The cameras flash repeatedly; he keeps his expression suitably serious. A bereaved husband, grateful at last that his wife’s killer has been arrested.

Chapter Thirty-two

AN OFFICER STICKS his head in Webb’s office door and says, ‘The Sharpes and the Newells were all fingerprinted this morning, sir. And something very interesting has turned up.’

Webb looks down at the report. What the hell was Paul Sharpe’s son doing in Amanda Pierce’s house?

Olivia sits on her bed and looks at herself in the dresser mirror. She’s ashen. The detectives have called and want to see her again. They have asked her to bring Raleigh, too.

Raleigh is in his room, having stayed home from school. Glenda is sticking by Olivia and Raleigh – showing people that she supports them. Olivia feels better having Glenda here. She remembers how people had stood and watched outside of Robert Pierce’s house, not that long ago, thinking that Robert Pierce had murdered his wife. And now there are people outside of her house, thinking that Paul is a killer.

When she and Raleigh arrive back at the station, she is directed into an interview room, while Raleigh is asked to wait outside. Webb and Moen are there waiting for her. She’s caught them in the middle of a conversation, which they abruptly break off.

‘Mrs Sharpe,’ Webb says. ‘Thank you for coming in. Just so you know, this interview is purely voluntary; you are free to leave at any time.’

Detective Moen brings her water and looks at her as if in sympathy. Men can be such shits.

Olivia’s mouth is dry. She swallows. There’s absolutely nothing she can tell them, one way or the other. She doesn’t know anything. Nothing that happens in this interview will change anything. She must just get through it.

Webb says, ‘Lab results confirm that the blood found in your cabin is Amanda Pierce’s.’

Her head swims at the news, but she already expected it. Who else’s blood could it be? He waits for her to say something.

‘I don’t know anything about it.’

‘You must have given it some thought,’ Webb chides her.

‘I think someone else must have killed her in our cabin.’

‘Who do you think that might be?’

‘I don’t know.’ She pauses and says, ‘Her husband, possibly.’

‘What would her husband be doing in your cabin?’

‘I don’t know.’ Olivia wants to cry, but refuses to. She can’t explain it. She can’t explain any of it. Why won’t they just leave her alone? They know they’ve got him. Why torture her like this? She can’t help them. Can’t they see that she’s suffering enough?

‘Is there anyone we don’t know about who may have had access to the cabin?’ Webb asks.

‘No.’

‘Did the Harrises ever visit?’

‘No, never.’

‘Did you ever tell them where it was, exactly?’

‘No.’

‘Anyone else?’

‘No.’

‘Okay, thank you. That’s it for now. We’d like to speak to your son. You can stay if you like.’

They bring Raleigh in. He looks anxious and very young. He sits down beside her and she tries to give him a reassuring look. She wants to put her arm around his shoulders and give him a squeeze, but she suspects he wouldn’t like it.

‘Raleigh, I’m Detective Webb, and this is Detective Moen. We’d like to ask you some questions, if that’s all right.’

Raleigh looks at him uncomfortably. ‘Okay.’

‘You see, Raleigh, we found your fingerprints in the Pierce house. Can you explain that?’

Olivia freezes at this second blow. Her son shoots her a look of alarm. No one says anything for a long moment.

Finally, Raleigh asks, ‘Do I need a lawyer?’

‘I don’t know, do you?’ Webb says.

‘I want a lawyer,’ Raleigh says, his voice breaking.

‘We’ll get you one,’ Webb says, rising out of his chair. ‘Stay put.’

Raleigh has conferred privately with his lawyer – a young man named Dale Abbot – and his mother, and they have decided on a course of action. Raleigh is petrified. The interview resumes, Webb and Moen on one side of the table, Raleigh, his attorney and his mother on the other side.

‘So, Raleigh,’ Webb says, ‘are you going to tell us what your fingerprints are doing in the Pierce house?’

Raleigh glances at his lawyer, who nods at him, and says, ‘I snuck into their house.’

‘When was that?’

‘It would have been early October. I don’t know exactly.’

‘Before Amanda Pierce’s body was discovered?’

‘Yes.’

‘How did you get in?’

‘Through a basement window. It wasn’t locked.’

‘And why did you do that?’

‘Just – for fun.’ Raleigh’s going to try not to admit to the hacking. It’s all about damage control now.

‘I see.’ Webb sits back in his chair, glances at the attorney. ‘That’s breaking and entering, Raleigh.’

He nods.

‘Did you take anything?’

Raleigh shakes his head. ‘No.’

‘What were you doing there?’

‘Just – snooping.’

Webb nods thoughtfully. ‘Snooping. Did you see anything interesting?’

Raleigh glances at him. ‘Not really.’

‘Did you see a cell phone anywhere?’ Webb asks.

Raleigh nods. ‘Yeah. In a bottom drawer of the desk. One of those pay-as-you-go kind. You must have found it when you searched the house.’

‘No, we didn’t.’

‘I didn’t take it, I swear!’

‘Did you look inside the phone, Raleigh?’

‘No, I wasn’t that interested.’

‘It’s okay if you looked inside the phone, Raleigh.’

‘I didn’t.’

‘Okay.’ Webb sits back again, as if disappointed. Then he says, ‘Did you kill Amanda Pierce?’

Raleigh recoils in shock. ‘No! I just went in their house, looked around, and left.’

Webb stares back at him. Finally he says, ‘I’m afraid we’ll have to charge you with breaking and entering.’

Raleigh sits back in his chair. It’s a relief, really. He can’t believe how much of a relief it is. It feels so good that he suddenly blurts out, ‘I broke into another house, too. Thirty-two Finch Street.’ He doesn’t want to have to worry about Carmine any more. He’ll admit to those two. They can’t prove he was in the last house he hit – the police must know about that one already, but he was wearing gloves. He’s not going to admit to any more than he has to.

Glenda makes something comforting for supper. Mac and cheese. But the three of them simply pick at their food. Glenda watches Olivia and Raleigh with concern. She has no appetite either. They’re both sitting quietly at their places, faces drawn, each lost in their own private hell. Neither of them has said anything about what happened down at the police station, and although Glenda’s dying to know, she doesn’t want to ask.

Raleigh says, ‘Mom, maybe you should go lie down.’