Free The Black Widow by C.J. Johnson Page B

young woman can take before she has a breakdown? Do you have no heart, no compassion? Is that part of police training; to stamp out all decency and empathy? If so detective may I say, you're definitely one of the best."
    "Mike," Carl said softly.
    Although slightly stung by Mr Harrison's outburst and the warning tone in Carl's voice, Mike began to explain calmly that Cheryl should answer the question in order to aid the investigation into her husband's accident, but Mr Harrison spoke over, continuing on with his speech about 'supporting the poor girl' when all three men suddenly startled as Mrs Turner roared and slammed her fist loudly on the coffee table.
    "You bastard," she hissed at Mike. "What the hell does his secretary have to do with this?"
    Though his heart was thumping at the sudden violent outburst, Mike leaned forward and looked her in the eye. "So you do know her then?"
    Her face reflected surprise and panic for a brief second as she realised her temper had gotten the better of her and she lowered her head. "What do you know about her, Mrs Turner?"
    "Cheryl?" Mr Harrison said softly as she sobbed loudly. Turning her head to look at him she said tearfully "She's his secretary. Dave was having an affair with her. He broke down and told me everything, said he was sorry and that he loved me. We agreed to get through it together. That's why we started trying for a baby; to make us stronger."
    She was lying.
    Mike stared at her, his skin crawling in goose bumps. According to the details taken from Sheila, Cheryl hadn't mentioned the email Dave, even though he knew that she'd seen it. It'd been Cheryl's idea to have a baby, not Dave's. Although she was a self-absorbed and apparently cold woman, Mike was more inclined to believe the secretary right now.
    Which brought him to the question—why would Mrs Turner lie?
    The only reason that Mike could see is that she was guilty; she had killed her husband after learning of his affair with his secretary. She had used his habits to set up his accident. She knew if she admitted to finding out about an affair one week before her husband's death she would be incriminating herself. If she lied and said they had worked it out together and were moving on, it may take the suspicion off her.
    Watching Mr Harrison, Mike was aghast at the look of grief and sorrow on the man's face. He was totally buying the story and Mike could almost see the thoughts as they swam around the man's head: poor Cheryl, to find out her husband was cheating then made a widow in the same week. Poor poor Cheryl.
    Am I the only one who sees what is truly going on here? Mike thought. Even Carl looked uncomfortable in the company of the woman's distress. He thought of Dave Turner's body, curled up and burnt beyond recognition.
    Something inside him snapped and fell apart.
    He couldn't take this anymore.
    "How did you feel when you saw the email, Cheryl? The picture of your husband making love to another woman in his office, how did you feel when you saw it: hurt, angry, vengeful?"
    Both Mr Harrison and Mrs Turner gaped at him as Carl shifted in his seat, nudging Mike with his elbow as he did. "Dave didn't tell you he was having an affair, you saw the email that the secretary sent to him. Why would you lie about that, unless of course, you killed him because of it."
    Movement, so much sudden movement; Carl standing suddenly, tugging on Mike's arm; Mr Harrison, his face contorted in shock and anger, moving towards him with his arm extended and pointing to the door. Mrs Turner didn't move, but she stared at Mike, her expression enraged.
    "He wasn't going to leave you for her," Mike said loudly as Carl pulled him towards the door. "He was rather upset at the thought of you leaving him, in fact, or at least that's what the secretary told us."
    "Mike, come on," Carl urged as Mr Harrison demanded loudly that they leave immediately.
    "He was however, having another affair, one you apparently didn't know about." Carl still