Texas Man Discovered His Wife’s Affair With His 17 Y/O Nephew — It Ended In Murder

…

The workday at the shop began with a difficult job, restoring the engine on an old oil drilling rig.

Patrick loved challenges like this.

Working with metal and machinery required complete concentration, leaving little time for unnecessary thoughts.

His hands moved confidently and precisely, the result of many years of experience.

Boss, there’s a woman here asking about a quote for Honda repairs, said Tommy, one of his mechanics.

Patrick wiped his hands with a rag and went out to see the customer.

It was Jennifer Morgan, the wife of a local banker whose car needed serious transmission repairs.

“Mr.

Reader, how much will it cost?” she asked, clearly nervous.

“About 2,000, Mrs.

Morgan.

We can stretch the payment over 3 months if necessary.

” She sighed with relief.

“Patrick always tried to accommodate his customers.

In a small town, reputation meant more than quick profits.

During his lunch break, he stopped by Mary’s Diner, where he usually met with other local business owners.

“Today, Jim, the owner of a gas station, and Bob Wilson, who owned two fast food restaurants, were sitting at a table.

” “How’s it going, Pat?” Jim asked.

“I hear you have a new helper in the family.

” “Kyle, yes, my nephew is living with us while he’s in school.

He’s a good kid.

Helps out in the shop.

How does Ruby feel about that? Not every woman would agree to have a teenager in the house.

Patrick thought for a moment.

Indeed, Ruby had seemed more distracted lately, often withdrawing into herself.

He chocked it up to being busy at work.

The spring wedding season was always hectic for the beauty industry.

She’s fine with it.

Kyle’s no trouble.

But on the way home, Patrick’s thoughts involuntarily returned to Jim’s words.

When was the last time he had really talked to Ruby about anything important? Their conversations in recent weeks had been limited to everyday issues and weekend plans.

An unusual silence greeted him at home.

Ruby hadn’t returned from work yet, and Kyle was apparently still at college.

Patrick opened a beer and turned on the news.

The usual evening program, local politics, weather report, sports results.

Ruby returned at 8.

She looked tired but satisfied.

“How was your day?” Patrick asked, putting his arm around her waist.

“Three brides in a row is a challenge even for me, but everything went well.

” She tilted her head back, pressing herself against him.

“Where’s Kyle?” “He’s not back yet.

” He mentioned extra classes.

Ruby nodded and headed for the stairs.

“I’ll take a shower and make something light for dinner.

” Kyle didn’t show up until 9, apologizing for being late.

The teacher asked me to help prepare the workshop for tomorrow’s classes.

I couldn’t say no.

Over dinner, the conversation turned to plans for the weekend.

Mark was coming to visit his son, and Ruby had received an order for a wedding in a neighboring town.

“So, it’s going to be a boy’s trip,” Patrick smiled.

“How about going fishing?” Sounds great, Kyle agreed.

But Patrick noticed that his nephew glanced at Ruby.

When they went upstairs to bed, Ruby took a long time in the bathroom.

Patrick lay in bed thinking about the day.

Everything was as usual, but something had subtly changed in the atmosphere of the house.

Maybe it was just fatigue, or maybe it was a natural adjustment to the presence of a third person in their family life.

He couldn’t have known that behind the bedroom wall, Kyle lay awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the same person he was.

He couldn’t have known that Ruby’s phone was silently flashing notifications of new messages.

He couldn’t have imagined that their measured life had already begun its descent into a tragedy that would shake not only their family, but the entire town of Amarillo.

For now, it was just another ordinary Wednesday at the Reer family home.

Tomorrow would be Thursday, then Friday, then the weekend.

Life went on as usual, but beneath the surface of normality, forces were already forming that would soon change everything.

It had been 3 weeks since Patrick last thought about how something had changed in their home.

The first real suspicions began with a small thing.

Ruby started leaving her phone face down even at home which she had never done before.

On Thursday morning, as Patrick was making coffee, Ruby’s phone vibrated on the kitchen table.

She was upstairs getting ready for work.

Normally, he would have called out to her about the call, but something made him look at the screen.

Kyle was displayed as the caller’s name.

Strange.

His nephew had left for college an hour ago, so why would he call Ruby? “Ruby, Kyle is calling you,” he shouted toward the stairs.

“I’ll be right down,” she replied.

But there was a sense of urgency in her voice.

She appeared a few seconds later, not quite ready, grabbed the phone, and quickly answered.

“Yes, hi.

Yes, I remember.

Okay, talk to you later.

” The conversation lasted no more than 30 seconds, but Patrick noticed that Ruby had turned away from him during the call.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“No, nothing serious.

Kyle forgot to ask about dinner tonight.

He has training until late.

” The explanation sounded reasonable, but why discuss it so early in the morning? And why did Ruby seem slightly agitated? On Friday, Patrick stopped by his house at lunchtime to pick up some tools he had left in the garage.

The house was empty.

Ruby was at work.

Kyle was at college.

As he climbed the stairs, the landline phone in the bedroom rang.

Patrick answered automatically.

Hello.

Oh, Uncle Pat.

Where’s Aunt Ruby? Kyle’s voice sounded surprised.

At work, as usual.

What’s up? Nothing.

Just thought she’d be home.

Never mind.

