Page 47 of Wild Frost

Steve nodded. “Brian Edwards.”

"Where do you play?" JD asked.

"The Country Club.”

"What did you shoot?"

Steve frowned. "Dogshit. 89."

"Not terrible."

"It ain't winning any tournaments, I'll tell you that."

"Tell me about your relationship with your wife," I said.

Steve looked at me and shrugged. "What do you want to know? It was great for a few years, then it wasn't.”

"What went wrong?”

He shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I wanted kids, she didn't. I gave her a little time to build her career and her practice. Years started flying by like nothing. I figured she'd come around eventually, but the idea never took. She was starting to run out of time. I told her, every year we wait is a year we don't have with our kids." He sighed, and a frown tightened his lips. "Maybe I pressured her too much. She withdrew.” Steve shook his head, mourning the loss. “I mean, there were other things too, but I think that was the brunt of it. Irreconcilable differences, as they say."

"You ever get in any arguments?"

That elicited a chuckle. "No such thing as a married couple that doesn't get into arguments from time to time."

"Did those arguments ever turn violent?”

His face twisted. "No.”

"You ever hit your wife?”

His scowl persisted. "What kind of questions are these?”

"Just routine."

"They don't sound routine. Sounds like you've got an agenda. And I don't think I like it."

"I'm sorry. I’m just trying to rule you out. That's all.”

He gave me a doubtful look.

"We talked to a witness who said Miriam showed up with bruises on multiple occasions.”

"What witness?"

"I can't reveal that information."

"So, just anyone can make up outlandish stories, and I don't have the right to defend myself or confront my accuser?”

"Apparently, your wife confided in this person and admitted that you two had quite the spicy sex life."

He laughed. "That's a good one. My wife hasn't slept with me in over six months.”

"Maybe it's because you tied her up, beat her, and let your buddies run a train on her,” JD muttered, unable to hold back.

Steve’s scowl deepened. "What!? Where are you getting this from?”

I said nothing.