Rivals

Chapter 36

"Aqua Tofana"

Carefully observing the investigation ties across my Rescue Wall, my eyes settle on the expanded Burke case. Vince stands next to my desk across the room behind me, thoroughly glancing through a file in his hands.

"Larry Burke had a partner, a girlfriend." I start, planting my hands in the back pockets of my skinny jeans. "I take it they were still together when he died."

"According to Facebook she was his fiancée." Vince states behind me, and my ocean colored eyes fixate on the fiancée's picture on my Rescue Wall.

"Miriam Tate."

"They've got Burke in the morgue now, performing the autopsy. Want to go ahead and call Miriam in here?" My partner asks. I look back at him over my shoulder.

"Let's figure out who did this."

--

An hour later, I walk into the interrogation room of the Station, with a folder in my grip that contains everything I know about Miriam Tate.

Vince stayed behind in the room opposite of the one-way mirror on the far left; observing.

The moment I enter, Miriam's dark blue irises meet mine. Her long dark brown hair is vaguely tousled, with dim smudges beneath her eyes. I'm pretty sure it's the result of taking the death of her fiancé pretty hard.

After all, he was murdered, most likely.

"Miriam, I'm Detective Costellanos," I sit my files across the table, "but you can call me Isabel." I shake her hand before claiming the seat across from her. And distinctive from my usually happy demeanor, I portray a rather serious conduct for questioning, keeping my eyes on hers.

"Hi," she begins quietly, briefly sniffling before lowering her dull gaze.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Miriam. But I am going to have to ask you a few questions, alright?" I say, soon opening a file and glimpsing down at the papers.

"So I see you were engaged to Larry, is that correct?" I ask, settling onto her eyes again. Miriam looks at me and tentatively, she nods in response.

"How long have you two been engaged?"

She carries her gaze down, a moment, tucking strands of her hair behind an ear.
"One year." she answers.

I nod thoroughly in return, and continue. "And within the last week, how did Larry seem?"

Softly, she clears her throat. "Um," she pauses when averting her attention up to my eyes again, "not himself... sad. I suppose one would already figure that, if he had done that to himself." Miriam finishes, her voice sounding nearly fragile, as she ends with a weak shrug.

"He didn't seem angry, or a nervous wreck, anything?" I question, soon watching her shake her head shortly after.

I take in a silent breath, folding my hands across the table's surface. "Could you think of anyone, that would ever want to hurt Larry?"

She must've looked away in a split second for her eyes to quickly jolt onto mine in return. She momentarily parts her lips slightly - the glimmer in her dark blue eyes mingling mere hesitation.

For a brief moment it almost looks like she's completely frozen.

"Um... no." Miriam utters quietly. Her brows then furrow with confusion.