See you tonight.

Kyle hung up, leaving Patrick with an uneasy feeling.

Why did his nephew expect Ruby to be home during work hours? And why did he call the home number instead of her cell? On Saturday, they went to Walmart for their weekly grocery shopping.

It was usually a pleasant family tradition.

The three of them would go together.

Ruby would make the list, Patrick would carry the heavy bags, and Kyle would help choose the groceries.

But this time, something was off.

Ruby seemed distracted, forgetting twice to pick up items from her own list.

And while they were waiting in line at the checkout, her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen and quickly rejected the call.

“Who was that?” Patrick asked.

“A client about Monday.

I’ll call her back later.

” But Patrick noticed that Kyle had also glanced at Ruby’s phone, and a look of tension flashed across his face.

On Sunday, during a family dinner, Patrick decided to bring up the issue that was bothering him.

Ruby, you seem tired lately.

Maybe you need a vacation.

She looked up from her plate and smiled, but the smile seemed forced.

It’s just the spring rush, you know, wedding season.

Maybe we could take a vacation together, go to Galveastston like we used to.

It’s not possible right now.

I’m booked up for 2 months.

Kyle listened intently to their conversation, glancing at Ruby from time to time.

Patrick noticed these glances, but couldn’t figure out what they meant yet.

On Monday, an incident occurred that really put Patrick on his guard.

He was working under the hood of a truck when he heard a familiar voice.

Patrick, how’s it going, buddy? It was Mike Johnson, who owned a small transport company and regularly had his vehicles serviced at Patrick’s workshop.

Hi, Mike.

What brings you here? Well, my wife booked an appointment at your Ruby’s salon for her sister’s wedding.

She says Ruby is now working on Sundays.

Patrick straightened up, wiping his hands with a rag.

On Sundays? As far as I know, the salon is closed on Sundays.

Well, my wife says she met with Ruby yesterday afternoon.

A private appointment, apparently.

Yesterday afternoon.

But Ruby had been at home all day cooking dinner and watching TV with them.

Or did she? Patrick tried to remember exactly.

Ruby had disappeared for a couple of hours after lunch, saying she was going to see her friend Linda, but apparently she had gone to work.

Oh, yes, a private booking.

Patrick nodded, trying not to show his surprise.

Why did Ruby lie to him? and why did she need to hide her extra work in the evening? He decided to carefully figure out the situation.

How was your day at Linda’s? He asked at dinner.

Ruby froze for a second but quickly pulled herself together.

Fine.

We discussed her problems with her husband.

Did you stay long? A couple of hours.

She was lying.

Patrick was sure of it.

But why? On Tuesday evening, Patrick noticed that Ruby was checking her phone much more often.

Every few minutes, she would take it out of her purse, look through her messages, and type replies.

Before, she could go hours without touching her phone at home.

“A lot of work,” he asked.

“The clients are very demanding.

They’re constantly checking details.

” But when Patrick accidentally glanced over her shoulder, he saw that she was messaging someone on a messaging app, not her work email.

On Wednesday morning, Ruby said she would be late for work.

I have a photo shoot with a model for my portfolio.

It might run until 10:00.

What about dinner? Kyle can order pizza or make something yourself.

That was unusual, too.

Ruby always tried to cook family dinners, even when she was tired.

Patrick decided to stop by the salon around 7:00 in the evening to surprise his wife.

Maybe he would invite her to dinner at a restaurant like in the old days.

The glamour salon was located in a small shopping center in the north of the city.

When Patrick arrived, he saw that most of the stores were already closed, including the salon itself.

Only a few windows were lit, but the salon was dark.

He parked and walked up to the window.

The salon was definitely closed.

There were no signs of a photo shoot or work.

Patrick took out his phone and dialed Ruby’s number.

“Hi, how are you?” she answered.

There was a noise on the line that sounded like traffic.

“I’m fine.

How’s your photo shoot?” “It’s going well.

Another 2 hours, I guess.

Where is the shoot?” A short pause.

In a studio on the other side of town, the photographer rents the space.

Okay, see you at home.

He hung up and stood in front of the dark salon.

Ruby was definitely lying.

But where was she really? Patrick arrived home at 7.

Kayla wasn’t home, although his car was in the driveway.

Perhaps he had walked to a friend’s house or to the gym.

Ruby returned at 10:00 as promised.

She looked fresh and rested, not at all like someone who had worked all day and then spent several more hours at a photo shoot.

“How did it go?” Patrick asked.

“Great.

The model was professional and so was the photographer.

We got some beautiful shots for the portfolio.

” “And Kyle still hasn’t come back.

” Kyle is home.

He went up to his room an hour ago.

So, his nephew had come back before Ruby.

Interesting.

On Thursday, Patrick decided to conduct a little experiment.

He told Ruby that he would be working late until 8 due to an urgent order, even though he planned to return at the usual time.

At 6, he parked a block away from the house and walked to the backyard.

The lights were on in the kitchen and living room.

Through the kitchen window, he could see Ruby and Kyle.

They were sitting at the table very close to each other, talking intensely about something.

Patrick couldn’t hear their words, but their body language suggested that the conversation was intimate.

Ruby put her hand on Kyle’s shoulder, and he covered her palm with his.

