The Neighbor II

Accusations

"Mrs. Edwards, we need to ask you a few questions," Agent Anderson said to Jenny Edwards as several agents pushed past her and into her home without permission. She scoffed at them and shouted, "Hey, hey, hey! Who do you think you are?!" 

Anderson stepped inside the house behind the agents and said, "Agent Anderson. I'm here to ask you about you and your husband's relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Carlton." Jenny shut the door, still angry about the intrusion, and said, "There was no relationship. They were our neighbors...our creepy neighbors."

"Creepy?" Anderson quickly asked. "Creepy how?" She shrugged and struggled to find the words. "I-I-I don't know. The husband, Ben, he was...strange. Around his wife. He went to jail for abusing her, they would fight a lot, but he would do most of the shouting. We could hear it all the way over here."

She thought for another moment, before saying, "Tony hated him. I don't know why, but he did. I know Tony had the hots for Cassie. Ben was always protective over her though, so I knew he didn't cheat on me with her. I don't know what else to tell you."

"You said you heard them fight?" He asked her, while looking around the house. She sighed and told him, "Yeah, so?" She looked at the men who were literally turing her house upside-down. "And what the hell are they looking for?"

Ignoring her question, he told her, "When would they fight? Daily? Periodically? When?" She threw her hands up and said, "I don't know! Why does it matter?" Again, he ignored her question, then continued looking around. "Did Mr. Carlton and your husband ever get into a fight, Mrs. Edwards?"

Jenny thought for a moment and said, "Tony told me that Carlton attacked him one time, but he didn't seem phased by it, so I didn't think it was a big deal." Anderson hummed in thought, then asked, "When was this?"

"Um...I want to say after the Carlton's son was born?" Anderson suddenly started walking into the backyard where there were men in dive suits in the bottom of the pool. Jenny couldn't tell what they were doing. "Is it true Mrs. Edwards that there was an anonymous phone call to child services about your son being abused by Mr. Edwards?"

Jenny scoffed and told him, "Yes! But we know who did it, it was Carlton! That son-of-a-bitch should have minded his own business." Anderson took a peek into the pool, then walked around and looked in all of the plants. 

"So, Ben Carlton supposedly calls child services just weeks before his son is born, then after Michael Carlton was born, your husband claims to have been assaulted by Ben Carlton? Makes sense." Jenny looked confused. "How does that make sense?" She asked. 

Anderson let out a heavy sigh and told her, "I know a response to a threat when I see one, Mrs. Edwards. Mr. Carlton threatened to take your son away by calling child services. Mr. Edwards must have threatened to take his son away, but in a different means. I've seen several times, but I never thought it would lead to a murder." 

Jenny's eyes widened and she sputtered, "Mur-murder?!" Anderson slowly walked up to a bed of rapidly growing flowers. "Yes," he said, while putting on his gloves. "Murder. Baker! Kendall! Over here!" He called. 

Two young agents came running over and looked down at the flowers. "Yes, sir?" One of them asked. Anderson turned to Jenny and asked, "How long ago did you plant these?" She shrugged and told him, "A couple weeks ago. I must have picked out some really good soil cause they've been blooming like crazy."

"And where's your son?" He asked. Confused, she told him, "School. What's this about?" Anderson looked back down to the flowers and said, "Mrs. Edwards, these flowers aren't because of the soil you bought. Have you ever heard how good decomposing bodies are for growing plants?"