Maxwell shifted uneasily but didn’t say anything.
“I’m sure it’s been rough.”
She nodded. “It’s been the most painful experience of my life.” Her mouth turned down at the corners. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same again.”
“Yes. I can understand that.”
She sighed, glancing up. “But you didn’t bring me here to commiserate, did you?”
I winced. “No. While investigating Archie’s murder, some things have come to light that you’ll probably find shocking. I know I did.”
“Oh, no.” She blinked at me, looking nervous. “What kind of things have you discovered?”
Maxwell put his arm along the back of her chair, and she smiled at him.
I cleared my throat. “Did you know that Archie had a police record?” From the shocked expression on her face, it was clear she hadn’t known.
“That can’t be right.”
I tugged out one sheet of paper and slowly pushed it across the table toward her. “I’m sorry to say Archie wasn’t born Archie Brady. His actual name was John Campbell.”
She shook her head. “No. That can’t be true. I… I saw his driver’s license.”
I grimaced. “I’m afraid you can get a fake driver’s license fairly easily if you know how.”
“Really?” She wrinkled her brow. “You s… said he had a police record?”
“Yes. He had a few other identities over the years and was arrested for larceny and insurance fraud.”
All the color seemed to drain from her face, and she looked to Maxwell. He patted her shoulder. “Did you know about this?”
He gave a sharp nod. “I learned of it very recently.”
“Do you believe him?” she squeaked. “Do you believe those awful things about Archie?”
Maxwell seemed to choose his words carefully. “It’s hard to believe, but I know Sheriff Callum would never lie about something like this.”
She shook her head. “Well, I… I can’t believe it. Why would he do something like that? Why would Archie lie about who he was?”
I said softly, “I’m not sure why Archie told you a lie about who he was. Perhaps he was trying to leave his past behind.”
“I find this impossible to believe.”
“I understand.” I sighed. “I knew perfectly well this was going to be horribly upsetting for you, Janelle. Truth be told, I’ve been dreading this meeting.”
She swallowed, tilting slightly in her chair. Maxwell grabbed her shoulder, steadying her. She whispered, “This must be a horrible nightmare.”
She was visibly shaking, and I gave her a few moments to absorb what I’d told her. Maxwell patted her shoulder, and she leaned against him. It was obvious she trusted him, which was good. She needed someone stable in her life who only wanted what was best for her. That fit Maxwell to a T. He truly cared about her. It was actually nice to see because he didn’t put a lot of effort into other people usually. Girdy and I were really the only other people he seemed emotionally connected to in town.
Eventually, I asked, “Are you okay to continue, Janelle?”
She nodded. “I guess.”
“Okay.” I grimaced. “There’s a good possibility that his past is one of the reasons he was killed.”
“Really?” She shivered.
“He was obviously in hiding. He even hid his past from you. Whether he kept the truth from you to deceive you or because he was simply trying to escape his past, I have no way of knowing.”
