“Not necessarily. But here she was, with no apparent job, which I thought was strange.”
That’s interesting, Linda mused. Wife has mysterious past and possible motive. Captain Turner wrote “Investigate wife’s background” in a margin. “Did you ask her if she worked?”
Darlene’s gaze was unwavering. “Oh, sure, but I never believed her answer. Something about getting laid off and being financially secure enough to make a fresh start. But, if you asked who she’d worked for or where she’d moved from, she’d change the subject.”
“You mentioned she was volunteering a lot.”
“Yes. Volunteers don’t normally put in the kind of long hours she did, and her behavior was very flirtatious, which I didn’t think was appropriate.” Darlene’s eyes narrowed in disapproval.
“Because of Gregory’s position as pastor?”
From across the table, Darlene’s brow arched slightly. “That was part of it. But Gregory was also newly widowed. His wife had died of breast cancer, and her illness and death were heartbreaking for Rev. Hansen and the congregation. Chris, his wife, was very active as the choir and music director. When she died, Gregory was devastated. He should’ve taken some time off to at least begin the healing process; instead, he threw himself into the work, sometimes staying here twelve and fourteen hours a day.”
“When did Nicole show up?” Linda took notes at a fast clip.
“Not six months after Chris died.”
Flipping a page, Linda asked, “What was Nicole’s maiden name?”
“Allen, Nicole Allen.”
“Did Nicole’s flirting make Rev. Hansen uncomfortable?”
“No, and that’s what bothered me. He was obviously attracted to her, and they started spending all their time together. The relationship formed quickly, and they were married only thirteen months after Chris passed away.”
This is intriguing, Linda thought. Pastor Hansen barely takes time to mourn his wife. “You said you didn’t trust Nicole. What makes you say that?”
“For someone just moving into town, she seemed to know a lot about Gregory. Nicole not only knew Chris had died of breast cancer, but also that they had tried to have a baby for several years and were considering fertility treatments. That’s when her cancer was discovered. I remember asking Nicole how she knew so much, and she said parishioners had told her things.”
“Talking is human nature, don’t you think?”
“Yes, but it was as if Nicole was using Gregory’s personal tragedy to manipulate him, and he was in a very fragile emotional state.”
Linda ceased writing and eyed Darlene. “Why do you believe Nicole was manipulating Gregory?”
“It’s hard to explain,” Darlene responded, fleshy hands clasped in front of her. “She was very assertive, almost as if she’d come here with a plan to marry Gregory from the start.”
“So, Rev. Hansen and Nicole fall in love and get married. Then what happened?”
“Nicole got pregnant right away, but she miscarried. They had a boy, Jacob, in 1998. Within two years, they had a daughter, Elizabeth. But the most disturbing thing, for me at least, was Nicole’s attitude. Once she and Gregory were married, Nicole was often snippy with staff. She kept badgering Gregory about taking over as bookkeeper, even though the woman in the position had held it for twenty years and was very competent. Nicole was relentless, accusing Nancy of making mistakes and insisting she should be fired. That went on for over a year before Nancy finally quit.” Darlene crossed her muscular arms and leaned into the table. “That’s when I really suspected Nicole was embezzling money,” she said in a near whisper.
Linda stretched her slim legs, sitting back in her chair. “What made you suspicious?”
“After Nicole became bookkeeper, those records were off limits to everyone but her. She was very secretive on financial matters; and if anyone pressed her, she became defensive.”
“Can you prove any of this?”
“I can now. After Nicole and Gregory left, I had access to the books again and started reviewing expenses and income month by month. There were a lot of entries for ‘miscellaneous expenses’ of which we knew nothing. Nicole had the authority to write, cash, and deposit checks, and I believe she was taking collection money and donations for herself.”
“Even Reverend Hansen couldn’t sign checks?”
“He had the authority, but Nicole kept those books locked up.”
“Which bank does the church have accounts with?”
“First Nebraska Bank, here in town. I’ve got a meeting scheduled next week to review these discrepancies. You’re welcome to attend.”
“That would be immensely helpful, and we wouldn’t need a warrant.” Linda tapped an index finger on the table. “Let’s jump ahead to Gregory taking a different position as a Disciples of Christ missionary in Africa. When was that exactly?”
“He announced their plans to the congregation last November, and they left at the end of March. But Nicole absolutely did not want to be a missionary. She argued Africa was no place to raise Jacob and Elizabeth and insisted on staying behind. But Gregory was adamant that missionary work was his calling. They were fighting constantly, but Gregory wouldn’t budge. Once the latest pastor was hired, they started packing. Reverend Martin accepted the position in early March. Gregory gave his last sermon on March twenty-fourth, and we had a good-bye party that afternoon. Funny thing, though, no one knows when they left for missionary orientation in Cleveland. After the party, except for Nicole packing, no one saw Gregory or the children again.”
There’s motive, Linda thought. She moved ahead with her questions. “When did Reverend Martin move in?”
“The first of April,” Darlene stated. “I didn’t think anything of it then, but Bill mentioned more than once how clean the house was.”
“My team is interviewing him now,” Linda said. “When did the Disciples of Christ Church missionary office call to say the Hansens had never shown up?”
“The second week in April,” Darlene said. “Gregory had mentioned they were taking a family vacation to Florida before reporting to Cleveland.” She looked off into space, shaking her head sadly. “I took the call and forwarded it to Bill. When he came out of his office, he was ashen, not a drop of color. We called the police, and they did a preliminary search but found no trace of the Hansens.”
“The Hansens were leaving the country. Was there any family that was contacted?”
“Nicole never spoke of having family. Gregory’s parents are dead, but he had distant relatives in western Nebraska. They were as mystified as the rest of us.”
Linda made notes to contact other law enforcement agencies. “Would you happen to have any photographs of Reverend Hansen, his wife, and children?”
Darlene considered this for a moment. “We have several of Reverend Hansen, so that’s no problem, and some of Jacob and Elizabeth at church functions. But Nicole, I shouldn’t be surprised she stayed out of photos.”
Captain Turner rolled the pen between her long fingers. “We won’t know for several days whether these remains are the Hansen family. You’re suspicious of Mrs. Hansen, and I can understand that. But, Darlene, I need to ask you if there might be another individual capable of killing the reverend and his children—a neighbor or disgruntled parishioner?”