panicked. I climbed the stairs after him, but he refused to stop. He was going to take Tommy and maybe kill him. I swung the hammer at Brian just to slow him down.”
“You hit him twice on the back of his head.”
“He … he didn’t fall right away. I was scared. I don’t remember hitting him a second time, but I must have. I didn’t mean to hit him so hard.”
Kala looked across at Gundersund. He stood leaning against the wall near the door. He nodded his head, encouraging her to continue. She detected kindness in his eyes before his face cleared of expression.
“There was a lot of blood,” Kala observed mildly, looking back at Della.
“I know.” Della’s sobs began softly under the black curtain of her hair. “I thought he was going to take my baby.”
Kala waited until Della composed herself. “Only one last question for now, Mrs. Munroe, and then I think we should have someone check you over just to make sure your head is fine as you say. What did you do right after your husband was lying on the floor bleeding?”
“I called for an ambulance and the police from my bedroom as soon as I checked on Tommy. After I called, I went back to Tommy’s room and picked him up to take him downstairs. We waited on the couch after I unlocked the front door. Tommy didn’t wake up the whole time.”
“You didn’t try to stop Brian’s bleeding?”
“No. I just wanted to be as far away from him as I could. I was sure he was going to wake up and come after me again.”
“You didn’t check to see if he was dead?”
“I didn’t think I’d killed him. I thought he’d wake up and come after me.” Della moaned and began rocking back and forth on the couch.
Kala turned off the tape recorder and looked over at Gundersund. He signalled to her that he was stepping outside to call for a doctor. They’d gotten what they needed but she still felt a twinge of disgust at herself for putting the woman through questioning when she’d just lost so much: a marriage that started out hopeful with love, and was now nothing but pain, loss, and that worm of guilt for no longer having to deal with an abusive husband. Kala reached over and touched Della’s shoulder, the only gesture of comfort she could allow herself as the constable investigating his death.
“So what do you think?” Gundersund asked. He set a cup of coffee on the desk in front of Kala. She looked up from her computer screen. Gundersund was sipping from his cup, looking at her over the rim. His eyes had that curious look in them again that she found unnerving.
“Thanks.” She picked up the mug and forced herself to focus on the case. “Della sounds credible. Combined with the alleged rape and bruises from this encounter after he broke in, I can’t see enough for a prosecution. What do you think?”
“Same as you. It probably won’t go to trial.”
“Rouleau should give this to Chalmers and let me get back to the Sampson murder.” She set down the coffee cup and resumed typing. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Gundersund return to his desk. He sat down and began talking on his cellphone. He swivelled his chair around so that he had his back to her. Kala lifted her head and watched him for a moment. Whoever he was talking to was causing him grief. His shoulders had hunched forward and the fingers of his right hand tapped staccato against the side of his desk. His voice rose angrily and she heard him tell the person at the other end to just let it go.
Kala dropped her eyes back to the report on her screen. Most curious. Gundersund had somebody in his life who had the power to upset him.
Chapter Fifteen
D alal Shahan woke up early, just as fingers of sunlight broke through the darkness of her room. She lay on her side with her eyes open, watching the sunbeams dance through the flimsy curtain onto the hardwood floor. It would be nice to be a sunbeam, she thought. Sunbeams made people happy.
Already, she could hear her mother moving
“You hit him twice on the back of his head.”
“He … he didn’t fall right away. I was scared. I don’t remember hitting him a second time, but I must have. I didn’t mean to hit him so hard.”
Kala looked across at Gundersund. He stood leaning against the wall near the door. He nodded his head, encouraging her to continue. She detected kindness in his eyes before his face cleared of expression.
“There was a lot of blood,” Kala observed mildly, looking back at Della.
“I know.” Della’s sobs began softly under the black curtain of her hair. “I thought he was going to take my baby.”
Kala waited until Della composed herself. “Only one last question for now, Mrs. Munroe, and then I think we should have someone check you over just to make sure your head is fine as you say. What did you do right after your husband was lying on the floor bleeding?”
“I called for an ambulance and the police from my bedroom as soon as I checked on Tommy. After I called, I went back to Tommy’s room and picked him up to take him downstairs. We waited on the couch after I unlocked the front door. Tommy didn’t wake up the whole time.”
“You didn’t try to stop Brian’s bleeding?”
“No. I just wanted to be as far away from him as I could. I was sure he was going to wake up and come after me again.”
“You didn’t check to see if he was dead?”
“I didn’t think I’d killed him. I thought he’d wake up and come after me.” Della moaned and began rocking back and forth on the couch.
Kala turned off the tape recorder and looked over at Gundersund. He signalled to her that he was stepping outside to call for a doctor. They’d gotten what they needed but she still felt a twinge of disgust at herself for putting the woman through questioning when she’d just lost so much: a marriage that started out hopeful with love, and was now nothing but pain, loss, and that worm of guilt for no longer having to deal with an abusive husband. Kala reached over and touched Della’s shoulder, the only gesture of comfort she could allow herself as the constable investigating his death.
“So what do you think?” Gundersund asked. He set a cup of coffee on the desk in front of Kala. She looked up from her computer screen. Gundersund was sipping from his cup, looking at her over the rim. His eyes had that curious look in them again that she found unnerving.
“Thanks.” She picked up the mug and forced herself to focus on the case. “Della sounds credible. Combined with the alleged rape and bruises from this encounter after he broke in, I can’t see enough for a prosecution. What do you think?”
“Same as you. It probably won’t go to trial.”
“Rouleau should give this to Chalmers and let me get back to the Sampson murder.” She set down the coffee cup and resumed typing. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Gundersund return to his desk. He sat down and began talking on his cellphone. He swivelled his chair around so that he had his back to her. Kala lifted her head and watched him for a moment. Whoever he was talking to was causing him grief. His shoulders had hunched forward and the fingers of his right hand tapped staccato against the side of his desk. His voice rose angrily and she heard him tell the person at the other end to just let it go.
Kala dropped her eyes back to the report on her screen. Most curious. Gundersund had somebody in his life who had the power to upset him.
Chapter Fifteen
D alal Shahan woke up early, just as fingers of sunlight broke through the darkness of her room. She lay on her side with her eyes open, watching the sunbeams dance through the flimsy curtain onto the hardwood floor. It would be nice to be a sunbeam, she thought. Sunbeams made people happy.
Already, she could hear her mother moving
Similar Books
