The Lies in the Falls by Elle Gray

Author:Elle Gray [Gray, Elle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-24T00:00:00+00:00

“No, I wasn’t at the train station,” Claudia said and sniffed. “He never asked me to dress up or anything like that. We spent the entire day at the hotel.”

Both Willa and Zachary Tavares tightened up and their faces grew dark as their daughter spoke. Claudia lowered her gaze immediately and softly cried. Five-five with rich, auburn hair, a pale complexion, and dark, smoky eyes that looked a lot like her father’s, Claudia Tavares was a pretty, wholesome-looking girl. But her eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks splotched and puffy, and she looked like she hadn’t slept the night before and had instead been up and crying all night. Young was right, it seemed like it had been a very rough night for the eldest Tavares child.

Not wanting to scare Claudia or impart the tension that would naturally come from being in an interrogation room, Spenser had opted to sit them in the conference room. Before their arrival, Young had turned the whiteboard over and removed their investigation materials with the goal of making their war room look like a plain, ordinary conference room again. None of their measures seemed to help, though. Claudia sat between her mother and father across the table from Spenser. Their bodies were taut and tension as well as fear was etched into their features.

Her hands clasped together in front of her, Spenser leaned forward. “Claudia, it’s really important that you’re honest with us now,” she said gently. “This is a very serious matter we’re dealing with and—”

“Sheriff, she told you she wasn’t at the train station,” Tavares snapped.

“Councilman Tavares, please. I need you to let me speak with Claudia freely and without interruption,” Spenser said.

“Zachary,” Willa said softly. “Let the sheriff do her job.”

Tavares sat back in his chair, arms folded over his chest, and a petulant look on his face. Spenser gave Willa a small nod of thanks then turned back to Claudia.

“Do you understand how serious this is, Claudia?” Spenser asked gently. “We’re trying to find a missing woman and we need to know the truth. We need to know if Mr. Baden asked you to do anything for him.”

The girl wiped at her eyes and nose with a crumpled-up tissue in her hand and nodded. She sniffed loudly as fresh tears streamed down her pale cheeks.

“I do understand,” she said. “He didn’t ask me to go to the train station or anything like that. He didn’t ask me to do anything.”

“It’s obvious this degenerate took advantage of our daughter,” Tavares interrupted. “I want him punished, Sheriff. What he did—”

“We’ve already arrested him, Councilman,” Spenser said. “Now, please. I need you to settle down and let me talk to Claudia.”

She turned back to Claudia. “Has Mr. Baden ever mentioned his ex-wife to you, Claudia?” Spenser asked. “Has he ever talked to you about Wendy Gilchrist?”

She shook her head. “No. Whenever we were together, he was focused on me. On us,” she said quietly. “We never talked about anybody else. He never even mentioned his ex to me.

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