CHAPTER: 27
1107 Words
Sharon parked in the far right corner of the parking lot and headed toward the restaurant.
"Mr. Nicholas Davies," Sharon said, reaching out for his hand.
Nicholas nodded and held her hand for a moment, applying no pressure before pulling his hand back after a few seconds. Sharon watched him pull the cigarette out of his mouth, stomp out the butt, and apologize for smoking.
"Do not worry about it," Sharon said, holding her breath to avoid inhaling second-hand smoke.
It appeared as if life had been hard for Nicholas Davies. His face was worn and leathery, and he looked about ten years older than he was. She watched his gnarled hands reach for the door and wondered what had prematurely aged him.
"Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Davies."
He nodded, said it was not a problem, and told her to call him Nicholas. She followed him into the restaurant where a sign directed them to seat themselves.
"Any preference?" he asked her.
"How about that booth over there by the window?" Sharon said, pointing across the dining area. They headed for the corner and sat opposite each other.
A tall waitress with a bored look on her face came over to the table and took their order; burger and fries with a Coke for Nicholas, a salad with Italian dressing, and lemon water for her. Once the waitress was gone, she tried to make eye contact, but Nicholas avoided it. She heard the creak of the leather boots beneath his shaking leg and she wondered if he was having nicotine withdrawal already, or if he was nervous about something else.
"So, you want to know about Adriana," he began by jerking his head, and an evil smirk, before leaning in close over the table.
"Yes, but first, I want to say that I am sorry for your loss. I also appreciate you taking the time to meet with me," Sharon said.
Nicholas snorted and shrugged. She persisted.
"Your brother-in-law has hired me to investigate your sister's murder, and while I understand that you two were not close, I am interested in what you can tell me about Adriana. The detectives on the case are completely overwhelmed and have no leads. Chase wants answers, and I believe that some of those answers will come from me finding out more about your sister," Sharon told him.
Nicholas ran a hand through his hair, leaving it into a complete mess. He then puffed out his cheeks and was blowing cigarette-smoke laced air her way. She held her breath and controlled her eye-roll as best as she could.
"What do you want to know?" Nicholas asked her.
"What type of relationship did you have with Adriana?" Sharon asked, now wanting to get the interview done as soon as possible.
"We were not close. She had her life and I had mine. We were five years apart, so we never went to the same school at the same time or had the same friends. By the time she got to high school, I was out of the house," Nicholas stated.
The shaking of his leg had quickened.
"I can understand that. When you have age gaps like that between one another, it can be tough to be close, but anything you can tell me about the years you did spend together would be helpful," Sharon told him.
Nicholas' head jerked again. Sharon wondered. What was all the nervousness about? Perhaps he just had a tic. Or did he by any chance have something to do with his sister's death.
"She was my parent's little angel. She raised hell in high school, but they took her back when she came knocking. I was in college then, but I know she ran away and got involved with some bad people." Nicholas Davies wrangled a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket, he patted it on the table, before putting it back in his pocket. His nervousness was increasing.
"It has been three months... Abstinence is a b***h. I have been off alcohol, but it is the only way I can see my kids. Might even get my wife back if I keep it up," he said.
Sharon felt her eyebrows arch in realization. So, he was an alcoholic; still going through detox. The nervousness was probably explained... Or was it?
"Congratulations," Sharon said, offering up a warm smile that produced a glimmer of hope in Nicholas Davies' eyes. He had his own demons; probably had not spent much time thinking about his sister's murder. Addicts are not selfish, but their worlds are built on a self-centered approach, which is necessary for any addiction. They do not have the capacity to think about others because they are controlled by a substance. Nicholas might not have much to tell her, but she pushed on with the interview.
"I am sure you have heard the speculation about Adriana possibly being involved in an extramarital affair. What do you think of those rumors?" she asked him.
"She liked them. I mean, no offense, but she was into black guys before Chase. Growing up in the other part of Maury County, we were at that point not well stocked with them, but Adriana found them anyway. Not the nice ones either. I mean, no offense, but she went for the ones with those baggy pants, and braids in their hair, and those having gangs. Not the educated, decent blacks... like you," he said.
No offense was taken, but it was interesting to see how nervous and apprehensive the subject made him. He was not necessarily a racist, but someone uncomfortable with race. Sharon considered what he was telling her. So, there had been a time when Adriana had an interest in the type of men East Maury County typically produced. Had a deadly craving led to her demise? Were the gang attacks at Allen Gray's grocery shop somehow tied to Adriana?
"Do you know anything about Chase and Adriana's relationship? Did you sense that they were happy when you saw them?" Sharon asked him.
Nicholas's upper lip twitched before he spoke. "I am not a fan of Chase. He is an arrogant chap who wants to control everything."
"Is there anything else you can think of about Adriana, her marriage... anything that could help in finding out who killed her?"
"I don't have much to say. We were not close. It was her choice as much as mine," Nicholas said.
"Did Adriana have any enemies?"
"Probably. She was strange. Not real warm and fuzzy. She was kind of a loner," he said.
A/N: To be continued...
- Writer
