“No.”
“Who else?”
He looked toward Amber.
Then at the police.
“Eddie,” I said, “who else knew?”
“My wife.”
“Who is your wife?”
He swallowed.
“Nina.”
For a moment I thought I’d misheard him.
Nina had always used the surname Price.
Eddie’s surname was Sloan.
“They’ve been separated,” Amber said quietly.
Eddie nodded.
“We never divorced. She kept her maiden name.”
Everything shifted.
“Why didn’t I know?”
“We don’t advertise it.”
“Apparently.”
Ruiz stepped closer.
“Eddie, when did you tell your wife?”
“The night Frank and I talked.”
“Why?”
“Because I was scared.”
“Of what?”
Eddie sat.
“Kyle fired me because I found something.”
“What?”
“A stack of blank refund slips in his office.”
“That’s why you left?”
“He said I was stealing food.”
I remembered.
Kyle had reported Eddie for inventory theft.
I had trusted my manager.
Signed the termination.
Never spoken to Eddie directly.
Shame burned through me.
