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She knew that Don had a tendency to become flustered rather easily and that her touch is one of the only ways to calm him down and keep him grounded when he gets like this. It was a bit risky in front of the cops or any stranger for that matter, but it was better than having him nervously blurt out something he shouldn’t that could send them to jail for the rest of their lives. Besides, she wasn’t really doing anything that any normal mother wouldn’t do with her son in a stressful situation, was she?
If worse comes to worst, she can just pretend to be a helicopter parent. One of those annoying mothers that still hovers, no matter how grown their child is. It can be the excuse used to explain away the reason why her fifty-something year old ‘son’ has never been married and still lives at home with his mother.
As she fielded the female cop’s questions, though, she recognized the look of distaste on the other woman’s face, and her sense of unease began to grow, putting her on high alert. It had been quite some time since they’d come close to being discovered, and the last time had not ended very well for the other party involved and had, in fact, been a mess for all concerned. Stella was not very interested in a repeat performance.
She’d spent years making sure that no one ever saw beneath the surface of the perfect family portrayal they’d had in place for years. It was no one’s business, of course, what they did, but wagging tongues can sink ships faster than a canon; no one knows that better than she does. It was odd to see that this small town cop who was still wet behind the ears should so easily see through her well-kept façade.
So as Don answered the questions a bit more steadily due to her presence, her mind was already planning their escape though she didn’t give anything away. This young woman had fooled her. She’d thought after the way she’d left the day before without gaining much of anything that they were in the clear. She’d thought that Don had done a good enough job of keeping the woman off their scent, but now it looks like she might’ve been wrong.
Though being questioned by the cops was a bit too close for comfort, it wasn’t the first time they’d come close to the fire, so to speak, and she was sure this time that she hadn’t left anything behind that they could use against her.
She went back through the events of that night to recall if maybe she’d taken a wrong step somewhere, but nothing came to mind. She’s always very careful ever since that one time they were almost caught by the police. It was Don’s fault then too that they’d gotten too close and she never let him forget it. No matter that it had been her doing in the first place. That was neither here nor there.
She’d been meticulous in her dealings. It was he who’d left traces of himself behind. Traces that had led the cops to their door and sent them running into the night like thieves, having to watch over their shoulder in fear every step of the way. The horror of what being found out would mean to their lives always keeps her vigilant, and she makes doubly sure that their every move is concealed, and have always prepared for all contingencies well in advance. She was sure that this time too, she had been careful not to leave any evidence behind.
At least she had that working for her. The fact that in this country, evidence was still needed to bring a person to justice. So, the bitch could look at her anyway she wanted her hands will be tied because there was nothing to link the dead girl’s murder to them. At most, she might be able to prove that Don had an assignation with the slut but nothing else.
Don had promised her that he, too, had been very careful, unlike the last time when they were almost caught up in another murder case. That time he’d been sloppy as well, and she’d almost paid the price. Now again, with the damn notes like a high school kid. She guessed she had herself to blame since he’d never had much of a high school experience because of her.
He’d never had a girlfriend as a teen, well except for her. But with their relationship being a secret as it was, there were no dates in public as man and woman. He couldn’t very well take his stepmother to the prom, and so had spent that memorable night in bed with her where she’d plied him with booze and all the sex his little teenage heart could desire.
