LIVING ON THE EDGE

CHAPTER: 35

Sharon was not comfortable with the way the interview was going, but she had to forge ahead, even if Mrs. Davies kept behaving like a madwoman.

"I understand that this must be difficult, but I need to find out if there was something in Adriana's past that led to her murder. Since she was murdered in Maury County and she once lived there. Something that occurred in the past might be relevant," Sharon said.

"Well, I seriously doubt it. I mean wouldn't she have been killed back then?" Mrs. Davies asked. 

"Not necessarily. Sometimes people hold grudges for a long time. They wait for the right moment to strike," Sharon answered.

"No. We did not report her missing. We had our reasons," Mr. Davies said in the same soft, quiet voice he had used on the answering machine.

Most teenagers wanted to do things that their parents disagreed with, but the children were not allowed to just have their way. Why would not two seemingly honorable citizens file a report when their daughter ran away to a dangerous, drug-infested neighborhood? Sharon was thinking.

"Mrs. Stone, Adriana was murdered long after her teenage years. I do not think the past matters as much as you think." Julia Davies continued to fume in the background as her husband spoke in a calm, quiet voice.

"Mr. Davies," Sharon said, making a point of focusing on Adriana's father and ignoring her mother's pouty face. "I believe that Adriana's murder had something to do with her past. By all accounts, she was living a good life, and there are not any clues that point to the infidelity or wrongdoing on her part, so I want to know if someone from the past came back for some type of revenge."

"Really? Very interesting, Mrs. Stone. Now I understand the line of questioning," Mr. Davies said.

"That does not make any sense to me. The cops would have investigated her past if clues were pointing that way. She was a cheater who got caught, and Chase lost his cool. You know he has lots of money and power, don't you?" Mrs. Davies asked Sharon.

There were more questions to ask, but Sharon thought that Mrs. Davies might blow. Detective Mike Jackson had warned her about how uncooperative the family could be, but he had also suggested talking to Adriana's sister-in-law. Though it could be a delicate issue since Nicholas and his wife Amy had just recently got divorced, but the ex-wife could not be as angry as Adriana's mother. She, therefore, decided to take a chance. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Davies, I would like to know more about the rest of the family. What can you tell me about Amy, Nicholas' ex-wife?" Sharon asked.

"Nice girl. Sadly, their marriage broke," Mr. Davies said, a sorrowful look coming over his face.

"She is okay, but she is a quitter," Mrs. Davies said.

"Was she close with Adriana?" Sharon asked.

"They got along well... better than Adriana and Nicholas. We will miss having Amy in the family," Mr. Davies said. He gave his wife a stern look before continuing. "Adriana had some problems, but in all honesty, she had the perfect people in her life. Chase was good for her; so was Amy."

"Nicholas and Adriana were not close?" Sharon asked.

"Not at all. They were always competing. Nicholas more so than Adriana. She was not really up for a battle, but Nicholas was always endeavoring to prove himself, don't you think so?" Mr. Davies turned to his wife, with a questioning look in his eyes. She turned away from him and let the questions go unanswered.

"Did Adriana have cousins or close friends who may have more information to share?" Sharon asked them.

"Not really. We kept our family unit close. it was really just us and the kids. The extended family is spread all around the country, so there were no cousins to spend time with," Mr. Davies said.

"Friends?" Sharon asked.

" Melanie Jackson," Mrs. Davies replied.

"Can you think of any reason why Adriana would have been in Maury County?" Sharon asked them.

Mr. Davies shook his head slowly before closing his eyes. His wife on the other hand remained silent. A distant sadness had slipped onto her face.

"Is there anything else you can think of that might help us find out who killed Adriana?" Sharon asked them.

"No," they both responded in unison.

"Okay. I just have a few more questions. I am wondering if you kept in touch with your daughter while she lived in Huntsville?" Sharon asked.

"What?" Mrs. Davies said, her voice increasing in volume.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Davies looked angry.

"In 2001, Adriana was living in Huntsville. She moved there for a short time. Did you have contact with her?"

"What are you talking about? She lived her whole life here in Sweetwater," Mrs. Davies said.

"It appears that she lived in Huntsville for a short time," Sharon asserted. 

"Mrs. Stone, I don't think we have much to say about this. Adriana is gone, and while I respect Chase's desire to know who murdered our daughter; I mean, we want that too, but it has been almost two years since her murder. We are just starting to heal. We do not have anything to add that we did not tell the officers when it had happened," Mr. Davies said. His voice was shaking.

After his speech, both of the Davies' sat in silence, staring at the floor. Their blank faces looked genuine. Sharon felt terrible for taking them down this painful stretch of memory lane. The thick, heavy stillness in the room seemed to go on forever. When the Davies' simultaneously raised their heads and looked at one another for an extended amount of time, Sharon knew she had done enough damage for one day.

"Mr. and Mrs. Davies, thank you for your time. You have been a great help. I will be in touch." Sharon eased off the couch, shook both of their limp hands, and saw herself out.