The Other Woman

Chapter 2

 Kate and her lawyer met at the Tremont Street location and sat in a car sipping hot drinks (cocoa for Kate and coffee for her lawyer) and discussing possible ways the interview could go. Her lawyer, Brooke Pollock, was a gray-haired woman in her fifties who wore tortoise-shell spectacles and a turtleneck sweater under her blazer. She was married to a woman who worked in the radiology department with Kate, and she was tenacious. That comforted Kate.

They drove over to the station for an eight o'clock appointment. Kate tried not to let herself get anxious as she waited in an interrogation room for over half an hour. When the detectives finally came into the room, they were holding fresh cups of coffee. Kate didn't touch hers.

"Alright, Mrs. Capuano," Murphy said, setting a folder on the table and taking a seat. Keo waited until he was seated and quietly took her position, not taking her eyes off Kate.

Kate had done the whole interview already yesterday afternoon. She'd already given a list of names of friends and relationships and tried to think about who could possibly have it out for Chris. Her lawyer had called late last night before Kate was heading to bed because the police were requesting another interview. Kate couldn't imagine what it was about, but she was eager for answers. She had been up all night thinking about the last words she'd said to her husband and the things they'd never get to do together again. She had to know why this had happened to them.

So, she'd thrown on a pair of dark denim jeans and a black sweater with her leather combat boots because the ground was covered in wintry mess. She pulled out her navy blue peacoat, the nice wool one that flared out at the hips. Chris had bought it for her last Christmas. She wasn't sure how else she was supposed to dress. Her husband had just died. Was she supposed to go into mourning and wear only black for a month?

"Alright," Kate said in a weary voice. "I don't really understand why I'm back here. Have you found something?"

Murphy flipped open the folder. There was a color printout of a Facebook profile, some ethereal beauty outside on a balcony, her arms spread, a solar flare obscuring part of her face, a plain white shirt that read "Love Wins" in a soft pink brush font. Kate didn't recognize her.

She looked up to find Keo staring at her, watching for something. "Who's this?" Kate asked.

Murphy flipped the page. Now it was a single printed photo of the same girl, her hair in summery waves, sitting on the edge of a boat wearing sunglasses, leaning back into a man who had an arm around her.

But not just any man. Chris. There was no mistaking that dazzling smile, those dark eyes that crinkled when he smiled, and that jawline as square as a cinder block. There he was, tan and dressed in a black and white Hawaiian shirt, his hair buzzed like it had been in July when he'd video-chatted her from his hotel room while away upgrading systems for some bank he couldn't talk about. Kate had been back at home in Boston, and Chris had video-chatted with her every few nights to tell her how much he missed her and couldn't wait to come home.

"Who is she?" Kate asked, her voice coming out hard and low.

"You don't know?" Murphy asked.

"I've never seen her before in my life," Kate said, looking up to lock eyes with him. He looked a certain way that Kate had a hard time pinning down. His brow was furrowed, and he was frowning, but she couldn't place if it was skepticism or pity.

"She called us last night," Keo said. "Well, she called Chris Capuano. Was real worried about who I was." Detective Keo folded her hands on the table in front of her. "Introduced herself as his fiancé."