bucks.”
Bree waited for Owen to ease into his seat. “Did you gamble while you were there?”
“A little,” he admitted. “I lost a few hundred bucks. Holly was pissed. It was stupid. We ran out of money on the second day. The bank only covered my meals, so we ended up splitting meals for the second half of the trip.” He toyed with his glass. “Look, just because Shannon is happy holed up in her house alone all the time doesn’t mean the rest of us can stand it. Some of us actually need social interaction.”
“When we spoke to you last night, you didn’t mention that Holly’s father died at the same bridge,” Matt pointed out.
Owen shrugged. “I forgot. He died a long time before I met Holly.”
“What about your wife’s job?” Bree shifted topics. “Did she get along with her boss and coworkers?”
“For the most part,” Owen said. “She didn’t talk about her boss much, and the office is small. Other than Holly, he has a secretary and a few part-timers.”
Bree pressed further. “And Holly never complained about anyone at work?”
“Everyone complains about work,” Owen said. “And no one always gets along with their coworkers all the time, but I don’t remember anything serious. The secretary is an old bitch who didn’t like Holly. She was always making backhanded comments, but it seemed like she treated everybody in the office that way. Holly sometimes went out for happy-hour drinks with one of the part-timers. They went out last week, as a matter of fact. Her name is Deb.”
“What night was that?” Bree asked.
“Tuesday,” Owen said.
“What about her boss?” Matt asked. “Any tension there?”
“I don’t think so. Paul isn’t in the office much. He’s hands-on with the business. Spends most of his time at jobsites.” Owen raised the whiskey to his lips, then lowered it with a sigh. “I guess I can’t stay drunk forever.”
“You’ve met her boss?” Bree prodded.
Owen nodded. “A few times when I had to stop at the office for some reason. He isn’t the kind of guy who hosts office Christmas parties or anything like that.”
Bree stood, seemingly satisfied. “If you think of anything else you want to tell us, please call me.” She set a business card on the table. “I’ll need you to write down what you told me about your argument with Holly, the last time you saw her, and where you were between Friday at five p.m. and noon on Saturday.”
“But I just told you all that,” Owen said.
“I know,” Bree said. “But I’d like it in your own words for my official records. I wouldn’t want to get any details wrong.”
Also, they would compare Owen’s written statement with his verbal answers for discrepancies.
“OK. I will.” Owen got up, dumped his whiskey, and filled the glass at the tap. “It still feels surreal. I keep expecting Holly to walk through the door.” He stared at the water. “Can I see her?”
“You mean view her body?” Bree straightened.
Owen nodded.
Bree’s brows knitted. “As soon as the DNA tests come back, the medical examiner will release your wife’s body.”
“How long will that take?” Owen’s head swung back to Bree.
“The ME says she’ll have the results within a week,” she said.
He rubbed a hand across his scalp. “That long?”
Matt added, “You’ll need to think about final arrangements. When Holly’s ID is official, the medical examiner will call you to ask which funeral home you’re going to use.”
“Oh.” Owen dropped into his chair again, as if the reality of choosing a funeral home brought the situation clarity.
A knock sounded on the door. Owen crossed the room and opened it. A deputy stood on the stoop.
“He’s with me.” Bree dropped the bomb. “He has a search warrant. We need to search your house.”
“What?” Owen’s voice rose with disbelief.
“Your wife is a murder victim,” Bree explained. “We need to search her residence.”
The deputy handed the warrant to Owen. He took it, not bothering to read it.
“Take Mr. Thorpe outside and wait with him,” Bree said to the deputy. Then she waved a hand at Matt. “Let’s start upstairs.”
Owen glowered at the deputy but went out the front door without resistance.
Matt followed Bree. They tugged on gloves as they walked up the steps. Bree pulled a small digital camera from her pocket. On the left side of the landing were a full bath and a small bedroom currently being used as a combination guest room and home office. The main bedroom was on the right.
They veered into the guest room. A