She exhaled and considered the question. “I don’t. It sounds cliché, but everyone liked him. He was generous and kind. I can’t think of a cross word anyone has ever said about him. And if he had conflicts in his life, I’m unaware of them. Shannon—his most recent ex—would be the best person to ask. They’re still close.” She paused. “Were close.”
“That will be my first stop.” He touched her upper arm and gave a light squeeze. “I’m really sorry, Rowan.”
The sincerity in his eyes calmed her. “Thank you.”
“Text me Shannon’s full name and contact info,” he said. “I’ll want to talk to you again in a day or two.”
“I can stop by.”
“I’ll let you know when.” His gaze went to Thor, who’d abruptly stopped in the field and turned his head their way, his ears forward, as if he knew something had happened with his owner. “I know you have a good comforter.”
Rowan smiled at the dog. “I have the best.”
5
Evan liked Shannon Steward. The woman gave off a bustling energy that spoke of efficiency and directness. Ken Steward’s third wife had been on her way to a doctor’s appointment when Evan called her about Ken’s death, but she’d immediately turned her car around and headed to the county shelter. As with Rowan, one of Shannon’s initial questions had been about Juno’s location.
SAR people love their dogs.
He’d seen it in Rowan’s words and actions with Thor. The comfort and care of the dog always came first.
Shannon had taken Ken’s dog home and then met Evan at the sheriff’s department that evening. They were in the detectives’ small break room. It was more welcoming than the department’s stark interview rooms, and they often used it when they needed to speak with families. It had a microwave, small fridge, and coffee maker along with a round table and half a dozen mismatched chairs. The other detectives knew not to come in to refill their coffee mugs when the door was closed.
Shannon wiped her eyes as she faced Evan at the table. He knew she was in her late fifties. Her hair was a pale red, worn in shoulder-length curls, and he would have guessed she was ten years younger. She was well freckled and wore shorts and hiking boots, clearly someone who loved to be outdoors. “He was such a good man,” she said, echoing Rowan’s opinion. “He loved to help people.”
Evan thought about how many times he’d heard that during past cases only to discover dozens of secrets held by the victim. Secrets about crimes committed, other relationships, or financial problems. He never made an assumption based on other people’s opinions; he had to experience it for himself.
“Were you married long?” Evan asked.
“Only two years, but I’ve known Ken for at least twenty. I was friends with his second wife. We all ran in the same circles.” She gave a weak smile. “The SAR community is small and tight. People come and go, but there has been a core group of us forever, and Ken was always at the center of that core. A good man,” she repeated. “He had his idiosyncrasies like everyone does. I know these quirks added to his divorces. He couldn’t help it; it’s just how he was. He wasn’t malicious or anything. He just . . .” She paused. “I don’t want to speak ill of him.”
“I understand,” said Evan. “No one wants to do that. But getting a good picture of his relationships with other people can possibly help pinpoint a motive.”
Shannon grimaced. “I don’t want to believe that Ken was murdered because he had quirks. Everyone has things that they like a certain way.”
“Give me an example of one of his,” Evan said encouragingly.
“Well, sometimes he needed to sleep outside.”
Evan raised a brow. “As in . . . needed some time to himself?”
“No, he needed to be outdoors. Sometimes the house was too confining.”
Claustrophobic.
“I see,” said Evan. “I don’t think someone would be murdered for that, but maybe it was hard on a marriage sometimes.”
“In our case, we just couldn’t live together. I’d been divorced for ten years when we married and couldn’t adjust to having someone in my space.”
Evan had often wondered if he’d have the same problem now. He’d lived with one woman in the past, but the two of them had been young and eager to make things work. Until they didn’t. “I’ve heard of married couples that live apart.”