Interview Rockberry

CHAPTER 8-- interview Rockberry

It took us several minutes to get Charlie Rockberry into Rocky's office. Quinn and I laid him out on the sofa and let Rocky check him out. She said that it must have been a shock for him. Basically, it came down to adrenaline. Fight or flight. Some folks fight back, they cry, they get angry. Others run, they walk away, they deny, they faint. Fainting is just the brain's was of protecting itself. You receive a shock and the brain says, “nope not going to work”, out you go. That's what happened to Mr Rockberry, the shock of seeing his wife on a slab was too much. Unfortunately, I'm used to seeing that sort of thing. No one should ever get used to it.

I got a glass of water for Mr Rockberry while Quinn was asking him some questions. It may seem out of place to ask questions of a man that only just lost his wife, but the sooner you can get the information the longer you can keep the trail hot.

“I know this isn't easy, Mr Rockberry, but I do need to ask some questions, clarify a few things with you. When was the last time you saw your wife?”

“About a week ago, I told you!”

“I know, sir,” Quinn said, “but I have to ask. When you last saw her, was she agitated or upset at all?”

“No, a little bummed that we couldn't spend that time together, but other than that she was normal.”

“Did she have any enemies? Anyone that maybe she thought was strange or unnerved her?”

“No, no, everyone loved her. No one ever said a bad thing about her, she was kind to every one.”

I nodded, lots of people think that there was nothing wrong, that their loved one isn't involved with anything out of the ordinary, but I've found that people can be incredibly secretive with they need to be.

“Did she mention anyone following her, or anything out of her normal routine?” I asked, playing a hunch.

“No, like I said--- wait. Wait, there was one thing, a few weeks ago. She mentioned a man that bumped into her at the university. He picked up her books and commented on the book of fairy tales she had, saying that it was sad things never worked out that way in the real world. She wouldn't have thought anything of it, but he said 'happily ever after shouldn't be stolen'. She thought it strange he'd say something like that.”

'Happily ever after shouldn't be stolen'. That didn't bode well, made me feel uneasy.

“Where were you very early Saturday morning, between say 10pm and 2am?” I asked.

“What the hell are you suggesting?!” He yelled at me.

“If I know what you were doing at that time, I can eliminate you as a suspect. So, I ask again, what were you doing?”

“Watching the end of a football game, my Niners lost to Greenbay. The I went to bed, I had to be up early the next morning for work. And before you can ask, no one was with me.” I don't blame him for having that tone people get when they feel their being interrogated.

“You'd be surprised. Did you receive any phone calls, order out for take away, neighbour see you?” I suggested.

“No, I picked up dinner and no one called. I suppose Mrs Nevine would have seen me, she's the nosy neighbour every one seems to have.”

I nodded, we'd talk to Mrs Nevine who would indeed say that she didn't recall him leaving at all that night, only shouting at the television when his team was loosing. You should hear me during the World Series, I can trust an alibi like that.

“Thank you for your cooperation, sir. When we know more, we'll let you know.” Quinn was telling him, shaking his hand.

“You didn't tell me how she died?”

“Sir, its best that for now you don't know. She was murdered and we're working to find what happened to her.” I told him, the last thing he needed was to know that his wife had been torn apart by dogs.

Author's Note

Unedited for NaNoWriMo