Page 79 of Made of Steele
The last thing this woman needed right now was to find out some creep mauled her husband’s body and shot him with an arrow. The details could come later.
“We’re still working out the details,” he said. “But it was under suspicious circumstances.”
“You think he was murdered?” Daniela clutched her chest.
“We do.”
“But who?” She gaped at them. “Who would want to kill him?”
“We hoped you might be able to answer that question,” Teagan said.
“No one, that’s who.” She planted her hands on her knees. “He’s the kind of guy everyone likes. Always in a good mood. Friendly. I’m the antisocial one, but not him. He made friends everywhere we went.” She released her knees and twisted her hands together in her lap. “Why? Just—why?”
Teagan leaned closer. “I recently lost my cousin in a violent death, so I know how tough news like this can be. But are you up to answering a few questions?”
“I don’t know. I…I just don’t…” She searched the room of her small apartment as if answers hung in the air and she could pluck them down. Tears ran from her already puffy red-rimmed eyes.
Teagan handed the grieving wife a small packet of tissues. “Your answers might help us find whoever did this, but if you’re not up to it we understand.”
“I can do it.” A sob wrenched from her throat, and she shook her head. “For him. For my Carlo.”
“Could you tell us a little about him? Like what he did for a living and what he liked to do when he wasn’t working.”
Daniela dabbed her tears. “He sold alternative energy products. I’m not sure of the details. But he traveled most every week. His territory was the Middle East.”
Middle East. Antiquities or heroin connection? Could be.
“He loved every minute of it,” she continued. “Not me. I hate to fly. I never went with him. I should have. Especially since we were still newlyweds and my job would’ve let me off to go. Why didn’t I?” Daniela looked at Teagan for answers.
Teagan gave a comforting smile. “You’re going to find yourself asking all kinds of questions like that, and it’s okay, but don’t beat yourself up. It doesn’t help.”
Daniela crossed her arms around her stomach. “Does the pain get better?”
“Different.” Teagan’s anguish darkened her tone.
Drew should have realized these calls would remind her of her recent loss and come alone for these calls. He wished more than anything at this moment that he could draw her into his arms and hold her until the pain passed. But it never would. Never did when you lost someone you loved, and it was doubly hard to get over when the death was sudden. Even more so with a violent death where the loss made no sense.
“What things did you two like to do together?” Teagan asked.
“We watched movies.” A wavering smile crossed Daniela’s face. “All kinds. I love romcoms, and he would watch them with me and never complain. He is—was—so sweet that way. But otherwise, we did things alone. He was a big sports fan. We have a cable sports package, and he watched anything and everything sports related.”
“Did he play any sports?” Drew asked.
“In high school and college. Soccer and hockey.” She tipped her head. “I guess those were his favorites. I honestly think he liked the fights.”
“But he didn’t currently play in any league?” Teagan asked.
“No.”
“What about hiking?” Drew asked trying to work them around to Carlo’s disappearance. “Was he a big hiker?”
She nodded. “But I didn’t like the steep trails he needed to get the workout he wanted so we didn’t do it together very often. I should’ve gone with him the day he disappeared instead of dropping him off on my way to see my sister.”
“Did he usually go alone?” Drew asked.
“No. He went with a couple of guys from work, but they weren’t available that day. I tried to convince him to stay home, but he’d been traveling for three weeks straight and wanted to work off stress.”
“Anything else he liked to do in his free time?” Teagan asked.
