Chapter 16

Out on the porch sitting at the little round table that they'd shared so often in the past, she wished there was something she could do to cheer him up. Some poignant words that would help lessen the burden of grief. He seemed so lost and alone, like he didn't know what to do next. It was a side of him she was accustomed to seeing and wasn't very comfortable with.

Of the four of them Niall was the oldest by quite a number of years. He was forty-three, eleven years older than his wife and her, and eight years older than her own husband. He was always the most stalwart member of their little group.

Not that he didn't know how to have fun, but in the last couple of years, a little after Abigail was born to be exact, he'd become different; more withdrawn, cold, even distant she'd say. That cold reserve he was known for among his peers had turned to ice.

Some days it was almost like dealing with Jekyll and Hyde. Like the time she'd seen him in the next town over looking nothing like himself. It was the way he'd been dressed, even the way he'd walked had seemed different that day.

And when she'd called out to him he'd seemed a bit surprised, almost as if he didn't recognize her. Then suddenly he'd shaken his head and seemed to come out of some fugue state, but had still seemed a bit confused now that she thought of it.

She'd entertained the thought for a moment, just one moment mind you, that he'd been having an affair. Only later she'd found out different. That it was her dear and trusted friend who was getting it on with someone else.

She didn't approve and when Sonya had bragged to her about her new lover and all the things they'd been getting up to she'd told her friend as much. But the other woman had just laughed in her face. She wouldn't say who this new man was, and Valerie had spent countless hours trying to figure it out.

There weren't that many influential men in these parts, no one that fit the type of man her friend would go for and thinking about it had only made her more uncomfortable as time passed.

Now she was here sitting across from this man who was mourning her friend and she had such guilt. There's no way she was going to tell him about that though. But it was like the proverbial elephant in the room.

"How're you holding up Niall?" He took a sip from his cup and stared off into the distance before shrugging his shoulders listlessly. "I'm hanging in there as best I can I guess." She crossed her legs and turned fully around in her chair.

"You've got to hold it together for the kids. I know it must be hard, me myself, I haven't even allowed myself to think about it, so I can only imagineAnyway, we're here for you, Riley and I."

"How're you two getting along?"

"What, what do you mean?" She barely refrained from snapping out the question as she sat forward.

"Well, I'd noticed just lately that you two seemed to be having some sort of problem. I guess I was too selfish to care very much. Now"

"Oh we're fine." She waved her hand dismissively as she sat back comfortably in her seat. "He's just been busy with the farm what with calving season just over and now a few sick calves; but we're good." Now it was she who took a sip of the hot brew more to hide behind the cup than for any real need for more coffee.

She hadn't thought anyone else had noticed the strain between Riley and her; she'd gone to great lengths to hide it after all. In a town this small news travels fast and everyone is always in everyone else's business.

She knew the slightest sign of a tear in the fabric of her marriage and tongues would start wagging. She hated that, hated the thought of pitying looks from the town's people, people she'd known all her life. Or worst yet, being the leading topic on everyone's tongue.

It's one of the things she'd worried about when Sonya had first told her about the affair. She hates change and was worried that if found out, it would put a rift not only in her friend's marriage but in the relationship the four of them shared. It was a good relationship, and she never wanted anything to spoil it. But now

"What did that detective say? Have they found any leads yet?"

"Nothing, she called and asked for Sonya's passcode to her phone. Apparently Bridgette told her that someone texted right before Sonya rushed out of the house."

He shook his head and looked down at the brown liquid in his cup as if not seeing it. "It just doesn't make any sense. Sonya never went into those woods. I can't figure out why. Did you see her, talk to her?"

"No, at that time in the morning I'd have been too busy getting ready to open the gallery. The last time I spoke to her was a few nights ago. I wish I'd spoken to her, wish she'd have called me" He didn't say anything and they both tapered off, both lost in their own thoughts.

