The Wife of a Lesser Man (LA Cops Series Book 1) by Sandy Appleyard

Author:Sandy Appleyard [Appleyard, Sandy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Sandy Appleyard
Published: 2013-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

Charlie sat on the floor in the master bedroom with his legs folded under him. His crew had been there for hours collecting evidence. It was nearly 9:00 a.m. As he picked up each evidence bag, he would inspect it and sign off on the front of the bag before placing it in the box to be shipped back to the station for testing. He knew he couldn’t let Mark down this time since this case would be handled predominately by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, given that it was now considered a serial murderer committing these crimes.

The evidence bags were small, like little sugar packets, only plastic and re-sealable. He came across a bag that contained a small sample of the victim’s hair, most likely taken from a bathroom hairbrush. As he looked at it, he was reminded of his wife, who had just lost all her hair from chemotherapy. The victim’s hair was deep red, just like Madeline’s. A chill went up his spine as he examined it. Some of it was in a clump, while a small tuft of it lay in a swirl. The ‘C’ shape indicated the victim had somewhat curly hair, again like Madeline’s. Charlie fought the urge to open it and run his finger along it. It would be a long time before he felt his wife’s silky hair again, he thought.

He remembered the day Madeline began losing her hair. It was Charlie’s day off and he was helping her out of the tub. Her body was so weak she had trouble. She had refused to wash her hair, fearing the agitation would trigger shedding. Madeline had always been a woman of respectable vanity, looking her best whenever possible in sensible attire and grooming. Her hair didn’t require much maintenance and therefore a simple brushing with powder spray would suffice. As Charlie helped her apply the spray to the back of her head, he used quick, gentle motions. He watched her grimace. She knew any day she would feel the cold spray directly on her scalp, and would watch her hair fall to the floor.

As he looked at the tiny plastic bag containing Jacqueline’s hair he was reminded of that day not so long ago. Doctor’s said Madeline’s hair would grow back soon and that the chemotherapy seemed to be working. Only time would tell. Charlie was thankful she was well enough to be home; only having to visit the hospital for her treatment, but the whole experience still took its toll. Even with Mark’s knowledge of Madeline’s illness, it still didn’t sit well with Charlie. His rapport with the station and with the community was impeccable. He had a reputation to uphold and was uncomfortable with making excuses for himself. His love for Madeline ran deep. He never loved anyone more in his life. He also loved his job. Charlie had trouble finding the right balance under the circumstances. The guilt he felt was eating at him constantly.

Charlie dated the evidence bag incorrectly and unconsciously chided himself by biting down hard on his lower lip.

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