Carter did not want to believe what he was thinking. But unfortunately, the thought was possible.
Could Freeman have taken his own life? It was indeed a possibility. A possibility that he hadn’t even thought about.
He had to look at Freeman’s body. It was the only way to know for sure.
Carter slowly walked over to the body. Seeing his best friend lying lifeless on the ground made him choke.
He couldn’t have, Carter thought. He just couldn’t have.
He slowly pushed Freeman’s body over with his foot.
Carter sighed of relief. The bullet hole was on the very back of Freeman’s head.
Unless Freeman was able to stick and point a pistol at the back of his own head and perfectly pull the trigger, there was no way he could have been able to take his own life.
“Umm…what are you doing?” Sullivan asked.
“Nothing,” Carter said. He walked back over to his desk.
“Howard,” he said, as he sat down. “You’re next.”
Howard stood up. “You…You mean me?”
“You’re Howard, if I’m correct.”
Howard slowly walked over to the chair. He had his head down.
“Okay, Howard,” Carter said. “Answer this question as honestly as possible: What were you doing the instant that Freeman was shot?”
Howard did not respond.
“Answer the question, please,” Carter said.
“I…I was staring at the trap,” Howard said. He kept his head down. “But…But then I heard a noise. I thought it was a rat. So I turned around. And right as I turned around, I heard the gun.”
“Were Stewart and Anderson also standing there watching the trap?”
“Umm…yes. Yes, they were.”
“Okay, then. Now, I need to know something. Did you know Freeman in any way at all?”
Howard said nothing.
“Howard, I am speaking to you,” Carter said.
“No…I didn’t know him,” Howard said.
“Are you sure?”
“I am sure.”
“Now, do you know a woman by the name of Selma Freeman?”
Another silence.
“Howard?”
“She is Freeman’s wife.”
“She was Freeman’s wife. But she isn’t anymore. Freeman is dead.”
Carter saw Howard’s eyes glisten.
“Did you know Selma Freeman personally?” Carter asked.
Howard was silent at first. But then, finally, he said: “No…I did not.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I do believe that you were originally Selma’s boyfriend.”
Howard put his head down even lower.
“Is this true?” Carter asked.
Once again, Howard did not respond.
“Umm…Howard?”
“No,” Howard said. “It is not true.”
“Neither is that statement.”
Howard put his head on the desk.
“Freeman told me about you Selma,” Carter said. “The two of you were originally a couple.”
Howard did not respond.
“But then Selma became addicted to drugs. So you made her go to rehabilitation. And there, she met Freeman and they fell in love. And once she got out of rehab, she dumped you.”
The only response from Howard was a snort.
“Is this true?” Carter asked.
As he expected, Howard waited at least a minute before he spoke again.
“No. That is not true.”
Carter shook his head.
“Freeman never lied to me, Howard,” Carter said. “And you’ve lied to me three times.”
For the first time during his questioning, Howard put his head up. His face was pink.
“Okay,” he said. “Yes, I was her boyfriend. But after we broke up, I just tried to forget about her. And I did. As for Freeman, I never even knew him.”
“So you didn’t become angry with Freeman for stealing your girlfriend from you?” Carter asked.
“After she broke up with me, I eventually stopped caring about her. So no, I didn’t.”
“That sounds like the perfect motive for murder. You become angry with another man because your girlfriend falls in love with that man. And that man just happens to be a man that had just recently recovered from a serious drug addiction.”
“I did not kill anybody.”
“Of course you didn’t.”
“I have no memory of killing anybody.”
“Of course you don’t.”
Howard put his head down again.
“Now,” Carter asked. “Exactly how do you feel about Freeman’s death?”
“I did not know Freeman. So I have no opinion on him.”
“Do you not feel any emotions for him? Not realizing he had family, friends…a wife?”
“No, I do not.”
“You’re not even shocked at the fact that somebody decided to murder him?”
“No, I am not.”
Carter put his hand on his head. What an empty heart that Howard had.
“We’re about done, now,” Carter said. “I just want to make sure: You swear that it was not you that killed Freeman?”
“Yes,” Howard answered.
“Okay,” Carter said. “Then we are done.”
Howard had already walked off before Carter said his last sentence.570Please respect copyright.PENANA00N8jwt92V