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Story: Sins of a Husband

Chapter Thirty-One

DETECTIVE PAIGE WALKER

Katherine Tate is the link to these murders. But what is her connection? I need to investigate her background more thoroughly. So when I return to the police station, I sit at my desk and start typing away on my keyboard, delving deeper into her past.

“Wait a second…what the—” My eyes widen as I stare at the screen.

“What’s wrong?” Elijah sets his gun on his desk.

“Katherine Tate was adopted by a couple when she was five.”

“So?” He shrugs.

“The records are sealed.” I look at him. “Why are they sealed? Hey, Jaun? Come over here.”

“What’s up, Paige?”

“I need your magic powers.”

“Yes.” A grin crosses his lips as he rubs his hands together. “What laws do you need me to break?”

“I need you to get into this woman’s sealed adoption records. Discreetly, of course.”

“On it. I’ll be in my lair.” His brows wiggle .

“That guy is so weird,” Elijah says.

“No, he’s not. He’s a nice guy.” I rise from my seat and fixate on the whiteboard, filled with photos of the murdered victims and their spouses. “She’s the key to all of this?” I point to Katherine Tate’s photo. “Her boyfriend and two husbands were all murdered the same way—twenty-two stab wounds. All break-ins and missing jewelry—nothing else. The Tate’s had a painting in their home worth thirty thousand dollars. Why didn’t the killer take that? The Calloway’s had expensive crystal pieces in their home. Why wasn’t any of that taken?”

“Because they weren’t really robberies,” Elijah says.

“Exactly!” I glance at him.

A couple of hours later, Jaun walks over and sits on the edge of my desk, holding a file.

“You’re going to want to kiss me after what I found for you.” He smiles.

“What did you find out?”

“Bradly and Caroline Yearns adopted Katherine. Want to know why?”

“Duh, Juan.” I throw up my hands.

“Her mother, Renee Fields, was convicted of murdering Katherine’s father in front of her—cause of death….twenty-two stab wounds. One stab wound for each month her father cheated on her mother.”

My heart raced with excitement. This was the break I needed.

“Which prison is her mother in?” I ask Juan.

“She’s not anymore. She passed away ten years ago. Hung herself in her cell.”

“You said Katherine was there when her father was murdered? ”

“Yeah. The article is in here.” He hands me the file, and I open it.

“We need to question Katherine again.” I throw the file down on my desk.