It lasted only a few seconds, but Patrick felt he had seen something more than ordinary family closeness.

He moved away from the window, feeling strange.

Maybe he had simply misinterpreted a normal conversation.

Ruby had always been caring toward Kyle, treating him almost like a son.

When Patrick entered the house through the front door, Ruby and Kyle were sitting in the living room at a respectable distance from each other, watching the news.

“You’re early,” Ruby remarked.

“You finished sooner than you thought.

” On Friday evening, the whole family went to the local movie theater to see a new action film.

During the screening, Patrick noticed that Ruby and Kyle exchanged glances several times in the dark auditorium.

Maybe it was his imagination, but it seemed to him that some kind of silent communication was taking place between them.

After the movie, they went to Denny’s for dinner.

Ruby sat next to Kyle at the table, which was unusual.

She usually sat across from or next to Patrick.

How’s school? Patrick asked his nephew.

Fine.

Next week we’re defending our project on internal combustion engines.

If you need help, let me know.

I have some diagrams in my workshop.

Thanks, Uncle Pat, but I think I can handle it.

Ruby listened silently to their conversation, smiling at Kyle from time to time.

These smiles also seemed special to Patrick.

On Saturday morning, when Kyle went to the gym, Patrick decided to talk to his wife directly.

Ruby, I think you’re hiding something from me.

She looked up sharply from her newspaper.

What do you mean? These late nights, strange phone calls, secret messages on your phone.

What’s going on? Ruby stood up and walked to the window, turning away from him.

Nothing’s going on, Patrick.

You’re thinking too much.

I’m not blind.

You’ve changed.

You’re different.

People change.

It’s normal.

But not so drastically and so quickly.

She turned to him and in her eyes he saw something like fear.

I’m just tired of work, of the routine.

I need some space to figure myself out.

Space from what? From me? From everything, including you.

Those words hit Patrick like a physical blow.

In 17 years of marriage, Ruby had never said anything like that.

Ruby, if there are problems, we can solve them together.

Not all problems can be solved, Patrick.

There was a finality in her voice that frightened him more than anything else.

The rest of the weekend passed in a tense atmosphere.

Ruby was polite, but cold.

Kyle seemed to sense the tension and tried to stay out of his uncle’s sight.

On Sunday evening, as Patrick lay in bed, he realized that his suspicions no longer seemed paranoid.

Something was definitely going on.

Something Ruby was desperately trying to hide.

The question was, was he ready to know the truth? Monday started out like any other day, but by noon, it had turned into a day that would change Patrick Reer’s life forever.

It all started with a broken water heater.

Patrick got a call from Ruby around 11:00 in the morning.

She was at work when her neighbor, Mrs.

Henderson, told her that water was leaking from their house.

The old water heater in the basement had sprung a leak and water was already flooding the laundry room.

Leaving the workshop to his assistant, Tommy, Patrick rushed home.

The situation was not catastrophic, but it required immediate attention.

He turned off the water, inspected the damage, and realized that the water heater needed to be completely replaced.

Fortunately, most of the water had drained away, but several boxes of belongings had been damaged.

Among the wet items was an old cardboard box of photographs and documents that had been standing near the wall.

Patrick took it upstairs to dry the contents.

Most of the photographs were dry, but several envelopes of documents were soaked through.

While sorting through the wet papers on the kitchen table, Patrick came across a small notebook belonging to Ruby that he had not seen before.

The cover was damp and the pages were stuck together.

He carefully opened it, hoping that the contents could be salvaged.

The first few pages contained the usual notes, client phone numbers, work memos, shopping lists, but when Patrick reached the middle of the notebook, his breath caught in his throat.

The page contained a combination of numbers that he initially mistook for a phone number, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was a phone password.

Next to it was written, “If something happens to the main one below that was another entry, K WhatsApp delete everyday.

” Patrick’s heart began to race.

K could only mean one name in their house.

Kyle.

Ruby was always careful with technology, but she never wrote down passwords.

Why would she suddenly need backup access to her phone? And what did the note about deleting messages everyday mean? Patrick glanced at his watch.

Ruby would be home from work in 4 hours, and Kyle would be at college until 6:00.

His wife’s phone was charging in the bedroom.

She had forgotten it that morning in the rush caused by the water heater accident.

For the next 20 minutes, Patrick struggled with himself.

Part of his mind screamed that checking his wife’s phone was a breach of trust, a line that should not be crossed in marriage.

But another part reminded him of all the oddities of the last few weeks, the lies, the growing distance between them.

In the end, curiosity and anxiety won out.

Patrick went up to the bedroom, took Ruby’s phone, and entered the password from his notebook.

The screen unlocked.

First he checked the regular messages.

Nothing suspicious.

Correspondence with clients, salon colleagues, friends.

But then he opened WhatsApp and the world around him ceased to exist.

There was a name K in the chat list.

The last message came an hour ago.

Thinking about you in class.

Can’t concentrate.

Patrick opened the conversation with trembling fingers.

What he saw exceeded his worst fears.

The messages dated back 3 months.

At first, they were relatively innocent.

Kyle thanked Ruby for helping him with his studies.

She asked about his progress.

But gradually, the tone of the conversation changed.

“You look especially beautiful today,” Kyle wrote 2 weeks ago.

“Silly, don’t say things like that,” Ruby replied.

