in Jack to keep a straight face. He was whooping with delight on the inside. Finally, this was something he could work with!
     
    Darren Jones’ mysterious death was Jack’s first ever solo case as a detective. Before now he’d been working under the wing of more experienced men and women, learning the way things worked and gathering experience. Now he was on his own. Until