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Story: Sins of a Husband

Chapter Sixteen

DETECTIVE PAIGE WALKER

“Damn it. We’re missing something,” I say, pacing around the room. “We have to catch this guy before any more cheating men get killed.”

I stare at the pictures of the men’s lifeless bodies on the board. Sticky notes in all colors are plastered all over the white background.

“Maybe this will make men think twice before cheating on their wives,” Elijah says, dipping chopsticks into his carton of beef and broccoli. “I, for one, don’t believe in cheating. If I’m unhappy, I get out of the relationship first before pursuing someone else. But that’s me. You know most men are pigs.” A smirk crosses his lips.

“I do know that.” I sigh. “Is that why you’ve been divorced three times?”

Elijah raises his shoulders. “I get bored. What can I say? But I have never once cheated.”

I roll my eyes and look back at the board. “We have four men who were injected with M99 and inflicted with twenty-two stab wounds. All four men were cheating and in the middle of a divorce, which their wives initiated. All four homes were made to look like break-ins. Jewelry was taken, but so far, nothing has been pawned.” I bring my finger to my chin. “The break-in is staged. No robber goes to rob a house and brings M99 with them. Whoever is doing this is a perfectionist and a strategist. They know precisely when the victims are alone—almost as if he’s watching them first. He knows exactly where to park where no cameras are on the streets.”

“I don’t think the wives are telling us everything,” Elijah says.

“What do you mean?” I turn and look at him.

“You mentioned that the killer knows when the victims are alone. All the wives had iron-clad alibis. Maybe they hired someone to kill their husbands. Maybe there’s some secret number you can call for cheating husbands. I suppose it wouldn’t be cheap to hire someone like that.”

“We combed through all the couple’s financial statements, and no large cash withdrawals were made. I’m telling you the connection is with that law firm.”

“Did you stop to think that it could be the husband’s lawyers or firms?” he asks.

I stare at him perplexed, wondering how he even made detective in the first place.

“None of the men had the same lawyer or used the same firm,” I say, turning around and staring at the board again.

“I’m still going with the theory that there’s a secret number to call for cheating spouses.”

“You’re an idiot, Elijah.” I sigh and walk out of the room. “Any hits yet on any of the jewelry that was stolen?” I ask Officer Lee.

“Not yet, Paige. You’ll be the first to know if something comes through.”

“Thanks.” I smile and head to my desk.

“Walker, in my office!” Captain Rivera shouts.

I walk in and shut the door.

“Where is Elijah?” he asks.

“In the conference room, being an idiot.”

“The mayor is up my ass about this Widowmaker killer. Tell me you found something, anything.”

“Not yet, captain.”

“Damn it, Walker. You’re one of the best detectives we have. What is the problem?”

“This guy is good, and his crime scenes are meticulous. He leaves behind nothing.” I can feel my blood pressure rise from frustration.

A knock on the door interrupts us.

“What is it?” Captain Rivera shouts.

The door opens, and Officer Lee pops his head in.

“Paige, we got a hit on a piece of jewelry that was just pawned. It’s a pawn shop in Brooklyn.”

“Brooklyn?” My brows furrowed.

“Yeah. The owner just sent a picture. It’s a diamond ring.”

“Thanks, Lee. I have to go, captain. Are we done here?”

“Yeah, we’re done. You better bring me back something we can use to nail this asshole.”

I grab Elijah, and we head to the pawn shop in Brooklyn. Traffic was a bitch, and it took an hour to get there. An hour in the car with Elijah, talking about how he still believes his theory that there’s a murderer for hire phone number.

“Can I help you?” a stocky bald guy asks when we step inside the shop.

I flash my badge. “I’m Detective Walker, and this is Detective Matthews. Someone pawned a diamond ring that was stolen in a homicide case.”

“Yeah. I got it right here.” He grabbed the ring and held it up.

“Who pawned it?” Elijah asked.

“A homeless guy.”

“What?” My brows furrows.

“The guy was a homeless man. He camps with the others a couple of blocks from here in the alley. You can’t miss him. He’s wearing a long, brown, tattered coat and a knit hat with a hole in the back of it.”

“Thank you,” I say, and Elijah and I leave the store.

We walk a couple of blocks until we find the alley where some homeless people call home. I look around for the homeless man in a tattered brown coat and a knit hat with a hole in it, but I only see one man sitting in front of a garbage can, warming his hands with the roaring fire pouring from it.

“Hey. Have you seen a man in a long, tattered, brown coat and a knit hat with a hole in the back?”

“You mean, Max? Yeah, he’s across the street at the diner.” He points.

“Thank you.” I nod.

We walk across to the diner. When we step inside, Max is sitting in a corner booth. Elijah and I slide into the seat across from him.

“Max?” I ask.

“Who wants to know?” He bites into his large double burger.

“I’m Detective Walker, and this is Detective Matthews. You just pawned a diamond ring at the pawn shop a couple of blocks from here.”

“Yeah? So? ”

“Where did you get the ring?” Elijah asks.

“I found it.”

“Where?” I ask.

“I woke up this morning, and it was lying on the ground next to me. I’m not the only one, though.”

“What do you mean?” My brows furrow.

“There was a bunch of jewelry scattered around all of us. We each got a piece of the pie.” A piece of burger flew out of his mouth and hit Elijah in the face. It took everything I had not to burst out into laughter. “We all split up and hit different pawn shops.”

That’s why there was nobody around the alley except that one man. My phone rings. Pulling it from my pocket, it’s Officer Lee calling.

“What do you have, Lee?” I answer.

“Jewelry is being pawned all over Brooklyn,” he says.

“That’s because it was dumped around homeless people. Thanks for letting me know.” I end the call and turn my attention back to Max. “So you didn’t see or hear anything last night?”

“Nothing. I woke up, and the ring was lying there, so I pawned it. A good meal is hard to come by these days.”

“Okay.” I slide out of the booth. “Thank you for your time.”

Elijah and I leave the diner. “So our Widowmaker is giving to the poor? Like he’s some kind of Robin Hood.” Elijah’s brow arches.

“It’s not about the money. He has no interest in the jewelry or what it costs. He only takes the items to make it seem like a robbery after he murders them. It’s all about the cheating. He’s punishing the men for cheating. Or should I say she?”