But she attached a kiss emoji to the message.

I can’t stop thinking about last night.

I liked it, too.

But we have to be careful.

When Uncle Pat goes fishing, we can spend the whole day together.

I want you right now.

Patrick read message after message, feeling something break inside him.

This wasn’t just an emotional connection or flirting.

The content of some of the messages left no doubt about the physical intimacy between his wife and his nephew.

Ruby wrote about how she liked Kyle’s touch, how she looked forward to moments when they were alone.

Kyle responded with the aror of a 17-year-old teenager, but his messages also revealed a maturity beyond his years.

The most recent messages were particularly painful for Patrick.

I think Uncle Pat suspects something, Kyle wrote last night.

I know he’s asking strange questions.

We need to be even more careful.

Maybe we should tell him.

I don’t want to lie anymore.

No, he’ll kill us both.

Literally, we have to wait until summer when you go back to your father.

I don’t know if I can hold out until summer.

I want to be with you for real soon, my dear.

Just hang in there a little longer.

Patrick put down the phone.

His hands were shaking so badly that he could barely hold the device.

His mind was in chaos, rage, pain, disgust, and disbelief mixed into a toxic cocktail of emotions.

His wife had slept with his nephew, a 17-year-old boy he had taken into his home, whom he considered almost a son.

Ruby, with whom he had lived for 17 years, whom he loved and trusted unconditionally, had betrayed him in the most cruel way.

But even more frightening was the realization that it had been happening right under his nose.

All of Kyle’s late work, meetings with friends, and extra classes were lies, a cover for their relationship.

Patrick tried to remember when it might have started.

The correspondents mentioned events from 3 months ago, which meant it had begun shortly after Kyle moved in with them, maybe even in the first few weeks.

A wave of nausea washed over him.

How many times had they done this in his house, in his bed, when he wasn’t there? Had they laughed at him while planning their meetings? The sound of the front door opening made Patrick look up sharply.

Ruby had come home from work earlier than usual.

Patrick, are you home? She called from the hallway.

He quickly closed WhatsApp and put his phone back on the charger.

He needed time to collect his thoughts and decide what to do.

In the bedroom, he replied, trying to make his voice sound normal.

Ruby came upstairs.

She looked worried and tired.

How’s the water heater? The neighbor says there’s no water.

Everything’s under control.

They’ll bring a new one tomorrow.

She nodded and walked over to the mirror, starting to take off her earrings.

In the reflection, Patrick saw her face.

Familiar, but now it seemed foreign to him.

I forgot my phone this morning, she said, reaching for the nightstand.

Yes, I noticed.

Ruby picked up her phone and automatically checked her messages.

Patrick watched her face, trying to figure out if she suspected anything, but she just scrolled through her notifications and put her phone in her purse.

The next 2 hours before Kayla’s return were agonizing.

Ruby behaved as usual.

She made dinner, talked about her day at work, asked about the renovation.

Patrick responded automatically, fighting the urge to yell at her, to demand an explanation immediately, but he knew he had to wait until Kayla was out of the house.

It was going to be a difficult conversation, and his nephew should not be involved.

Kyle showed up at 6, cheerful and relaxed.

At dinner, he talked about the project he was defending that week and joked with Patrick as usual.

But now, Patrick saw things he hadn’t noticed before.

How Kyle looked at Ruby, how she smiled back at him, how their fingers accidentally touched when they passed dishes to each other.

After dinner, Kyle said he was going to a friend’s house to study for tomorrow’s exam and would be back late.

Patrick watched him to the door, thinking that his nephew might not be going to a friend’s house, but rather making up an excuse to stay away from home so as not to disturb his uncle and aunt.

When the door closed behind Kyle, Patrick realized that the moment had come.

Ruby was washing dishes in the kitchen, humming a tune to herself.

It was a familiar domestic scene that Patrick had witnessed thousands of times, but now it seemed to him like a disgusting parody of family.

“Ruby,” he said, entering the kitchen.

“We need to talk.

” Something in his tone made her turn around.

Seeing the look on his face, she immediately knew something was wrong.

About what? About Kyle.

Ruby’s face changed instantly.

She turned pale, almost gray.

What do you mean? I know, Ruby.

I know everything.

She lowered her hands into the soapy water, keeping her eyes on him.

I don’t understand what you’re talking about.

I read your messages.

The plate slipped from Ruby’s hands and shattered on the bottom of the sink.

The sound of breaking glass filled the kitchen.

Patrick, 3 months, Ruby.

3 months you slept with my 17-year-old nephew in my own house.

She grabbed the edge of the sink as if trying to stay on her feet.

It’s not what you think.

Not what? Then what? Explain to me what I want you right now.

And I liked what happened last night mean? Ruby covered her face with her hands.

My god, how could you? How could you do this to me? To us? She didn’t answer, just shook her head.

And don’t tell me he seduced you.

He’s a child, Ruby.

He’s 17.

I know, she finally shouted.

You think I don’t know? You think it’s easy for me? Easy? It’s easy for you.

Patrick felt a rage rising inside him that he had never felt before.

You destroyed our family.

You used a child, and it’s easy for you.

No.

Ruby turned to him and he saw the tears on her face.

It’s not easy for me.

It’s hell, Patrick.

