She wouldn’t even allow it in the house until I put it in the lockbox. This can’t be right.”
Max picked up the video player and blew out a breath. “There are only a few minutes of footage from the store, but clear in showing your wife committing the acts. I’m not going to lie to you, Jason. You’ll face what Mary’s done the second you leave here. Media, friends, coworkers. You name it. Might as well get the raw truth instead of rumors and false information. Not on the pretty side, but I’ll share it if it helps you come to grips with the reality of the situation. You need to know Mary did more than commit a robbery. She’s only dead because she fired on the police officers after multiple warnings to toss the weapon and stay by the vehicle. Before that, she killed nine people inside the store.”
As expected, Jason turned to stone. The only thing moving were his eyes on a frantic search of an unfamiliar face for signs of bullshit and hoping he misheard every word. Max saw the moment it sank in. Everything had just ramped up to a whole new level.
Jason whispered, “Son of a bitch,” and closed his eyes. After a round of jaw clenching, he reopened them, revealing a fierce determination. “Show me. I have to know.”
Max queued up the disk to the frame where Mary became visible at the checkout counter. He paused the video, slid the device to the end of the table so they could both view the screen, and tapped on the bottom left corner. “Do you recognize her? The angle’s high.”
“Yes, it’s Mary. I remember she wore those clothes before I left for work. Same haircut and purse too. Go ahead.”
He pressed the button and watched the man’s dreams change forever. Jason’s knuckles whitened with every excruciating passing second, sucked in a breath upon each precise shot, and paused the machine the instant her face turned up to the camera.
“Who in the fuck are you?”
Max barely caught the whispered words rushing out of the man’s mouth.
On a hard swallow, Jason tapped the button, teeth clenching as the muzzle flash resulted in static filling the screen. He looked down and stared at the table, unmoving.
Max could tell he grasped for answers, running a thousand scenarios through his head in mounting desperation to find a different outcome. His head jerked up, eyes sparking with fear but still laced with deadly hope again.
“Maybe someone threatened the kids and made her do it. Yes, sounds reasonable. She didn’t have a choice. Did you see her face? If our kids were in trouble, she’d do anything.”
“Are they in school?”
Jason’s voice trembled as his own theory sank in. “Oh, God. I hope so.”
Max slid the phone over. “Call.”
Minutes later, the concerned father’s face melted in relief as he set the cell aside. “Still there. School’s on lock down.” His lips pursed, chin rising. “They lied to her, making her believe they had the kids.”
Max leaned forward. “Anything’s possible. I’ll look at every angle. I’m sorry to do this, but I need more information. Were you guys having marital issues?”
“No. We have the typical spats, but nothing major.” In seconds, his shoulders slumped, eyes gleaming like polished marble as he tried to hold back the tears.
“What is it, Jason?”
“Anniversary’s next weekend. Wish I’d spent more time with her these last few days. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. This is so unfair.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m remodeling a small cabin by the lake. After every shift, I spend about four hours out there getting it perfect for the surprise reveal. Nothing fancy, but I wanted it to be our refuge. Mary needed some time to relax. She’s always so busy with the kids. Her parents have plans to come in from Elk City and watch them for me.” He sucked in air and gripped the table’s edge.
“Aw, shit. I hope they haven’t seen the news. They’ll recognize the van and freak. Her father has a heart condition.”
Strong, work-worn hands started shaking. It was beginning to ram home his life, as he knew it, was over.
He picked up Mary’s license and whispered, “What do I to tell our boys, baby?” to the woman who had become a mystery to them both.
Jason didn’t even look up at a light tap on the door. Sean peeked inside.
“Sorry to interrupt, but can I speak with you for a second, Max?”
“Sure. I’ll be right back, Jason.” He received a quick nod and no eye contact.
As soon as the door snapped shut, Sean gestured to the right. “I have Mrs. Galesh’s best friend in Room 4. Her husband called and told her the police pulled Jason out of work. She couldn’t find Mary and thought she might be one of the victims. I knew you’d want to talk to her, so I went ahead and revealed what happened so she can wrap her mind around it. She took it hard. I called her husband, and he’s coming in. Her name’s Audrey Taylor.”
“Good work. Have the front desk call me when the husband arrives. Let’s get Galesh home before the media floodgates burst.” He swung the door open and leaned against the jamb. “I don’t have any more questions for you, Jason. Leave the license on the desk. This event’s an expected shock, but you’ll need to let it soak in quick. I suggest you pick your kids up from school before your wife’s name hits the news. We try to keep it under wraps for as long as possible but doesn’t always turn out as expected. I’ll call you when I have more. Promise.”
Chair tips squealing against the tile, Jason leaped up, eyes wide in panic. “Yeah, you’re right. I need to protect my boys.” He yanked keys from his right front pocket and then stared at them for a few uncomfortable beats. “Wait. My truck’s still at work.”
“Sargent McLellan will take you and escort you home after you have the kids. He’ll be discreet.”
“Good. Yeah, that’s good.”
Max reached over and squeezed Jason’s shoulder as the rattled man stepped into the hallway, hoping he could sense the legitimate concern.
“Tell your kids mom’s out shopping with friends. Keep them away from the TV and give yourself some time to have more family around you. They’ll help.”
Jason nodded. Though his shoulders appeared to drop several notches, the jaw tension remained as he studied his boots.
“Thank you for being so kind considering what—” The words cut short, as if he had no more strength to say her name, much less hold up his head. It remained lowered while following Sean down the corridor.
Max hoped the family showed before this entire tragedy hit the poor man with full, unrelenting force. Shame had already crept in and secured a foothold.
* * * * *
Audrey Taylor dabbed swollen, tear-filled eyes and continued shaking her head, causing tight blond curls to bounce across slim, suntanned shoulders. Max handed her another tissue, holding his question until she swiped away mascara running in long rivulets down flushed cheeks and patterning the cream-colored halter
