her file her taxes.”
“I’m referring to her savings accounts, actually. The two money markets, and the investment account.”
Jeffrey goes completely still. He gave me Sabine’s computer, but not before combing through it. He would have been a fool not to. But these accounts weren’t on that Excel file she maintained. They weren’t anywhere. I only know of their existence because Ingrid told me.
“You look surprised,” I say, trying not to sound satisfied.
His answer comes through gritted teeth. “Since when?”
I consult the papers on my lap. “Well, let’s see. The money markets are from early January and end of March, 2013. The investment account is more recent, December of last year. Together the accounts add up to a grand total of $379,385.29, give or take, but you know how those investment portfolios go. The value changes faster than you can add up the numbers.”
He doesn’t respond, but I see the thoughts rolling through his mind as clearly as if they were written in the air. Sabine has almost $400K squirreled away in accounts she never told him about. In accounts she hid from him. For years.
“I can see you need a minute to process this, so let’s come back to it in a little bit. In February of last year, you transferred your share of ownership at 4538 Belmont Drive to your wife, and over the course of the next sixteen months, the monthly mortgage payment has been coming from her salary, not yours.”
He shrugs as nonchalantly as he can. “Sabine makes a lot more money than I do. If you’ve been through the accounts, you know how much more. It only seemed fair.”
“Was this her idea or yours?”
“I don’t remember who suggested it, but Sabine was picking up the slack most months anyway. I didn’t want it to become an issue between us.”
“Was it ever?”
“Was it ever, what?”
“An issue. Because my wife and I, we just throw everything into one pot. But believe me, I get how money can become an issue, because she used to draw a salary. When she stopped working, she felt guilty spending the money in our account since I was the one who put it there. It took me a while to convince her that what’s mine is hers and what’s hers is mine. She contributes in other ways, you know? But to each his own, I guess.”
This is me playing good cop. The witty and let’s-be-buddies cop. Judging from the way his eyes go dark and squinty, Jeffrey doesn’t believe it for a second.
“Sabine and I went in another direction, but believe me when I say there are no hard feelings between us. I may live in our house rent free, but I pay the utilities and buy most of the groceries, as I’m sure you’ve seen on the joint household account. That’s my contribution.”
“Sounds like a good deal.”
“Yes,” he says, nodding. “A good deal for both of us.”
I scribble some bullshit on the pad, then flip to the next page. “Since Sabine’s disappearance, you’ve discovered she was having an affair. That must have been rough.”
He barks a sarcastic laugh. “Rough is one way of putting it, I guess. Finding out about the affair was difficult, yes, it was hurtful, but was it surprising? Maybe not so much. The truth is, Sabine and I have been moving further and further apart for some time now. I’m sure her sister, Ingrid, has told you as much.”
“According to Dr. McAdams, it wasn’t just an affair. He says the two are very much in love. That they’ve been making plans to reorganize their lives so that they can be together.”
“By planning to ditch their spouses, you mean. Yes, I know about that, too. Ingrid and Dr. McAdams both told me.”
“According to the doctor, Sabine was also pregnant.”
“Yeah, he told me the joyful news.” He says it through curled lips, and with a tone like he’d just stepped in dog shit.
“How’d that go over?”
“I punched him, if that’s what you’re asking. But I’d also caution him, before he gets too excited, to take a look at Sabine’s medical records.”
“You think she’s lying?”
“I think he should take a look at her medical records. Out of respect for Sabine’s privacy, I don’t want to say more.”
“You weren’t respecting her all that much when you punched her in the face.”
His face goes white, then beet red, fury firing through his veins. He knows that little tidbit came from Ingrid. It’s the same expression he used with her in my office.
He stabs