Every day is hell.

Then why? Why didn’t you stop? She sat down at the kitchen table, pressing her hands to her face.

I don’t know.

I didn’t plan it.

It just happened.

Nothing just happens.

It’s a choice, Ruby.

You chose to cheat on me with a child.

The next half hour was the hardest of Patrick’s life.

Ruby told him through her tears how it all started.

At first, Kyle just asked her for advice.

Then they started spending more time together when Patrick worked late.

Then there were long conversations, emotional intimacy, and their first kiss 2 months ago.

He made me feel needed, wanted.

We’ve been living like roommates for a long time.

Patrick, don’t you dare blame me for what you’ve done.

I’m not blaming you, but it’s true.

When he looked at me, I felt alive again.

Patrick listened, feeling something inside him break completely.

Not only had his wife cheated on him, but she was trying to justify it with their family problems.

Do you realize he’s a minor? That’s a crime, Ruby.

He’s almost 18.

Almost doesn’t count.

He’s a child.

They talked late into the night.

Ruby swore she wanted to end the relationship with Kyle, but couldn’t.

Patrick tried to understand how he could have been so blind as to not notice what was going on.

By 3:00 in the morning, they were both emotionally exhausted.

Kyle never came home.

Perhaps he felt it was better to spend the night at a friend’s house.

“What now?” Ruby asked in a quiet voice.

Patrick was silent for a long time, staring out the window.

I don’t know.

I don’t know, Ruby.

He knew he was on the verge of making decisions that would change everything.

He could call the police.

His wife’s relationship with his underage nephew was a crime.

He could kick them both out of the house.

He could try to resolve everything within the family.

“Kyle has to leave tomorrow,” he finally said to his father’s immediately.

And then then we’ll see.

First, we have to stop this madness.

Ruby nodded without looking up.

Patrick, don’t.

Not now.

He stood up and headed for the stairs.

I’ll sleep in the guest room.

As he climbed the stairs, Patrick realized that his life had been divided into before and after this day, and he had no idea what after would look like.

Patrick didn’t sleep all night.

Lying on the narrow bed in the guest room, he stared at the ceiling and tried to understand how his life could have changed so drastically in one day.

Fragments of his conversation with Ruby spun around in his head.

Her tears, her excuses, which sounded like a mockery of their 17-year marriage.

By 6:00 in the morning, he gave up and got up.

The house was deathly quiet.

Kyle hadn’t come back from his friend’s place.

Perhaps he had sensed intuitively that a storm was brewing at home.

As Patrick descended to the kitchen, he heard quiet sobs coming from the master bedroom.

Ruby was crying.

Part of him wanted to go up and comfort her, as he had done hundreds of times over the years of their marriage, but most of him felt only disgust and rage.

He poured himself some coffee and went out to the backyard.

It was a cool morning, typical of a Texas spring.

His neighbors, Mr.

and Mrs.

Henderson, were already working in their garden.

It was a normal, peaceful suburban scene, but now it seemed unreal to him.

At 7, Kyle returned home.

Patrick heard the front door slam and his nephew go up to his room.

He was probably trying to sneak upstairs to get changed before college.

Patrick went into the house and went upstairs.

Kyle’s door was closed, but he could hear muffled voices.

His nephew was talking to someone on the phone.

“I don’t know what he knows.

” “Yes,” she said.

He found out everything.

“No, I can’t talk about it right now.

” Patrick felt a new wave of rage.

Kyle was calling Ruby.

They were coordinating their actions.

Even now, when everything had been revealed, he pushed the door open sharply.

Kyle was sitting on the bed with the phone to his ear, but when he saw his uncle, he quickly hung up.

Uncle Pat, I pack your things now.

Kyle’s face turned pale.

What? You heard me.

Pack your [ __ ] and get out of my house.

Uncle Pat, let’s talk.

There’s nothing to talk about.

You have an hour.

Patrick turned and headed for the stairs, but Kyle called after him.

What about Aunt Ruby? That question asked with a possessive tone was the last straw.

Patrick turned around and Kyle saw something in his eyes that made him recoil.

Don’t you dare mention her name in my house again.

The next half hour was chaotic in the house.

Kyle quickly packed his things, periodically leaving the room to pick up something from the bathroom or kitchen.

Ruby never came out of the bedroom, although she could be heard crying behind the closed door.

Patrick called his brother Mark, but he didn’t answer.

He was probably already at work at the oil refinery.

He left a voicemail.

Mark, it’s Patrick.

Kyle is coming back to you today.

For good.

I’ll explain later.

At 8:30, Kyle came downstairs with two bags and a backpack.

He looked confused and scared, just like the 17-year-old he was.

Uncle Pat, can I at least explain? No, but you have to understand.

I have to I have to understand how my nephew slept with my wife in my house.

Kyle lowered his head.

It’s not that simple.

Get out.

Kyle headed for the door, but stopped at the threshold.

I didn’t want it to turn out this way.

I’m telling the truth.

Patrick didn’t answer.

He just stood there and watched his nephew leave the house, perhaps forever.

After Kyle left, the house was plunged into a heavy silence.

Ruby still hadn’t come out of the bedroom.

Patrick paced the first floor like a caged animal, unable to concentrate on anything.

