Blackberry Heights - Part (3/3)

“Sarah and I have been married for over 20 years. We are about...sorry, we were about to celebrate our 22nd anniversary in a few weeks. Our marriage was born from rebellious love and a whirlwind emotions. Good times, now that I look back. But, I think you and I both know, when you live with the same person for that long, little problems start to show up...

...We bickered, from time to time. I mean, what married couple wouldn’t have a lover spat. At the end, either one of us would apologize and make it up to them. 20 years marriage, not something you can give up so easily. Compromise, compromise, compromise...However, I screwed up.”

Frank Tucker took a moment to rub his mouth more, his eyebrow furrowed. He couldn’t stop glancing at the magazine on the coffee table, all reporting about the dismembered body. He looked away, covering his quivering lips.

“On the night she disappeared, we argued, badly. It was about money. As I mentioned, I own a furniture company. I saw much success at the beginning, built it from the ground up. But with the rise of Amazon, eBay, even over seas companies with cheaper labour and materials – things just went from bad to worse. Sarah was upset, I spent too much money to keep the company afloat. I..I even put our apartment on mortgage – just when we paid it off.”

Frank Tucker rubbed his eyes with his palms, pressing the tears out from them with a disappointed shake of his head.

“I went to pick her up after her night shift at the hospital, like I always do. On the drive home she told me to just give up and close the business. I told her, ‘honey, I can’t do that. What about all my workers. They got family too’. One thing led to another, I raised my voice at her, I said things I shouldn’t have and she just...She forced me to stop the car and got out.”

The husband flipped his hands up with a shameful shrug.

“I messed up. I should never had left her alone. I was angry, I didn’t want to talk to her then, so I just drove around town to cool my head. When I calmed down I went back to the apartment. Lights were off. Checked the bathrooms and the room, empty. I waited for hours, any sign for Sarah to come back home but...”

The husband covered his mouth with both hands now, pressing his lips shut.

“I reported to the police that she was missing. I called her friends, co-workers, even visited the places she would likely go to. Nothing. I even went to my in-laws to check, and they hate my guts. Then I came across the news, about the Splitter. I never paid attention to it until now. The thought my wife could have been a victim just...”

Frank Tucker gripped his heart, shaking his head in denial.

“I didn’t want to believe it, but the more I kept waiting the more my mind wandered. She would have called me, even if she was living somewhere else. Still nothing. Not even a text, or voice mail... Officer, it’s all my fault this happened. I started this. I caused my wife to die. I realized my mistake when I saw her body at the morgue. I...”

Frank Tucker gave a deep inhale, choking back on some tears welling up in his eyes. He doubled over, elbows on his knees, hands cupping his mouth in a makeshift prayer. Unable to fight back the emotions in his body, his eyes cringed and he bowed his head in shame.

“It’s my fault Sarah is dead. All chopped up and tossed like garbage... Officer. Please, promise me you’ll catch the killer. Make them pay!”