May 8th, 1944. She still remembered that night well…. The night her sister called the cops when her husband was found stabbed to death in the living room of their old farm house. She remembered the flashing lights and the feeling of pure dread that washed over her when she saw her dead husband face to face, Identifying that it was him. She remembered the cop that put a blanket around her and sat her in the back of the car….. she remembered his eyes……

She remembered all of this because it was only actually 4 days ago, but you know, sometimes things blurr together. She was in his office right now, listing names of people who could be put on the suspect list, she had a cigarette between her fingers and her legs crossed… she seemed unphased by the brutal death of her late husband.

"So, ma'am, is there anyone else you think could be responsible for the murder of Jack?"

The woman with the red hair took in a long puff of her cigarette before she replied with a simple

"No"

The cop nodded and pushed aside his list, he looked up at the woman, she seemed all too familiar, yet not at all... he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Well thank you much ma'am, if you have any more questions or concerns, or details regarding the case, feel free to come on in"

The woman nodded and stood up, she grabbed her bag and flashed a grin.

"Will do, Barton"

The way she said his name, it was drug out and sultry, and not having 'officer' in front of it was something he really wasn't expecting, with the seriousness and confidentiality of this case and all.

"Oh, and Miss Romanoff, before you go, I must ask another simple question"

The woman took one last puff from her burned down cigarette, and nodded as she put it out.

"Ask away officer"

He looked at her, her gaze was strong, demanding almost, but he didn't find it intimidating.

"Would you be willing to take a polygraph test"

It caught her off guard... her gaze wavered and fell from his, just for a second, but he noticed it.

"Uhm... that's the lie detector, yes?"

The man nodded and dropped his own gaze to a paper, he seemed completely distracted .

"Yes ma'am it is"

The widow took a second before she nodded her head.

"Y- yes, i would be willing to take a polygraph "

He looked at the calendar he had on his wall, he thought about it.

"Well darlin, I could squeeze you in at 3pm today if you're free"

She took in a sharp breath then nodded once more.

"3pm sounds splendid officer, I'll be seein you then"

Clint smiled and Wrote her name on his calendar for 3pm.

Until then.


"Did you kill your husband, Miss Romanoff"

She shook her head for the third time, this was the third time!

"As I said the first two times, officer... No, I did not kill my husband"

Finally Barton walked in and told them to knock it off, the woman sighed with relief.

"I kept tellin em, they just didn't listen"

The man nodded, he told his fellow officers some things the woman couldn't hear, and soon they all walked out, all but him.

"Lovely to see you again Barton"

The woman looked much happier than even a few moments ago, the man flashed a smile and sat down in front of her.

"You mind if I ask you some questions? Just you and I?"

Woman smiled, she looked around and then back at him.

"Well I don't see why not"

The officer nodded and turned the machine on once more, than began the questions.

"Miss Romanoff, how old are you?"

"32 years old"

The man nodded, the only other person in here was reading the paper on the polygraph, there weren't 3 men shouting at the woman for answers, it was nice and quiet.

"And where do you live?"

"1427, West Millard street, Texas"

The man nodded once more in agreement.

"Was your husband a nice man?"

The woman thought about that question, how to answer, and they told her to keep her answers short... but she never listened.

"That man never had one nice bone in his body, not from the second he was born, to the minute he died. He was a taker, took what he wanted and never care who he hurt"

The woman shook her head, the man had never seen her get so worked up, he'd only known her four days, but she had smiled through them all.

"No, my husband was not a nice man"

Barton looked at her for a second, before moving to the next question.

"Did your husband ever harm you?"

Natasha took a second before she nodded.

"Every chance he got, he hurt me"

The woman left it at that, but deep down she felt there was so much more to say.

"Did you ever harm your husband?"

The woman shook her head.

"No sir, I never harmed my husband"

The man who was watching the polygraph raised his hand.

"Lie, she's lying"

The woman looked down, she didn't say anything.

