Page 49 of Take Your Breath Away

Detective Hardy: Seeing each other?

Natalie: Seriously, what’s this about? Has something happened to Andy? Is he okay? Is he in some kind of trouble?

Detective Hardy: Were you and Mr. Mason in an intimate relationship?

Natalie: What do you mean, exactly, by intimate?

Detective Hardy: Was it a sexual relationship?

Natalie: Yeah, I guess that was a part of it.

Detective Hardy: Is there some doubt? I think that’s the kind of thing you’d know one way or another.

Natalie: Yeah, okay. It was what you said.

Detective Hardy: And when did this relationship begin?

Natalie: I guess around four months ago? It only went on for like a month.

Detective Hardy: Why was that?

Natalie: Well, he’s married.

Detective Hardy: Did you know that when you started seeing him?

Natalie: Sort of. I mean, he had a ring and all.

Detective Hardy: So is that when you broke it off?

Natalie: No, I didn’t break it off. Andy did.

Detective Hardy: Oh. Were you upset about that?

Natalie: (unintelligible)

Detective Hardy: Ms. Simmons? Are you okay?

Natalie: It’s just … I really liked him, you know? I mean, yeah, I knew he was married, but there must have been something missing there if he wanted to spend time with me. I started thinking, sure, this could get messy, but maybe there was more to it than just, you know, sex.

Detective Hardy: Have you been married, Ms. Simmons?

Natalie: Once. Lasted only two years. His name was, well, his name is Conroy Hill. He moved out to L.A. about ten years ago. He’s in the music business.

Detective Hardy: Did you ever entertain the idea, the hope, that Mr. Mason might leave his wife for you?

Natalie: I don’t know. I hoped. The thing is, he was so different than my usual type.

Detective Hardy: How do you mean?

Natalie: Well, you work in a gallery, you meet a lot of creative, artsy types. Head in the clouds, eccentric, pseudo-intellectuals. And, of course, half of those are gay. But Andrew, I mean, he’s like a carpenter, you know? Okay, more than that. A contractor. Works with his hands. Not my usual type. But he still appreciates stuff like movies and art. And he’s kind of … how do I put this? Manly. You know? Like, a more rugged type, and I liked that about him. But a bit stressed. But that could have been because he had business problems, and there was the whole thing with his marriage, of course.

Detective Hardy: Did you ever meet Brie?

Natalie: Once, and it was totally awkward. I was in the food court at the Post Mall and turned and there he was, and I was like, hey, how are you? And then I see this woman standing next to him. So his face is all flushed and he quickly introduces me to his wife, said I was someone he met through work, pretended like he couldn’t remember my last name. I could tell, though, looking at her, she knew he was lying. Look, I’m not answering any more questions until you tell me why you brought me in here.

Detective Hardy: Brie Mason is missing, Ms. Simmons.

Natalie: She’s what?