Staring at him in the eye, Erika asked, "So your wife looks like me." She didn't know what she'd asked, especially him since she had already planned to ask Beatrice that question, but looking at him now, she didn't hesitate and asked it. But as soon as she uttered the questions, she noticed Viper stiffen. He didn't speak and only stared at her, his eyes suddenly dark. That's surprising.
"She did."
Surprisingly, he replied to her. She'd thought that he would perhaps scowl at her before evading the question and then walking away. 'This is my chance to dig out more answers from him,' Erika thought to herself.
"Why the past tense? What happened to her?" she brazened up and asked next. "Is she dead?"