The housekeeper came out the backdoor just then. "Mr. Davis the police are here." He looked up as though not quite comprehending her words and got absently to his feet. "I'll be back Valerie, unless you need to head to the gallery..."

"No, I'll come with you." They walked into the house together to find Detective Sparks and officer Bailey waiting for them in the den where Nettie had left them after offering them both a cup of coffee, which they'd both declined.

"Good morning Mr. Davis, Mrs. O'Rourke, it's good that you're here, I wanted to ask you a few questions as well but you weren't at the gallery when I went by.

"Sit down detective." Niall took a seat and gestured to one of the many stuffed chairs across from him.

"That's okay sir. I just wanted to ask you if you'd let us go through your wife's things." His eyes widened and he shook his head before opening his mouth to speak.

"No, I want her things to stay exactly as she's left them. She wasn't killed here detective I see no reason for you to go rifling through her things. Didn't you already go through her phone? Who was it that texted her?"

"That's just it, the passcode you gave me isn't the right one..."

"What? That can't be, we've used those same numbers for years. It was the day we got married"

"It's no longer working and the code has been encrypted. We need the code to access any valuable data that might've been left on the phone. Do you know of any reason why your wife would've gone to such lengths sir?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"She's trying to say that poor Sonya had something to hide. How dare you?" Valerie felt herself begin to sweat.

What use would it be for the man to learn now at this horrible time that his wife had been unfaithful? It's bad enough that she had to live with the guilt of carrying that secret; the least she could do now was protect him from that ugly truth.

"Mrs. O'Rourke we're not jumping to any conclusions, we're just trying to understand what's going on. I think if we're given access to her things there might be something there to shed some light on what was going on in her life before this happened."

"No way, now get out. How dare you come here and imply" Niall jumped to his feet enraged, feeling like he was going to be sick. All night he'd tossed and turned, trying to make sense of this whole situation. Not knowing what she'd been doing out there in those woods

Detective Sparks put away her trusty little notebook and offered an apology. She knew before coming here that this wouldn't an easy request and had half expected this very outcome.

"I'm sorry that I've upset you Mr. Davis, but this investigation has just started and already we're running into dead ends. My only interest is in finding the person who did this to your wife. I'll leave you to think about it. Give me a call if you change your mind."

"I'll walk you out." Valerie offered as she got to her feet. She walked over and bent down to give Niall a goodbye kiss on the cheek. "I guess I'll head to the gallery now, I'll call you later. Detective!" She turned and gestured towards the door before following them out.

"You said you wanted to talk to me detective, do you mind following me back to the gallery? I don't want to do this standing around out here." She looked around at the neighboring houses with a look of disdain on her face.

"No need for the neighbors to be sticking their noses in." She walked down the stone steps ahead of them and entered her car, driving away without waiting for a response.

"Well, looks like we're back to square one." Detective Sparks looked back at the door they'd just left before turning and walking down the steps herself. "I thought for sure he'd be more cooperative. What did you make of that?"

They both got in, she in the driver's seat as he buckled up. "Of what, you mean him saying he didn't want his wife's things disturbed? I guess I can understand that."

"Yes, but if it helps the investigation"

"Boss, we're the ones who have to figure that out, for him, he's just lost his wife, his life is never going to be the same again."

"But shouldn't he want to know?"

"Of course he does, but right now I don't imagine that's the most important thing on his mind. Just give him a coupla days"

"We don't have that long. The mayor's already making noises about calling in the state police. He doesn't seem to think we're equipped to handle our first murder case." And that was still grating on her nerves.

She'd been first in her class at the academy and had gone on to make a name for herself at the precinct where she worked before her life got turned upside down.

Her captain had praised her to high heaven when he recommended her for the job here, and though she'd done little more than rescue kittens and break up fights down at the pub between locals and idiot visitors since making the move, she hadn't lost her touch.

"Well, let's just find another way around it then shall we." She looked at her partner, always so laid back. He still had that college boy shine to him all these years later. She hadn't been that innocent since she was twelve.