Eridanus Flooding

5: Want A New Husband? Kill the Old

It's bad manners to say 'I love you' with a mouth full of lies. ~Nikita Gills

~**~~**~

"Four months ago, Silvia Praxton was Silvia Emblem. She was married to a hotshot lawyer-- Mateo Emblem. Emblem worked at a firm called Jameson & Kirk. At a company party in July, during his speech, Mateo Emblem was shot to death, his 'loving' wife standing feet away."

V.C. paused to collect her thoughts.

"The case is still open. You see, the security cameras were 'conveniently' off and during the commotion after the gunshot, no one got a look at the shooter, not even a vague description. The local police searched for three months, but after no leads, it was closed."

Even V.C. in all her disrespect of the law knew that that the local police were better than that. Something was suspicious.

Continuing, she added, "All of his accounts were unfrozen and his will was fulfilled. Ms. Praxton ended up with a nice handsome sum of $1.5 million and a chateau in the South of France. Shortly after, she left the city and moved to Rinshawn for a 'quiet' life, supposedly . . ."

Jack tilted his head, intrigued. "Surely the homicide squad would have investigated his wife even if she didn't physically do it. Mercenaries are easy enough to buy if one has the cash."

Shaking her head, she responded, "They did, went through all her financials, looked into her friends, family, ex-husbands. Nothing. Nothing that could tie her to the murder of her husband." She drifted off.

It was silent for a few minutes before Jack asked, "You never explained why you were in the house, or why you care so much about a cold case. I doubt you're investigating Emblem's murder out of the goodness of your heart."

V.C. raised her eyebrows and leaned forward to Jack. "Oh, Commander, you wound me. But you're right. As it turns out, Mateo Emblem had a son who wasn't too happy that his father left the young widow so much money and a mansion. About a week ago, he contacted Kingmaker to fully investigate Silvia Praxton for the murder of her late husband. "

"So let me get this straight: you think that Silvia Praxton, the former Mrs. Emblem, hired someone to kill her husband so she could collect on his will, but you can't prove it. And now four months later, someone is trying to kill her."

"Yep. That about covers it."

"Alrighty then." Jack slapped his knee as he rose and turned to leave.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"To see if your story checks out. Sit tight, Nancy Drew, I'll be back soon."

"Don't I get a phone call or something?!"

~**~~**~

Silvia Praxton sat alone in a tiny room in the Rinshawn police station. Her hands hadn't stopped shaking since she had awoken on her living-room floor. She remembered that moment in crystal detail; she had thought she was going to die.

A man had loomed over her, a boyish face and a skinny body. Upon seeing him, she had let out an ear-splitting scream that would have shaken the windows— if they hadn't already been shot out. The man himself was startled and stumbled back. He had hurriedly introduced himself as Officer Thomas Pierson.

Pierson had explained to her that he was there to protect her.

The next fifteen minutes had been a whirlwind of events; she hardly remembered a thing until she was being ushered into the back of a police cruiser. After the Sheriff had patted her on the back and told her it probably was an accident, he abandoned her to her own devices.