office light. I peeked out the window, but I didn’t know what was going on. Then I saw that the car doors were left open. I became concerned and started to have this sinking feeling that my husband may somehow be involved in something horrible. I didn’t know that someone shot him…” Diana said and buried her face in her palms. She was sobbing.
“Why did you have a sinking feeling?” Sharkey asked, ignoring her sobs.
Silently crying for a minute, Diana didn’t answer. Her body shuddered, and her tears seemed uncontrollable. The detectives watched Diana’s body heaving from the emotions running through her. After a few beats, she was able to speak.
“It’s just one of those feelings that hit you in the stomach and close off the air to your vitals. Then you feel faint,” Diana finally said.
“Dr. King, did you say that you were in the office for five minutes. Did you turn on the light and looked out the window? I’d imagine it was kind of dark?” Sharkey asked.
“Yes, I did turn the light on.”
“And you weren’t able to see anything outside your window?”
“No, I had to walk over to the window to get a better look. But only after I heard the noise. I wanted to see what the commotion was. So I turned on all the lights, including those by the window,” Diana explained.
“You were in the office for about five minutes, and did you hear any sounds like gunshots?”
“No, I mean just after we arrived, and I went upstairs to my office. It was raining on and off. Five minutes or so later, it started steadily raining again. Besides the sound of rain, I wasn’t able to hear any real noise,” Diana said.
“Was there anyone else in the building at that time?”
“No, I didn’t check, but it didn’t appear anyone was on the fourth floor.”
“How many offices are there on the fourth floor?”
“Two other offices besides mine.”
“Who occupies those offices?”
“There’s a dentist office, and an optician office.”
“What caused your attention to shift to this commotion downstairs? Was it your husband’s body lying in the street that caused you to hurry downstairs to check on him or…?”
“I didn’t see the body until I was already downstairs. There was a small crowd. The doors to the car were left open, so I thought Vaughn was fighting with someone.”
“That was your first thought when you saw the crowd?” Sharkey asked.
“Yes. I saw the car door opened. Maybe someone hit the car. I was thinking… You don’t know my husband as I do—his temper is the size of a gorilla, and sometimes he can’t control it, and it gets the best of him,” Diana said, batting her eyes at Sharkey.
“Maybe he could’ve been lending assistance to another motorist…?”
“My first thought was that someone hit the car. And knowing how Vaughn loves his Mercedes, he could’ve blown up and gone after the other driver. That’s why I thought he was in a fight. My husband sometimes gets angry and will get in fisticuffs. I’ve seen him in action, and he can get crazy.”
“You know your husband very well, so I could understand why you would think like that,” McAlister said.
Watching Diana intensely, Sharkey asked, “Do you know if anyone had a problem with your husband or would want to harm?”
“No, I don’t. Vaughn’s a war hero. Everywhere we went people just always seem to gravitate to him. Once you meet him—you love and respect him very much.”
“How long have you been married?”
“Six years. We met each other at Fort Campbell. I was an intern, and Vaughn was a second lieutenant. Vaughn was best friends with another friend who knew my brother. They loved flying and fast cars. All through the nine months of flight school, they enjoyed hanging with each other.”
“Is your brother still stationed at For Campbell?” Sharkey asked.
“No, detective. My brother only visited. He was in the Marine Corps.”
“Where is your brother now?” McAlister asked.
“My brother, Brad… He gave his life for his country,” Diana said.
Her somber tone caused Sharkey’s eyes to widen. He was attempting to read between the lines. For a beat, he paused in search of more answers. Then he said, “So your brother’s dead then?”
“Yes, detective.”
A knock on the door interrupted the ensuing silence, so McAlister got up and opened the door. The officer standing there spoke briefly to him. McAlister closed the door and said, “The military attaché from Army CID is here.”
Looking confounded, Sharkey stared at him and asked, “From what…? Were we expecting them?”
“They came through higher-ups,” the officer said.
“Really…? This case getting more coverage, huh?” McAlister said.
“It sure looks like the higher-ups are viewing this case with a very sharp eye. Captain King is of military royalty. His father is a retired general, Vaughn King Senior,” the uniformed officer said. “The chief wanted to see you.”
Before leaving, the officer closed the door. Sharkey turned his attention to Dr. King. He wore a wry smile when he asked, “Is that right, Dr. King? Was your husband well-connected?”
“Yes, as far as the military is concerned, Vaughn’s held in extremely high esteem. He’s viewed very favorably by all,” Diana said. “But there’s another side to Vaughn. I don’t know if this has anything to do with his death, but he gambled a lot. And I mean a lot. Maybe he loved that as much as flying…”
“Do you know if he owes anyone money or any type of favors?”
“None as far as I know… I don’t have any idea about that sort of thing, though. Vaughn never spoke to me about having any kind of gambling debts, but…”
“What about his friends…? Any close friends that might know something that could help us?”
“Just his army buddies…”
“Who are…? Do you know any names of any of them?”
“He started his flight training with a couple of guys who are in his flight class…maybe one or two. Usually, he’s with Chris, Frank Rangel, and Cpt. Gatlin—”
“Does Cpt. Gatlin have a first name?” Sharkey asked.
“Yes, Andrew…”
“Hmm, another military guy. I’m beginning to think that Army C.I.D. involvement might be more than just damage control…” McAlister said, sounding thoughtful.
“I’ll be back. Let me go say hello to our guests,” Sharkey said, leaving the office.
CHAPTER
4
With numerous questions still lingering in his mind, Sharkey walked out of the interview room. McAlister and Diana King were sitting at the desk. Sharkey was feeling annoyed. He was on the prowl for a motive in a possible murder case and felt Diana was somehow involved. She was still the last person who saw her husband alive. Before she felt the need to get a lawyer, Sharkey wanted to keep interrogating. The surviving spouse remained the prime suspect in his book. He couldn’t lose time on this trail.
Sharkey paused when he saw two female military personnel checking in with the top brass and the detectives’ chief. His face formed into a frowned expression. Things were getting political. Top brass, including the police chief and captain of the homicide division, discussed the case with his supervisor. Through the glass