no, no, we spent a wonderful day and planned on—”
He was still staring at her then he said, “I mean, what about you…? Did you have any reason to have him kill or possibly—”
“No, I wouldn’t kill my husband, detective!” Diana fired back, holding the detective’s gaze. “I don’t believe…” she started but let her voice trailed.
“You don’t believe what, Dr. King?” Sharkey asked.
They studied each other for a tension-filled beat. Diana green eyes locked with the seasoned blue of Sharkey’s eyes. Neither of them spoke. Then Diana broke the intense silence.
“I—I can’t believe that you’d think I’d have my husband killed… Ah, Detective…” Diana said in an angry tone.
“Dr. King, I’d like you to know that even the spouse becomes a suspect in a homicide like the death of your husband. Especially when that same spouse is the last one to see him alive.”
“Okay, but I didn’t have my husband killed.”
“I didn’t say you did. But let’s get back to what you did say. You told me that your husband had a short temper, right?”
“Yes, I’ve seen him blown his top a few times. Especially when he’s been drinking heavily.”
“Has this ah… Drunken rage occurred recently? Think, Dr. King.”
“I mean something did happen a few months back at a bar, but it was no big deal. The bouncers stopped it before anything got out of hand. I mean it was nothing—”
“It could’ve been something. Tell me exactly what happened.”
“We were at a bar, and some man grabbed my ass as I was walking by him, and Vaughn saw it. And before you know it, he decked the guy. Then the guy’s friends started to get in, and the bouncers got between everyone before things got out of hand.”
“What about when you left the bar? Was there any problems outside.”
“There were no problems, really detective. The guy who grabbed my ass, apologized to us when we walked by them on our way outside.”
“And that was the last you saw of any of these men?”
“Yes, that was all I saw of them.”
“So they never tried contacting you?”
“Not at all, detective. I never heard from any of the men again.”
“What about your husband? Did they try to contact him?”
“He never mentioned it, but I don’t think so.”
“How many men was there, Dr. King?”
“Ah, I’m sure there were a lot of men there that night. I’m not sure, detective.”
“How does it feel to have a lot of men hitting on you? I mean you’re a pretty hot looking chick, intelligent…got some amount of wealth—”
“Oh, please stop it, detective!” Diana shouted, shaking her head. “I am not the killer, and I certainly don’t know who did it.”
“Maybe a jealous… Just maybe I’d think you could have a reason not to tell me about these men. You could be having an affair with one of them.”
“I am certainly not having an affair with anyone, detective! Yes, my husband and I have had our ups and downs in the marriage. But I tell you we love each other, and always made up. We—”
Diana’s abruptly halted speaking and burst into tears. Detective Sharkey watched as tears filled her eyes and, and with her body heaving from the tremors of the flood of emotion, she wept. Sharkey handed her a handkerchief. Diana reached into her handbag and pulled out a pack of tissue. She quickly grabbed a couple of sheets and dabbed at her eyes.
“Would you be able to identify these men if you saw them again?”
“Yes, I think so. I mean it wasn’t that long ago…”
“Okay, we’ll follow up on that. Was that night at the bar the only time that you know of?”
“Yes, at least when I’m with him. Sometimes my husband,” Diana said, and paused. Removing some tissues, Diana dabbed at her eyes before continuing. “Vaughn liked to hang out with his friends. They have a tightly knit military bond. ‘Esprit de Corp,’ Vaughn used to call it. Sometimes I wasn’t even invited or allowed to attend their secret meetings.”
“Did you ever try to find out what happens at these ah…secret meetings?”
“Don’t ask—don’t tell… I did not need to know—it was my husband’s defense. Or just kill me with silence. Vaughn never shares any of that part of his life with me. He guarded it as if it was some sort of damn top secret. But if I could make a guess, I’d say they probably just sat around gambling and drinking. That was mostly what he and his friends would do in their downtime anyway.”
“How often did he go on these secret meetings?”
“Whenever the military sent him, sometimes three or four times a year.”
“And for how long would he be gone?”
“He could be gone anywhere from overnight to months. I mean, we have been married for seven years, but we’ve lived together for less than half of that time.”
“What happened to the other three and half years?” the detective asked, looking baffled.
“Not counting his actual combat time, well I should. My husband has been away from me due to the gulf wars, military schools, and other things such as military conferences. There are functions where wives are not allowed. He was married to the army, and Uncle Sam the same length of time as he’s been married to me.”
“Could there be anyone you know of out of all these men from the bar—”
“No, no, no, Detective Sharkey. I don’t.”
It did not matter how differently detective Sharkey phrased his questions. Diana seemed forthcoming and remained firm with her answers. Vigorously shaking her head, the bereaved spouse sob quietly. The Enterprise detective was fishing for any clue, and Diana was convincing in her role as a grieving wife. The police had no reason to doubt her, and they were already verifying her story. She was adamant when she spoke of her knowledge.
“Did your husband have a drinking problem?”
“No detective. You mean, was he an alcoholic? Vaughn sometimes drank a lot, but he always seemed to be in control. Military living and the missions he did were very stressful. Sometimes Vaughn needed time to unwind, relax and let off steam.”
“Sounds like he was a good all-round American, huh?”
“Yes, you could say that, detective. Vaughn’s father is a retired general. Vaughn had a great education and great role models around him all his life. We lived a good life.”
“Then
