Nobody at the Gardenia PD was surprised that Maddy Akers had killed her husband. “Did you ever know him to threaten anybody?” Jolie asked Acting Chief McClelland. McClelland sighed. “I saw him threaten a confidential informant once, back when he was a deputy. Going on fifteen years ago. Said if the guy didn’t stop torquing him around, he’d kill him.” “Kill him?” “A lot of people say that. Like, if you do that again, I’m gonna kill you. Hell, I’ve said it. But he meant it.” He was clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “Couple of weeks later, the CI went missing. Found him in a canal not far from here. His head bashed in.” “You think it was Chief Akers?” “Well, that’s open to conjecture. But I do think Jim was capable.” “Would he ever threaten his wife?” “Now, that I don’t know. He never talked about her. I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but Jim acted like he wasn’t married. Once in a while he’d bring her to a cookout. I’m sure she talked to the ladies, but I don’t recall ever having a conversation with her.
