Page 85 of Day Break

“I don’t know her. I only knew that Wesley and Elliott were working together, and that they would go away on business trips, which is where I assumed he was for those days before the raid,” Chloe answered.

From there, things grew loud and busy. Everyone seemed to talk over one another, and Detective Delph rushed from the room yelling.

“What?” Chloe asked, turning to me.

I reached over and took her hand just as Malory asked, “Who else do you know who your ex-husband worked with?”

“No one. Just…” She thought for a moment. “There was a DJ. I never knew his last name. That’s it. I never met or saw DJ. Elliott would talk about him as if he was the boss,” Chloe said.

“DJ?” Malory asked, writing something down in the file.

“Yes. Every time he talked about the man, he grew nervous. I always assumed that he was the one with the money since Elliott and I came to Washington with only the clothes on our back. Elliott had grown up in Seattle before coming to Utah. We were lucky the local FLDS took us in and let us move into the house that their trust owned.” Chloe shrugged. “Members of the church had donated their million-dollar home to the trust run by some of the FLDS members when they signed up to join the religion.”

Malory was writing everything down. “You didn’t mention any of this last year?”

Chloe shook her head and looked down at her fingers. “No, I don’t remember saying a word. I was…” She looked towards the closed door. “I was afraid.”

Malory glanced towards the door. “Detective Delph can be a little intimidating. I assure you, she’s good at her job. Most of the time,” she added under her breath. “Now, I hate to do this, but we need to go over everything once more. From the top.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“Morning without you is a dwindled dawn.”

- Emily Dickinson

Chloe

There was little I believed could faze me after the past year. Seeing Detective Delph walk into the room somehow shook me more than seeing Elliott the other night.

That woman had yelled at me more than anyone ever had in my entire life. She hadn’t believed what few words I said to her that day over a year ago. She’d looked at me as if I was lying and covering for Elliott.

I had never feared a woman, until I’d met Detective Delph.

Feeling Lane’s hand in mine, I tried to relax but couldn’t until the woman finally left the room.

By the end of the interview with Detective Malory, I was even more relaxed. The woman had an easy attitude with me, maybe because she had guessed what I’d gone through. Whatever the case, I was thankful Lane had called her instead of the other woman. Something told me that if it had gone the other way, I might be in trouble again instead of heading back to the island.

We’d spent more than seven hours in the interview room going over my past, including any names my husband had ever mentioned or anyone who had visited us.

I’d talked more than I had in my entire life. My throat felt raw. This time, instead of feeling guilt after talking to the police, I felt a giant sense of relief, like a weight had been lifted from my body. I knew what I was doing was right. Elliott no longer had a hold over my conscience.

The lie he’d made me believe about everything being my fault could no longer control me.

“Well?” Lane glanced over at me.

We stopped at a little Italian fast-food drive-through for meatball sandwiches. I didn’t want to go inside and be around people and, thankfully, Lane agreed to eat in the car. It was hard to do with the messy sandwiches.

“I guess we should have gone in,” I said, wiping my hands.

Lane glanced at me and burst into laughter. He held up a napkin for me.

“I’ve never had a meatball sandwich before or eaten in a car,” I admitted as I took the napkin and wiped my mouth.

“Really?” He turned to me, then I watched his entire attitude sober. “I’m glad your ex is behind bars. From what Malory has said, he’s going to be there a very long time.”

I nodded, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. “I remember being so shocked when I finally understood what Elliott had done. I knew he was a bad man from the moment I met him on our wedding day, but…” I dropped off.

“What?” Lane asked, shifted slightly.