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“Your words, not mine, Mrs.Graves.”
Wendy laughed. “My husband didn’t like him, but there’s no way he would have done anything to harm him. It wouldn’t make sense.”
“What about the fact that Mr.Deighton was holding on to a position as chair of the arts department that your husband might have liked to have for himself?”
“Who told you that?”
“He was the chair, yes? If he retired, or died, then that position would be open, right?”
“Thom didn’t put himself up for that job.”
Detective Elo finished his water and put the empty glass back onto its coaster. “Why didn’t he, do you think? I spoke to two of his colleagues, who said that your husband was the most qualified.”
“Do you know anything about academia?”
“A little bit. My mother was a biology professor at the University of Maine.”
“Well, then, maybe you know that rising to chair of a department is a mixed blessing. I think Thom decided that it was just too much of a headache to be in charge.”
“That’s pretty much what he told me. Okay, Mrs.Graves, just a couple more questions.”
“It’s Wendy. And can I get you some more water?”
“No, no. I’m fine. I just have a few more questions. What can you tell me about Tammy Joo?”
“Alex’s wife. Uh, is she a suspect as well?”
“No one is really a suspect here. We’re just trying to get a complete picture.”
“Um, Tammy. I know her less than I knew Alex. When they were first married, she used to come to department parties, but that didn’t last long. They’d separated, hadn’t they, about a year ago?”
“Is that what you’ve been told?”
“Something like that.”
“He was living in their apartment above their garage.”
“Yeah, not surprising. She was fine, I guess. I can’t tell you much more about her than that, except that we were all wondering why she was with Alex.”
“Why was that?”
“I don’t know. Because she seemed a relatively normal, attractive human woman. But really, I didn’t know her well.”
“Did your husband have a closer relationship with her?”
“With Tammy? Probably. He saw her more than I did.”
“I hope I’m not causing trouble by saying this, but your husband said that he and Tammy are close friends.”
Wendy laughed to cover up the sinking feeling that another one of Thom’s infatuations was about to be uncovered. “That doesn’t exactly surprise me,” she said. “My husband is pretty social, especially around work. And he has lots of female friends. Are you implying that there was something going on between him and her?”
“No, no. Just that they had a relationship of sorts. You had no suspicions around that?”
“Well, now I do.” She made the laugh again, for real this time. “Just kidding. No, I have never suspected that my husband was involved in any way with Tammy Joo. But I’m not surprised they’re friends.”
“One more thing, Wendy. Can you tell me where your husband was on the morning of Julyeighteenth?”
“Was that the morning Alex drowned?”