"Was your social status something you ever cared about?"

The redhead scoffed.

"I had no status to care about, an audience possibly, but no status"

The man looked confused and furrowed his brows a bit, but he just moved to the next question...

"Miss Romanoff, did you or did you not kill your husband?"

Natasha looked him dead in the eyes, and instead of her normal answer 'no' She smiled instead.

"You'll never know"

And with that, he was done, there was no more he needed to ask, and the polygraph found the woman neither guilty, or innocent... she simply was written down as a suspect, one who'd be coming in for further questioning later.

He disconnected everything and walked her into the hall, he let her know it was indecisive, and she would be brought in for further questioning in the future.

"You know Officer... I'm glad I get to tell you all about my late husband, all about our life... I'll either end up in jail an innocent woman, or I'll walk out a guilty one. Either way, I win"

She smiled at him, he couldn't help but be confused by her words, yet intrigued for her next.

"I'll be seeing you 9am sharp tomorrow?"

The widow nodded and grabbed a cigarette from her bag.

"9am officer"

She winked and lit the bottom of the square, she was gonna need alot of 'em if she was gonna relive her tortured marriage.

He tipped his hat and watched the red haired dame walk out the station doors... boy did he have alot to ask.


9am sharp, that was her promise and that's what she did. She stepped in those station doors at 8:59am, and into Barton's office at 9.

"Mornin officer"

Clint smiled and nodded his head just a bit.

"Bright and early I see"

Natasha chuckled and took a seat.

"Just like I promised"

She pulled a stog from her purse and lit the end, just like she did every day.

"Ask anything, start anywhere, I'm ready to talk"

The officer took a sip of his morning coffee, then pulled out a notebook and pen.

"How did you and Dreykov meet?"

The woman took a drag from the cigarette before blowing out the smoke and giving a chuckle.

"Well, I was young... 21 I believe, give or take, and I was workin as a hooker. Now keep in mind officer, I had no family, no home or place to call mine, so I was living off scraps, doing what I could to survive. All the girls there wanted a sugar daddy, all I ever wanted was some love, call me a fool, but I thought I was special!"

She took another puff and shook her head.

"I was just a dish in a room full of crummy old men... and I thought I was something"

She averted her eyes for a quick second before looking back up and pressing the cigarette right back to her plump lips, then blowing the smoke and speaking once more.

"The day Dreykov pulled me aside, i finally FELT special, i felt wanted. For the first time in my entire life, someone wanted me, the young woman who knew nothin, instead of one of them experienced girls.

All I ever wanted was to be famous... make it like one of those pretty dame's from Hollywood, but I wasn't pretty enough for that, I wasn't special enough for that"

She took a drag before she sighed.

"So I settled for attention in the wrong damn place, and it got me here"

She put the cigarette out in the ashtray that was on the officer's desk, she looked at him and he nodded, he had been writing as they went.

"How long did you know Jack before you two started dating?"

She thought about it.

"About a year, it had just been sex until then"

Clint nodded again.

"I see"

she sighed.

"There's no room in a crowd for a outcast like me, and he took advantage of that"

The red head looked at the window in the office.

"All I know is what I learned, and I can't say it was too much Officer..."

Barton understood

"Yes ma'am.

"Now did you two ever try for children? Ever think of children?"

That caught the lady off guard and her demeanor changed.

"I cannot have... children.

so no"

Barton looked up with eyes that spoke many apologies, and he moved on.

"I know I've asked before, but was there anyone, maybe in your family who could have hurt your husband?"

Natasha laughed, catching the officer off guard again.

"Family? I have my sister and even then she's iffy with the label 'family'

I already have told you, no one we know did this to him, and if they did, they had good reason"

This woman was complicated and Clint knew it, he saw it and he felt it, and getting the truth was hard.

But he was determined, he was going to do whatever it took to get the truth, and he was going to help her, help her however she was going to need throughout this investigation.