Page 125 of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding

“I thought it was in here...”

“Where did you see it last?” Oliver asks.

“I took it out to get the number to call José.”

I replay the events at the murder scene in my mind. And yes, I had it then. That’s how I found José. But what did I do with it then? I could’ve sworn I put it back in my bag, but I have no memory of doing so.

Shit.

“What was on the phone?” Officer Anderson asks.

“There are texts on there between him and someone else...It looks like he might’ve been having an affair.”

“Ah. Now there’s a motive.”

“But there’s any number of possible explanations for all of it.”

“Such as?”

“The texts aren’t romantic, just a series of meeting times. Maybe it had to do with his money thing. Or it’s some friend he’s helping out. Or his trainer. Or his dealer.”

“He has a dealer?”

“Not that I know of. I’m just saying there’s lots of possibilities.”

“We shall see. The last time you saw it was at the crime scene?”

“Yes.” I gnaw on the inside of my cheek. Sometimes I have to learn to shut the hell up.

Not today, apparently.

I don’t have to tell her that I took photos of the texts, though.

But I should, right?

Only, one thing I know is that secrets never stay buried. If I give the texts to Officer Anderson, they’ll get released, even if they were innocent, and I don’t want to do that to Emma.

“Can you do me a favor?” I say.

“What’s that?”

“Please don’t ask about this in front of Emma. She’s been through enough.”

“I will follow proper police procedure.” She cocks her head to the side. “Haven’t you found that there are certain instances where it’s good to apply pressure?”

“How so?” Oliver asks.

“People under stress say things they wouldn’t under normal circumstances. They disclose secrets.”

“You think if you ask Fred about the texts in front of Emma, she’ll help you solve the case?”

She blinks at me.

“That doesn’t...I know we always write about gathering all of the suspects and getting them together to get a confession, but I have no idea if that works in real life. It’s just a tool that we use in books and movies for dramatic effect.”68

“We shall see.”

“Please don’t.”

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