The two detectives picked a table in a quiet corner of the café, their hands curled around their cups for warmth, waiting for Officer Williams to get back to them with the address of the two men they wanted to talk to. Kate couldn’t tear her eyes from the picture she got from Julian.

“She most certainly does not look happy”, she said, pointing at the woman the journalist said was Paul Havers’ wife. “It’s possible that her husband was having second thoughts about Miss Sanders. This picture is not very good, but it looks like they are arguing. What if he was a hopeful Romeo? But Miss Sanders chose David Foster instead. Would that be enough reason for Paul Havers to kill her?”

“People killed for less”, Ben said with a shrug.

On the other side of the town, over the hill and the fields, Emily sat down heavily on the couch, her hand unconsciously stroking her upset stomach. Her friends dropped her off only a few minutes ago, but only after they made sure she finished all her camomile tea in the diner. It took all her convincing skills to prevent them from staying with her. She couldn’t bear the thought of them fussing over her. All she wanted to do is curl up on the sofa and sleep.

Paul was still upstairs, probably snoring under the covers, unmoving in his drunken sleep. This was not the Paul she fell in love with in high school, got married to and planned to have children with. The man upstairs was someone different. Her chest tightened when she recalled the day of their engagement. She was sixteen, still in school, and Paul just started working on the Anson farm after graduation. It was the day of the Summer Festival, the night was balmy and the star sprinkled sky was so beautiful, that she couldn’t imagine anything bad could ever happen to them. Paul made a promise that he’ll wait for her and they will get married as soon as she’s out of school. He didn’t have money for a ring, so he made one himself. A simple leather piece, with their initials carved into it. She felt like she was in a fairy tale. That night five years ago suddenly seemed like a dream.

Who was this man? Her Paul was kind and caring. Nothing like this cold, silent man he turned into a few months ago. Her Paul would never have gotten drunk, and behaved like a complete lunatic, embarrassing her in front of their friends. What will they think?

Emily shuddered when she remembered how her husband seemed so distant when they were making love on that early October night about a month ago. He was nice to her, did all the right things he knew she liked, but his heart was not in it. His eyes were vacant. As soon as he was done, he turned his back to her and went downstairs to sit in the dark. Alone. She tried to snuggle up to him on most nights after that, but the way he held her hand just seemed mechanical.

She only just put up her feet on the small coffee table, when she heard a knock from the front of the house. Letting out a big sigh, she rose and reluctantly went to open the door, not doubting to see her best friends who were too worried to leave her alone after what happened at the diner. But to her surprise, she found two strangers standing there.

“Hi, I’m Detective Kate Robbins, and this is Detective Ben Peterson”, said the young woman, pointing at the tall blond man standing a step behind her.

“Can I help you?”, she asked in a timid voice, but made no move to let them in.

“We need to talk to your husband”, said Detective Robbins. “May we come in?”

Emily shook her head like someone who just woke up from a dream and stepped aside. “Sure, come in. This way…”

Kate and Ben followed the woman to the kitchen. The place was light and warm. An old dining table took up the centre, and the rest of the furniture looked ancient, but well looked after. A small fire was crackling away in the open fireplace gave the whole place a cosy feel.

“Paul is still asleep”, Emily Havers said, staring into nothing as Kate sat down in the chair near the window.

“It’s quite urgent”, Kate said firmly. “We think he might have information about an incident that happened last night.”

“Oh, that…”, the woman replied, her voice trailing off. For a few seconds she just stood there. Kate was about to ask for her husband again, when Emily finally looked at her. “I don’t think so. But I’ll wake him up.”

Kate looked questioningly at Ben when Emily Havers left the room, but he just shrugged and scribbled something in his notepad. They heard her voice from upstairs, and another, deeper one, then the sound of splashing water.

When Paul Havers entered the kitchen followed closely by his wife, he was still in his pyjamas, hair sticking out on both sides of his head. He only looked half awake.

“Emily says you want to talk to me”, he said yawning, and plopped down unceremoniously in the chair opposite Kate. He was resting his unshaven chin on her hand, looking at both of them with his eyebrows raised. Kate took an instant dislike to him. Behind them Emily was putting mugs on a tray, and filled the kettle with hot water for the coffee.

“We understand you just woke up, and appreciate your time”, Ben said without a trace of sarcasm. The other man just shrugged.

“You attended the concert last night, is that right Mr. Havers?” Ben asked him.

“Yeah”, Paul nodded. “I went there with my wife.”

“Could you tell us if anything out of the ordinary happened?”, Ben pressed on, and Kate noted how the man glanced at his wife for a second before answering.

“Nah… I can’t say.”

“Do you know Miss June Sanders?” Kate asked, and when Paul nodded she continued. “Was she there last night?”

Paul did not reply, just nodded again, grabbing the mug his wife placed in front of her. Kate and Ben just shook their heads at the offer.

“Did you speak to her, Mr. Havers?” Ben said, casually leaning back in his chair. Again, Paul glanced behind Ben’s back – probably at his wife – before he nodded.

“About… anything in particular?” The question came from Kate this time.

Paul shrugged. “You know, just the usual. Saying hello. Small talk, as neighbours do.”

Kate felt, rather than saw Emily Havers hovering in the background.

“How did she seem? Happy? Upset?” Ben said, and heard Paul’s wife suck in her breath in the background. Both detectives ignored her and focused their attention to her husband. He carefully lifted his cup to his mouth and took a small sip.

Ben was about to repeat the question when Paul eventually replied. “How would I know?” Then, “Listen, Emily told me just now what happened. I don’t know who could have done that to her…”

They both noted how his eyes shifted to Emily once again before dropping to his head into his cupped hands.

“What time did you leave last night?” came the next question from Kate.

Before Paul could have answered Emily jumped forward and started talking. “We left around half past 10, came straight home. I felt quite tired you see…” she was flushed and fumbled with her cardigan while she spoke.

“So you came home together?” Kate looked at Emily and when the other woman nodded, she turned back to Paul Havers. “Have you left after you took your wife back home?”

“No, he was here with me. The whole night”, came the answer from Emily.