50 Words For Murder

chapter 16 : scrag

scrag
skraɡ/
verb

Kill by strangling or hanging

"Can I get you boys something to drink?" suggested Gina. "Some lemonade, maybe?"

"We're good." said Harry. Liam was rubbing the bridge of his nose. Without Louis and Zayn, it would be difficult. They were the question-askers and deducers. But time was slipping by and if Liam had to take over that role, he would do it.

The house was a total mess but Mrs. Cowell didn't apologize for it.

"So who are you boys?" she asked, sitting opposite them.

"We're friends of Cassie's," said Harry. Liam glanced at him but Harry gave no signs of lying. Liam noticed Gina twitch at her daughter's name. "We were solving her murder..when two of our friends got convicted for it.."

"I heard they had found the killers," said Gina. "But I wasn't so sure they were the ones."

"Really?" asked Liam. "Why is that?"

"Because the killer is my husband."

Liam and Harry glanced at each other.

"Eh?" asked Harry. That was the best he could do.

"I know why you're here," said Gina. Her eyes looked lost.  "You want my help. You need me to release your friends from prison and put my own husband in that cell. You need me to betray a man I've been married to for twenty years."

Liam and Harry remained silent. This was a terrible idea.

"I'll do it."

Liam and Harry had to contain themselves from bursting in surprise. That wasn't what they expected her to say at all.
But Gina looked distant - deranged, even.

"The first time I knew he was a fraud was that night," she whispered, looking far away. It was as though she was talking to herself and not to the boys. Liam flipped open his phone and pressed the recorder.

"Which night, Mrs. Cowell?" asked Harry.

Gina remained silent.

"The night she was killed?" tried Harry, again.

"Oh, no," she said. "Not that night. Nights before that night when he was eavesdropping on our daughter."

At the word "daughter" tears formed in her eyes.

"Cassie was beautiful.." she whispered. "So intelligent..and beautiful.."

Liam shook his head in annyoance. "Mrs. Cowell, you were talking about that night?"

"You can call me Gina, darling," said Gina. "Ah, yes. He overheard her talking about a date. He was furious..said he had specifically grounded her. After all the impudence she showed him..yada yada yada..."

"Gina," said Harry. "Did you know why she was grounded?"

"He wouldn't tell me at first," said Gina. "But I found out later..my baby was pregnant. And he was so mad, he grounded her."

Liam looked surprised. Caroline had said Cassie didn't want anyone to know. And yet, her parents knew.

"Gina, how did you find out about the pregnancy?"

"That sick, sick man.." said Gina. "The one I called my husband. He followed her around..kept a track of every move of hers."

"So he found out?" said Harry. "And I'm guessing he was mad."

"He was," said Gina. "But she was my angel. And she was a crying mess. Told us how some freak forced himself on her and took advantage of her. Can you believe it? He..he tainted my daughter."