Chapter 5
Doris arrived at the police station early where she waited for Bucci outside his office. Right on schedule, he came out to greet her, then ushered her into a small room with a table and two chairs.
When Doris asked why she was being questioned yet again, the detective answered, “Standard operating procedure. I’m just trying to tie up some loose ends.”
His questions, seemingly perfunctory at first, started to unsettle her when they became more probing and intrusive.
“Jessica Evans is in custody. I don’t see how any of this is relevant,” Doris said when Bucci asked her about a recent vacation she and Roger had taken to Hawaii.
“Well, Mrs. Trevellian, I’m not entirely convinced that Jessica Evans acted alone or even that she is necessarily guilty of anything other than ingesting an illegal substance.”
“That’s ridiculous. Every guest at the party saw her after… after…” Doris choked on the words, a tear running down her cheek as she pulled a tissue from her purse.
Ignoring her distress, the detective continued. “I’m sure you’re aware that your husband recently took out a five-million-dollar life insurance policy on himself.”
Caught in Bucci’s unflinching stare, Doris wanted to jump up and run out of the miniscule, windowless room. He was suffocating her with his hot breath and insinuations. Clearly, he was studying her body language, listening to her voice, and assessing her reaction to every comment and question. Could I be a suspect? she wondered.
Doris’ cell phone rang and she silently thanked whoever it was on the other end. She excused herself and stepped into the hall, closing the door behind her.
“Hello.”
“Do you believe in the afterlife, Doris? Where will we spend eternity?”
“Conan, is that you?”
The line went dead.
Meet the author of this chapter: When Liz Voll is not writing short stories, she is teaching chemistry at Monroe Community College. Her fiction tends toward the romantic, touched with humor and a twist.
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