At 10:00, he called the workshop and told Tommy he was sick and wouldn’t be coming to work.

For the first time in many years, he lied to his employees.

By noon, the silence had become unbearable.

Patrick went upstairs and knocked on the bedroom door.

Ruby.

There was no answer.

Ruby, I need to go to the workshop.

Kyle has left.

The door opened.

Ruby stood in the doorway with red tear stained eyes, her hair tousled, wearing the same dress she had worn yesterday.

He’s gone to his father’s.

She nodded.

But in her eyes, he saw not relief, but a kind of panic.

What will happen to us now? I don’t know.

Patrick, we can fix this.

We can try.

Fix it.

Patrick’s voice grew louder.

You think you can fix the fact that you slept with a child? He’s not a child.

He’s 17.

17.

Ruby started crying again, but now there was no remorse in her tears, only self-pity.

You don’t understand what we had.

I understand enough.

No.

You think it was just lust, but it wasn’t.

We had a real connection.

Those words hit Patrick harder than a physical blow.

Ruby hadn’t just cheated on him.

She had fallen in love with a 17-year-old boy.

A real connection with a child.

He understood me.

He saw me as a woman, not a servant.

A servant? Did I treat you like a servant? You treated me like a piece of furniture, like a part of the house that just had to function.

They yelled at each other, spilling out years of pent up resentment and grievances.

Patrick accused Ruby of betrayal and perversion.

She blamed him for indifference and emotional deafness.

“Maybe I should have cheated on you a long time ago,” Ruby shouted at one point.

“Maybe then you would have finally paid attention to me.

” “How dare you?” “What? Do you think it’s easy to live with a man who only sees you as a cook and a cleaner? I worked for this family.

I provided for us.

You worked.

You always worked.

When was the last time you talked to me about anything other than bills and repairs? Patrick fell silent.

There was some truth in her words that he didn’t want to admit.

That doesn’t excuse what you did.

I know, but it explains it.

They stood facing each other in the hallway, breathing heavily after their argument.

17 years of marriage were falling apart right before their eyes.

“I can’t look at you,” Patrick said quietly.

“Then don’t leave.

You’ll never forgive me for this anyway.

” “You’re right.

I won’t.

” Ruby went into the bedroom and slammed the door.

Patrick heard her locket.

The next few hours passed in agonizing anticipation.

Patrick knew he had to decide something, do something, but he didn’t know what.

His thoughts were confused.

His emotions were raging.

At 4:00 in the afternoon, the phone rang.

It was Mark.

Patrick, what’s going on? Kyle came to me in tears, but he won’t explain anything.

Patrick closed his eyes.

The conversation with his brother would be one of the most difficult of his life.

Mark, we need to meet.

We need to talk about what? What has my son done? Not over the phone.

Let’s meet at Denny’s in an hour.

Patrick, you’re scaring me.

See you in an hour.

Patrick hung up and went upstairs.

The bedroom door was still locked, but there were no sounds coming from inside.

Ruby, I’m going to Marks.

I’ll be back late.

There was no answer.

He stood there for another minute, then headed downstairs.

He stopped at the front door looking at their wedding photo hanging in the hallway.

Young, happy, full of hope.

When did it all go wrong? At 5, Patrick returned home after talking to his brother.

Mark took the news hard.

At first, he didn’t believe it.

Then he got angry.

Then he started blaming Ruby for everything.

They decided that Kyle would stay with his father and finish the school year, commuting to college from the other end of town.

The house greeted him with an unusual silence.

Patrick went upstairs.

The bedroom door was open.

There was no one inside.

Ruby, he called.

Silence.

He went around the whole house, checked the backyard, the garage.

Ruby’s car was gone.

She had probably gone to a friend’s house or a motel.

Maybe it was for the best.

They both needed to cool off and think.

Patrick heated up the pizza left over from yesterday and turned on the TV, but he couldn’t concentrate on the program.

The events of the last day, Ruby’s words, Kyle’s face, were spinning in his head.

At 10:00 in the evening, he heard the front door open.

Ruby had come home.

She walked into the living room where Patrick was sitting.

She looked terrible, haggarded, with red eyes and rumpled clothes.

We need to talk, she said.

I think we’ve already said everything there is to say.

No, not everything.

She sat down in the chair opposite the sofa where he was sitting.

I went to see a lawyer.

Patrick felt his insides tighten.

And he said that if you report this to the police, I could go to prison for having a relationship with a minor.

I know.

Are you going to report it? Patrick was silent for a long time.

He had been thinking about it all day, but had not yet made a final decision.

I don’t know, Patrick, I beg you.

Beg me for what? To keep quiet about my wife seducing my nephew? It wasn’t seduction.

There were feelings between us.

Feelings for a 17-year-old? Yes, and I don’t regret it.

The last sentence sounded like a slap in the face.

Patrick slowly got up from the sofa.

You don’t regret it? No.

For the first time in years, I felt alive.

For the first time, someone saw me as a woman, not a housekeeper.

Then why the hell are you begging me not to go to the police? Because I don’t want to go to jail, but I don’t regret what happened between us.

Patrick looked at his wife and realized he didn’t know her.

This woman sitting in front of him talking about her feelings for a teenager was a stranger.

You’re sick, Ruby.

I’m not sick.

I’m in love with a child with a man who treats me like a woman.

