a detective to leave her house. I thought you wanted me to look for clues?"
"I would if you didn't think I was somehow mixed up in Noah's disappearance. You're wasting time by being here."
"I'm not so sure about that." His hand landed on the handle of the weed drawer. Like he had a death wish. I could already picture him convulsing on the floor after I tased him. It would be a quick draw, straight from a black and white cowboy film. But I had a feeling he'd be faster. I didn't want a bullet in my chest. This needed to end peacefully even if it meant me begging on my knees.
"Please," I said. I thought of death. Destruction. Natural disasters. Even the horrible image I'd had this morning of Noah dead at the basement stairs. And somehow I mustered the despair to make a single tear fall down my cheek. "I don't know how to live without him."
The accusation in Detective Torres' eyes faded as quickly as my fake tears had formed. His hand fell from the handle. "Then help me understand. Tell me why you don't wear your wedding ring."
Oh. God. I glanced down at my empty ring finger. Why did I keep forgetting to put on my wretched rings? What was wrong with me? "You made it seem like he cheated on me. I thought...I thought you were going to find him with that Sophia woman. Shacking up. I've never felt so broken." I put my hand over my mouth to pretend I was seconds away from breaking down in front of him. There was nothing men hated more than feeling uncomfortable around a sobbing woman.
"It doesn't seem like that was the case, Ensley. It was definitely something more sinister. Do you have any idea why he would be following Sophia Tremblay?"
If I did I wouldn't tell you. "No. I'm sorry. But you have to believe me. I love my husband. I was blindsided by the fact that he might be cheating. But I'd never hurt him." I shook my head. "And Ben? Yes, I like to watch the local news. That doesn't mean I...what...somehow kidnapped him from the hospital? That's crazy." I'd only kidnapped Noah. Geez. "I just like being well informed of local crime." I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Especially since so many of the housewives in the area seem cray cray." I walked around the kitchen island to block his view of the basement door, Snuggle Muffins hot on my trail. I was worried that Detective Torres would see the deadbolt and start asking questions he had no business asking. Luckily Snuggle Muffins looking semi-adorable on the floor right in front of him was a decent distraction.
Detective Torres reached down and scratched behind his ear. "Well, the vultures are starting to swarm the station already. They got a whiff of this case. It will probably be on the nightly news at this rate."
"I never wanted to be on it." But I did. I really really did. It took everything in me not to jump up and down. I was going to be famous. More famous than all the other murderous women in little old Wilmington, Delaware. And I was playing Detective Torres like a fiddle. I pressed my lips together and shook my head. "I can't believe this is happening. Maybe it's one of those murderous lunatics you mentioned that is doing this. Violet or Adeline?" Throwing my previous neighbors under the bus seemed like a pretty good idea. They were already wanted.
Detective Torres shook his head. "No. I don't think so."
"Maybe Sophia's lying."
Detective Torres shook his head.
"Maybe Noah and she actually got into a lover's quarrel that turned physical...that left him dead."
He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "The last thing I need is for this to turn into a homicide. I’m still hoping he turns up." He closed the distance between us. "I'm sorry about earlier. I just...I couldn't get you not wearing your rings out of my head. And the coincidences with Ben disappearing too. I need to figure this out before I..." his voice trailed off.
"Before you what?"
"You saw the news, Ensley. My last partner ran off with a serial killer we were hunting. I let him get away. My job is on the line. I need to find Noah or I'll lose everything. This case is my last chance to prove myself."
I stared at him like I was seeing him for the first time. He