A Murder in Providence: Day One

I saw the body

If that’s what you’re going to ask me

Then yes, I saw it

It was…

This sort of coldwater moment

Because I was so happy

In the moment

I remember happiness

Being so overjoyed

Because lying in the bed…

Uh…I live in these apartments

That overlook the river

Near the mall

You can see where they do Waterfire

It’s really nice

Kind of a pain

If you don’t like noise

But I don’t mind it

The noise, I mean

Anyway, lying in bed

Was this, uh, person

I spent the night with

And so I had just gotten up

And thrown on a bathrobe

Put the coffee on

I was going to start breakfast

And…

I looked out the window

And I saw…

I’m sorry

Uh…

This is…

Jesus

She was floating

In the river

She had this pink, sort of…

I guess it was a prom dress?

I mean, it looked like that

And she was floating on the river

Right past my line of, uh, sight

What I could see

If you’re looking for who did this

I can’t really offer much more than that

As soon as I saw what was going on

The body, I mean, I just—

Turned around

And, uh…

I went back to bed

I was shaking

I mean, my body was—

So I put my arms around…

The reason I didn’t say anything

Up until now

Is because…

I mean, what could I offer?

That I saw her

That I saw her

And just went back to bed?

I mean, maybe I could have called the police

Maybe she had just fallen in the river

But I didn’t think so

I didn’t think that was what happened

I knew it was…

I knew it was something bad

So I went back to bed

With this person who…

…Is not my spouse

That, uh, might also have something to do with the whole

Me-not-saying-anything

…thing

All those questions

Giving a statement

Being interviewed by the news

And I felt bad

I really did

Because that’s not me

Normally I’m very eager to help

In any situation

But then it exploded

You know, the whole town

The state

I mean, we were on the Today Show

Every day for a month

That’s unheard of for just, you know

A murder in Providence

But this was like…so much more

So I was kind of glad

I didn’t get involved

I didn’t even want to, you know, talk

About this

Because, it messed me up

I mean, it really did

I didn’t get out of bed for four days

The guy in the bed left

The person I’m married to came home

And was like—

‘Did you hear about the girl in the river?’

And I said, ‘No—

--No, I didn’t’

And in my mind, it felt true

I swear to God

It really did

It’s amazing what you can make yourself believe

If you turn away from the truth

Fast enough