Something inside Patrick snapped.

17 years of marriage, 17 years of working for this family, 17 years of love and care, and all of that meant less to her than 3 months with a teenager.

He moved toward her, not knowing what he was going to do.

Ruby saw something in his eyes and backed away.

Patrick.

Everything that happened next was a blur.

Ruby tried to get up from the chair.

He grabbed her by the shoulders.

She pushed him away, shouted something about how he never understood her.

And suddenly, Patrick felt his hands tighten around her neck.

Ruby tried to scream, scratched his hands, struggled, but he couldn’t stop.

All the pain, rage, and humiliation of the last few days spilled out in this movement.

When he finally let her go, Ruby fell lifelessly to the floor.

Patrick stood over his wife’s body, breathing heavily.

His hands were shaking.

The house was completely silent.

What had he done? The next hour passed in a kind of unreal frenzy.

Patrick knelt next to Ruby’s body, trying to revive her, even though he knew it was too late.

Then he sat on the floor for a long time, his head in his hands.

When the shock subsided a little, thoughts began to form in his head.

His life was over.

If he confessed to the murder, he would be imprisoned for many years, perhaps forever.

But what else could he do? Patrick tried to reconstruct the events.

There were almost no signs of a struggle in the room.

The chair had moved slightly and the coffee table remained in place.

His hands were scratched from Ruby’s nails, but that could be explained.

He picked up the phone and started dialing 911 several times, but couldn’t bring himself to complete the call.

Each time, he was overcome with horror at the thought of what would happen next.

At midnight, Patrick finally made up his mind.

He would dial 911, but he wouldn’t explain anything.

Let the police figure it out for themselves.

911.

What emergency do you need? Police.

My wife.

I think she’s dead.

Sir, where are you located? Patrick gave the address.

What happened to your wife? I don’t know.

I came home and she wasn’t breathing.

Sir, stay where you are.

An ambulance and the police are on their way.

At 1:15 am, the first patrol car arrived at the house on Park Street.

Officers Thomas Riley and Jennifer Carter found Patrick Reer sitting on the porch.

Sir, did you call emergency services? Yes, my wife is in the living room.

Officer Carter entered the house while Riley stayed with Patrick.

When did you find her? About an hour ago, I came home and she was lying on the floor.

A minute later, Carter’s voice came from inside the house.

Thomas, call the detectives and the crime scene team.

It looks like a homicide.

Riley looked closely at Patrick.

Sir, where were you tonight? At my brother’s.

We talked about family problems.

Until what time? Until 10:00.

Then I drove home and no one was home.

No, I mean my wife was there, but we didn’t talk.

I went to sleep in the guest room.

Why the guest room? Patrick paused.

We’ve been having problems in our marriage.

Detective Sarah Collins arrived at the scene at 1.

At 41, she was one of the most experienced investigators in the Amarillo Police Department’s homicide division.

a tall, slender woman with piercing brown eyes.

She had seen it all in her 15 years on the force.

The crime scene had been preserved.

Ruby Reader’s body lay in the living room between an armchair and a coffee table.

A preliminary examination revealed signs of strangulation, bruises on her neck, pinpoint hemorrhages in her eyes.

“Where’s the husband?” Collins asked Officer Riley.

in the patrol car.

He says he found her dead when he came home.

Does he have an alibi? He claims he was at his brothers until 10.

Collins nodded and headed for the patrol car.

Patrick Reer sat in the back seat, staring straight ahead.

His hands rested on his knees, fresh scratches visible on his wrists.

Mr.

Reer, I’m Detective Collins.

I need to ask you a few questions.

He looked at her with tired eyes.

Okay, tell me what happened tonight.

I was at my brother’s.

I got back around 10:00.

I went into the living room and found Ruby on the floor.

Where was your wife before that? I don’t know.

She wasn’t home when I left to go to my brother’s.

What time did you leave? 4.

And she was out until 10, probably.

I don’t know.

Collins wrote down the answers, watching Patrick closely.

He seemed shocked, but something about his behavior alarmed her.

Mr.

Reader, where did you get the scratches on your hands? Patrick looked at his wrists as if he were seeing the scratches for the first time.

I don’t know.

Maybe I got them in the workshop.

Did you work today? No, but I worked yesterday.

The answers were too vague for a man who had just found his wife dead.

Mr.

Reader, were you and your wife having problems? A long pause.

Yes.

What kind? Family stuff.

I don’t want to talk about it.

I’m afraid you have to.

Your wife has been murdered.

Patrick closed his eyes.

We had a bit of an argument.

It was the first lie he had deliberately told the police.

and Detective Collins sensed it.

The investigation into Ruby Reader’s murder began at dawn.

Detective Collins arrived at the station at 6:00 in the morning, even though the previous shift had ended just 3 hours earlier.

Experience told her that the first 48 hours after a murder were the most critical.

The forensic team had already provided a preliminary report from the crime scene.

The picture was relatively clear.

Ruby Reer had died of strangulation.

The expert estimated the time of death to be between 10:30 and 11:30 pm There were no signs of sexual assault or robbery on the victim’s body.

There were no signs of forced entry in the house.

Collins studied the photos from the crime scene.

The living room looked almost untouched.

Only the armchair had been slightly moved and the coffee table was tilted.

