LIVING ON THE EDGE

CHAPTER: 41

"Adriana could not have met anyone treacherous after her return. My mother-in-law is very controlling, she knew Adriana's every move. Chase was a happy accident, and the only reason Mrs. Davies did not control that relationship was that he worked in a hospital, and she could not gain access to spy on him," Amy told Sharon.

Sharon thought about the conversation she had with Stuart about Adriana's teaching position. She had been written up because her mother had shown up too often at the school. How many times had her mother, Mrs. Davies shown up, for it to be disobedience for Adriana? Adriana would have been well into her twenties by that time. Why would her mother be showing up at all?      

"That is interesting. Do you think it is because Adriana ran away? Possibly guilt for not keeping close enough tabs on her?" Sharon asked.

"That could be the case, but Adriana was an adult when she returned. Yes, she had her problems, and it was a good idea to look out for her just a little bit more than you would other people, but she was capable. It is not like she needed a chaperon," Amy told Sharon.

"What would you say constituted her 'problems'?" Sharon asked.

"She did not have much common sense. Sweet woman, but she needed to be taken care of in that area. It was more of a thing where you would want to counsel her if she had a big decision to make. Odds were that she was going to make the wrong decision, or she was going to base her decision on some biased logic that was not logical at all," Amy said.

"What did you make of Chase and Adriana's relationship?" Sharon questioned Amy.

"They seemed very happy. Chase was patient and kind, and he liked being her protector. That is why he suggested that she may want to stay home with the kids. Adriana was relieved because she was not that great in the workplace."

"They were happy, but Adriana was having an affair?" Sharon asked her.

"Well, to be clear. I don't know if it was a full-blown affair. She just told me that there was someone from the past that she wanted me to meet. I think she felt guilty for leaving the guy the way she did, but there was no mention of s*x or anything like that. And I kind of assumed it was a guy, but in her defense, she never said whether it was a woman or a man. Could have been an old friend. She also never complained about Chase. She loved him and the kids."

"I have not heard anything about an affair," Sharon said. Hoping that her lie sounded convincing.

"Well, there might be something you need to know..." Amy said.

"Did you mention this to the police? If not, why have you changed your mind?" Sharon asked.

Amy thought for a moment before saying, "Because what else is someone going to shoot you five times for? It is either love or money, and she was not robbed, so I guess I just realized that I was hoping that she was not having an affair. Besides, the police drew the same conclusion, and I did not want to disgrace her name even more than it already was."

"Do you think it is possible that she was being blackmailed by someone? Maybe a guy from her past had some dirt on her?" Sharon suggested.

"Oh, that is definitely possible. As I said, Adriana was not the brightest, so she could have gotten wrapped up in some type of p**n thing or taking nude pictures. I could see her being blackmailed," Amy agreed with Sharon.

"What else did she tell you about the guy she was seeing? Anything standing out?" Sharon asked.

"She let him come to the house once," Amy said.

"Really?" Sharon asked.

"Yes. Annie Dos Santos could probably tell you more," Amy hinted.

Sharon thought about the conversation she had with the housekeeper. She had said that a woman came over to the house, but not a man. Was Amy assuming that Adriana was having an affair? Was the affair with a woman? Since Amy was freely giving out information, Sharon decided to take a shot in the dark.

"Do you know Melanie Jackson?" Sharon asked her.

Amy's brow creased. "Yes, I know her. She is a weird one."

"She was Adriana's best friend, right?" Sharon asked.

"Hmm. I don't know that they were best friends, but they were associates. Well, I guess you could say they were friends, but I would not say that they hung out all the time or anything like that," Amy said.

Chase had pegged the women as best friends. Sharon wondered if that was due to lack of knowledge, or had Adriana and Melanie convinced Chase they were closer than they were? What purpose would they have had to fake the strength of the friendship? The idea that Adriana and Melanie were best friends had not been how Amy saw it. Nor had Melanie's mask of calm and happiness fooled Sharon.

"Why do you think Melanie is weird?"

"It is the way she avoids ever really talking about anything personal. She is like a mystery, and that is the way she wants it to be," Amy revealed.

"In her defense, being a mystery is not a crime, and it could just mean that Melanie likes her privacy," Sharon said.

"What did Nicholas tell you?" Amy asked the detective.

Sharon hesitated long enough for Amy to let the question remain unanswered.

"Did he tell you anything about the past?" Amy asked.

"A bit. Is there anything substantial I should know about the past?" Sharon asked.

"Nicholas knows more than I do. I do not know for sure, but I think it might be important," Amy said.

Sharon waited. Amy's eyes told her she had something to share. Interviewees often want to give investigators information, but they also fear the aftermath. It was best not to push, and she did not want to betray Nicholas' trust. He had given her the pictures of Adriana in confidence.

"Melanie and Adriana seemed to be associates, like people who work together, but would not hang out for the heck of it. You know what I mean?" Amy said.

"Yes. People you might see together from time to time, but they would not have a girl's night. Did they ever work together?" Sharon asked.

"No. Melanie is one of those smarties. She is very determined and successful. Adriana was never really into the career thing. They would do things together, but they seemed distant. Kind of the way you are with people you work with but are not friends with," Amy said.

"So, they were associates," Sharon added.

"Yeah. Not besties by any means," Amy concluded.