| |
Homicide Detective Donald Hunt sat across the table from newly widowed Kelly Cochran. Her husband, Johnny, had been gunned down by an unknown assailant less than four hours before.
Hunt was known for his ability to see through the lies people told every day. After thousands of interviews and interrogations he’d become a human lie detector. And he was fairly certain Mrs. Cochran was lying through her teeth. Well, if she had any to lie through.
He decided to go over the interrogation a second time. Maybe he’d missed something.
“Where were you and your husband going to at nine o’clock at night?”
“To the store to buy some smokes.”
“Smokes for who?”
She sighed. “I told you this already. For me.”
“And why did your husband tag along?”
“Johnny doesn’t like me walking by myself after dark.” She smiled, revealing a toothless grin. “Thinks I’ll get raped or something.”
He winced from the visual. The unpleasantry of seeing her naked might drive him to drink a few beers tonight.
Stay focused and find the lie. It’s in her statement somewhere.
“So, it was you who decided to get cigarettes?”
“For the umpteenth time, yes.”
He needed to drag this out if possible and see if he could get her to slip up. “Just bear with me a little longer. What was the name of the convenience store?”
“Majik Market.”
“Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”
“Like what?”
“Perhaps a possible suspect or witness?”
She waved a hand. “Nah. Nothing like that. But I remember the moon was really bright tonight.”
“How so?” He wondered why she waited until now to bring this up. Maybe this line of questioning would lead somewhere.
“I don’t know. It reminded me of that song Amoré. You know. About how big it is like a pizza pie or something like that. I’m horrible at remembering limericks.”
“I think you mean lyrics.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Anyway, I remember walking toward the moon and being hypnotized by the wondrous glow. I must have really been in a trance, because out of nowhere this shadow formed from behind me and swallowed me up. The shadow seemed to stretch on forever. Like a spider with these long tentacles.”
“You mean long legs?”
She laughed. “Can you imagine spiders with tentacles?”
Hunt shrugged. Then he gestured for her to continue.
“We turned back and saw this guy wearing a black mask. He aimed the gun at Johnny and demanded money.
“Johnny tried to reason with the guy but got a bullet between the eyes instead. Poor Johnny. He deserved better.”
Hunt looked at her. The woman liked to talk. Mostly gibberish but he knew the truth lay inside the blurry lines she called a statement.
“You got a smoke?” Mrs. Cochran asked. “I could really use one. Especially, after everything I’ve been through.”
This woman was stone cold.
“I don’t smoke. And even if I did, there’s no smoking inside the building.”
She sighed. “Can you at least tell me when I’ll get the life insurance? Johnny was the breadwinner.”
“You’ll have to contact the insurance agency. I’m sure you’ll need to file a claim.”
“Can I go home now?”
Hunt stood. “Give me a few more minutes.”
She crossed her arms. “Fine. But can you get me a soda?”
“Sure.”
Hunt walked back to the video room and decided to watch the interrogation he just recorded. Thirty minutes later he found the clue he was looking for. He hadn’t missed it during the first interrogation because she hadn’t mentioned it until the second go around.
Did you find the lie?
Hint: The shadow.
Kelly Cochran stated she was walking toward the brightly lit moon. If this were the case, her shadow and her assailants shadow would have cast behind her. Not in front like she stated.