Barclay, Linwood Novel 08 - Never saw it coming

asked.
    “Okay, maybe that was a poor choice of words. I care about him the way I would care about anyone I work with, you know? That’s all.” There was a trickle of sweat running down her temple and she wiped it away. “It’s so hot under all these lights.”
    Rona felt the same way, but said, “I feel fine.” She could have offered to move this conversation someplace else, but decided this was turning out to be a very good spot. “How long have you known Mr. Garfield?”
    “Well, let’s see, I started here three years ago. I’d been working at Sears, but when they started advertising for jobs here I applied because it’s closer to my house, and Wendell was already working here at the time, so I guess it would be three years. I’ve known him for three years. Yes, that would be right. Three years.” She laughed.
    “How has he seemed to you lately?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Just what I said. How has he seemed? Has he been his usual self? Has he been acting as though he’s been under more stress lately?”
    “Of course he’s going to be under stress. I mean, his wife is missing. Who wouldn’t be stressed out by that?”
    “So you’ve spoken to him since his wife disappeared?”
    “Hmm?”
    “I said, you’ve spoken to him since his wife disappeared?”
    “Uh, let me think?” She ran her fingers over her chin in an exaggerated display of concentration.
    “Ms. Harmon, it’s only been about three days. You have trouble recollecting things that recent?”
    “No, no, I was just trying to remember when
exactly
I’d called him. You know, to tell him that we were all thinking about him here at the store, that if there was anything we could do, to let us know.”
    “And when
exactly
do you think that was?”
    “I believe it was this morning,” she said. She forced a smile and nodded at how successful her recollection had been. “Yes, in fact, it was this morning.”
    “Excellent,” Detective Wedmore said. “And what did Mr. Garfield have to say?”
    “Oh, just, you know, thank you for calling, it’s been a very difficult time, blah blah blah.” She was nodding so much she reminded Wedmore of one of those dog ornaments you used to see in the back windows of cars.
    Rather than say anything, Wedmore folded her arms and looked at her.
    “What?” Laci Harmon said.
    Wedmore still said nothing.
    “You already know all this, don’t you?” Laci asked.
    “Know what?”
    “About the phone call.”
    “Why would you say that?”
    “I knew it,” she said. “I told him you might be doing it.”
    “What would that be, Ms. Harmon?”
    “Tapping his line. That’s what you’ve done, isn’t it? You’ve tapped his line. You’re listening in on his phone calls. I know you can’t admit it, I get that, but it just makes sense that you’d be doing it.”
    Wedmore thought carefully before she said, “When you told Mr. Garfield you thought the police might be tapping his line, why did you say that?”
    “Oh God, so it
is
true? Oh God, no.”
    “Why do you think we would tap his line, Laci?”
    “I swear to you, I had
nothing
to do with it.”
    “To do with what, Laci?”
    “I mean, I don’t know what he
did
with her. I don’t even know if he did do anything with her. But if he did, you have to know, I had
nothing
to do with it. I would never get involved in anything like that. I have
children
.”
    Detective Wedmore nodded. “How long have you been having an affair with him?”
    She put her hand on her forehead, rolled her eyes up in the direction of the hot lights. “Oh no, this is awful, this is—”
    “Do you think Wendell Garfield did something with his wife?”
    “I can’t—oh, this is just—please don’t tell my husband.”
    “He doesn’t know about the affair?”
    “He has no idea. Please, please—he’s coming back later today from Schenectady with the kids. Please promise me you won’t tell him anything about this.”
    “Ms. Harmon, I’m afraid I can’t make any—”
    Wedmore’s cell phone rang. She took it from her pocket, put it to her ear and said, “Wedmore.”
    “Kip here.” Another detective.
    “What’s up?”
    “The daughter in your missing mom case just walked in. Think she wants to tell you something.”

Fourteen
    Rona Wedmore found Melissa Garfield sitting in the interrogation room with Kip Jennings. Kip wasn’t the lead detective on this case so she was babysitting Melissa until Wedmore’s arrival.
    “Hey,” Kip said when Rona