The body lay between the furniture, suggesting that the victim had fallen after the attack.

On the carpet next to the body, forensic experts found several hairs that presumably belonged to the attacker.

The detective decided to check Patrick Reer’s alibi first.

She called the murdered woman’s brother, Mark Reer, at 7:00 in the morning.

Mark confirmed that Patrick had indeed visited him in the evening, but the details of his story made Collins suspicious.

According to Mark, his brother seemed extremely agitated and told him that his son Kyle had begun an intimate relationship with Ruby.

The meeting lasted from 5 to 9 in the evening, after which Patrick went home.

This meant that Patrick had enough time to return home, quarrel with his wife, and kill her before he allegedly found the body.

The next step was to question Kyle Reer.

The 17-year-old nephew of the murdered woman was in a state of deep shock.

He confirmed that he had been in a romantic relationship with Ruby for 3 months.

The boy recounted how his uncle had kicked him out of the house on the morning of the murder after discovering their correspondence.

Kyle described his relationship with Ruby as true love, which gave the detective mixed feelings.

She had seen enough cases where adults manipulated minors, passing it off as mutual feelings.

However, the motive for the murder, which was now obvious, was more important for the investigation.

Technical expertise brought new evidence.

Analysis of phone records showed that the last call to Ruby’s phone came at 10:47 pm from Kyle.

The call lasted only 30 seconds.

Perhaps Ruby was unable to answer because she was already dead.

DNA testing of hairs from the crime scene yielded an unambiguous result.

They belonged to Patrick Reer.

This was not surprising given that he lived in the house, but the location of the hairs near the victim’s body indicated their connection to the moment of the murder.

The most important piece of evidence was the analysis of the scratches on the suspect’s hands.

The forensic doctor compared them with skin samples from under Ruby’s fingernails and found a DNA match.

Ruby had scratched her killer while trying to free herself from his grasp.

On the third day of the investigation, Collins received the results of the suspect’s psychological profile.

Patrick Reer was described as a man with traditional views on family and marriage, prone to suppressing his emotions and exhibiting explosive behavior in stressful situations.

The discovery of his wife’s affair with his underage nephew could have been the catalyst for a crime of jealousy and wounded pride.

The detective also examined the family’s financial situation.

The readers were not wealthy, but they lived a stable life.

No large debts or insurance policies that could have been a motive for murder were found.

This definitively ruled out financial motives.

The decisive piece of evidence was the examination of Ruby’s cell phone.

Technicians recovered deleted correspondence with Kyle, including messages sent on the day of the murder.

In her last messages, Ruby wrote that she was afraid of her husband’s reaction and wanted to leave town.

Kyle tried to dissuade her from this decision.

The timestamps on the messages showed that Ruby was alive and active on her phone until 10:15 pm After that time, she did not respond to her nephew’s calls or messages.

On the fourth day, Collins decided to reinter Patrick Reer.

This time, she had enough evidence to charge him.

Patrick came to the police station voluntarily, as he had done before.

He looked tired and aged, but he carried himself with dignity.

The detective began with the formalities, reading him his rights and obtaining his consent to be questioned without a lawyer.

Collins methodically presented the evidence she had gathered.

DNA under the victim’s fingernails that matched his scratches.

A timeline that gave him the opportunity to commit the murder.

A motive in the form of discovered infidelity.

Contradictions in his initial statements.

Patrick listened silently, his face gradually losing color.

When the detective finished listing the evidence, an uncomfortable silence hung in the interrogation room.

Mr.

reader, do you have anything to add? A long pause.

Patrick looked at his hands resting on the table.

The scratches had almost healed, but were still visible.

I didn’t plan to kill her.

The words came out quietly, almost in a whisper.

Collins turned on the tape recorder to record the confession.

Tell us what happened that evening.

Patrick closed his eyes and began to speak.

His voice was even emotionless.

the voice of a man who had already accepted the inevitability of punishment.

He recounted how he had discovered the correspondence between his wife and his nephew.

He described the nighttime confrontation when Ruby confessed to the relationship with the minor.

He explained how he had kicked Kyle out of the house and spent the day trying to figure out what to do next.

The meeting with his brother was an attempt to find support and advice.

Mark was shocked by his son’s behavior, but advised Patrick to resolve the issue in a civilized manner, perhaps through a family psychologist.

But when Patrick returned home and saw Ruby, all rational plans collapsed.

She greeted him with a demand not to take away her freedom and a statement that she did not regret her relationship with Kyle.

Moreover, she called her relationship with the 17-year-old teenager true love.

She said that for the first time in years, she felt alive, that he saw her as a woman, not a housekeeper.

Patrick paused, trying to find the words to explain what happened next.

17 years of marriage, 17 years I worked for this family, loved them, cared for them, and all of that meant less than 3 months with a boy.

The detective listened silently, understanding the psychology of the crime.

Patrick was not a psychopath or a sadist.

He was an ordinary man who had been pushed to his breaking point.

I don’t remember exactly how it happened.

I only remember grabbing her by the neck.

I wanted her to shut up, to stop saying those horrible things.

But then it was too late.

After his confession, Patrick sat silently staring at the table.

Collins understood that she was looking at a broken man who had lost everything.

his family, his future, his self-respect.

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