“Do you know of any special relationship between Holly and Paul?”
“No.”
“Did Holly ever mention any illegal activities at Beckett Construction?”
“No.” Owen shook his head.
Bree tossed out another zinger. “Do you have any idea why Holly and Paul would have talked on the phone at midnight back in March?”
Owen stiffened, and he looked away as he answered, “No.”
Was he lying? Or simply defensive at the idea that his wife had cheated?
Bree continued. “Where were you last night between seven forty and eight p.m.?”
“I was home,” Owen said.
“Alone?”
He nodded. “My brother had to go back to work. I showered and shaved and did some laundry.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Bree meant it. “Did you order any takeout or talk with anyone on the phone?”
He shook his head. “After I got cleaned up, I was really tired. I slept for twelve hours straight.”
“OK, Owen. If you think of anything else, please call me.”
He gave a single stiff nod. “OK.”
Bree escorted him to the lobby. The news vans had cleared out after the press conference, and Owen walked across a mostly empty parking lot. After he left, Marge caught Bree’s attention. “Shannon Phelps is in interview room two.”
“Thanks.” Bree stopped in the monitoring room, where Matt sat facing two screens. She closed the door behind her. “What do you think?”
“He seems sure Holly didn’t cheat.” Matt stroked his beard, which was on the long side. Usually, he shaved or trimmed it at this point.
“I agree. So, what were she and Paul up to?” she asked. “Maybe Shannon knows.”
“Want me to watch from here?” Matt asked.
Bree considered the question. “Actually, I’d like you to do the interview. She connected with you more than me. I want her talkative.” When Matt stood, she took his chair. It was still warm from his body.
“You’re feeling OK?”
“No,” she said, surprised at her own honesty. “But I’ll live. Go interview Shannon. See what you can get out of her.”
“Will do.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Matt walked into the interview room. Shannon’s eyes were still red and sore-looking, as if she’d been crying for days. But then, he supposed she had.
“Thanks so much for coming in.” Instead of sitting across the table from her, Matt took the chair beside her.
She sniffed and looked down at the crumpled tissue in her hand. “I keep thinking I’ll feel less sad tomorrow, but every day I wake up and it’s the same.”
“It’ll take time.” Matt read her rights. “Do you understand?”
Shannon nodded.
Matt slid a Miranda form toward her. “I need to ask you some more questions. Did you know someone confessed to killing Paul Beckett?”
Shannon nodded. “Did he kill Holly too?”
“That’s what we’re trying to determine.” He nudged the form closer, then set a pen on top of it. “First I need you to sign this form.”
She stared at it as if it were a big fat bug. “Why? Am I a suspect?”
He gave her a nonchalant shrug. “The sheriff insists.”
“OK.” Frowning, she signed her name.
“Thank you.” Matt pushed the paper away. “I also need to tell you that this interview is being recorded. In case you give us any important information, we don’t want to get any of the details wrong.”
Shannon nodded.
Matt continued. “So, Paul Beckett’s son confessed to killing his father. Do you have any idea why he’d want to kill Holly too?”
Shannon shook her head hard. “I don’t even know him.”
“Holly worked for Paul. Are you aware of any other special relationship between them?”
Shannon’s brows came together. “What do you mean?”
Matt leaned closer. “Holly was seen at Paul’s house. There was also a late-night call between them.”
Shannon shifted her weight back. “Are you asking me if Holly cheated on Owen? Because if you are, the answer is no.”
“But Holly had left Owen multiple times.”
“She always went back. As much as they fought, when they were together, they were really together.”
“So, why might Holly have gone to Paul’s house?”
“It must have been something to do with the business.” Shannon blotted her eyes. “I only met Paul Beckett twice, but I didn’t like him much. He was an arrogant bully.”
“How did he treat Holly?”
“She was always complaining about him. He yelled at people, but he paid pretty well. She got good benefits, and he wasn’t in the office much. Some days she didn’t interact with him at all.” Shannon squirmed, and her gaze shifted to the floor. She knew something she wasn’t saying. “A few weeks ago, Holly told me something that made me worry.”