Page 32 of She Didn't See It Coming
Paige swallows and feels her eyes start to tear up. Salter says gently, “I’m so sorry, but I’m sure you’ve heard—this is now a homicide investigation. Can we come in?”
Paige lets them into her apartment. She takes a couple of deep breaths to steady herself while her back is turned.
•••
Jayne regardsthe woman across from her and Kilgour, sitting on the green velvet sofa in the sunny living room. The apartment is the first floor of a charming older home close to downtown, with high ceilings and tall, narrow windows that look out onto the street.
Paige Mason looks as if she hasn’t slept. She’s dressed in jeans and an old sweater. Her hair is tied behind her in a careless ponytail, still damp, and she’s not wearing any makeup. She’s clearly upset about Bryden, and seems apprehensive, uncomfortable at having the detectives in her home. Well, most people are.
Jayne says quietly, “Paige, we’re so sorry for your loss. We understand that this must be very painful for you.” Paige nods, looking down at the coffee table between them, fighting tears.
Kilgour says, “We want to get who did this.” Paige looks up at them then.
Jayne is hopeful they can get more out of her today, away from the condo, and the people in it. “Paige, when we spoke to you yesterday, you said that you had known Bryden since your college days.”
“Yes, that’s where we met.”
“Try to think. Is there anyone who might have had an interest in Bryden, from that time, or more recently? Any spurned boyfriends?”
Paige sits still, as if thinking deeply. Finally, she sighs and says, “No, not that I know of. Not that she ever mentioned.”
Kilgour says, “You told us yesterday that Bryden and Sam were happy, that they had a good marriage. Do you still stand by that?”
“Of course. They were very happy.”
He says, “You said that as far as you knew, neither one of them ever cheated.”
“That’s right.”
Kilgour says, “We think you were lying.”
“What? No I wasn’t.” She looks startled, caught out.
Jayne speaks up. “Your body language gave you away. You said, ‘Neither one of them would ever cheat,’ but that’s not true, is it?” Jayne asks. Beside her, Detective Kilgour stares intently at Paige. Jayne asks, “So which one was cheating, Paige? Sam or Bryden?”
20
Paige looks distressed, and Jayne waits, letting the silence fill the room. When Paige still doesn’t speak, Jayne says more firmly, “Paige, which one was it?”
She finally whispers her answer. “Bryden.”
“Bryden was having an affair?” Jayne asks.
Paige answers reluctantly. “Yes.”
“Did she tell you this?” Jayne watches Paige blink rapidly, as if to ward off more tears. Jayne wants to shake her and say,Why didn’t you tell us this yesterday?But there is nothing to be gained from that now. She must ease this information out of her; she’s obviously reluctant to part with it. But Paige appears frozen, unable to speak. Jayne tries again. “Paige, Bryden has beenmurdered.You must tell us what you know. How did you know Bryden was having an affair? Did she tell you?”
“Yes,” she admits finally, meeting Jayne’s eyes.
“Who was this affair with, do you know?”
“She never told me his name.”
Jayne’s heart falls. “Did she tell you anything about him? What he did for a living, where he lived? What he looked like?”
Paige shakes her head. “She didn’t tell me anything about him, probably because she could tell I didn’t approve. I was genuinely shocked by it. I thought it was an awful thing to do to Sam.”
Kilgour asks, “So how did she tell you about it? How did it come up?”
