It's Always the Husband

by Michele Campbell

  On Thursday, Aubrey dialed Kate’s cell repeatedly to try to set up the meeting, but got no answer. When Aubrey couldn’t get Ethan on the phone either, and when he didn’t come home for dinner Thursday night, she knew that the two of them were together doing their filthy business.

  Aubrey fed the kids and cleaned up dinner. She kicked Ethan’s nasty cat out of the house for the night. She watched Friends on Netflix with Lilly, and pretended to laugh whenever the laugh track came on. But by the time all three kids were in bed, Aubrey still hadn’t heard back. Was Kate going to avoid her forever, escape punishment by the simple expedient of not answering the phone? It was intolerable. Aubrey sat at the kitchen island and, instead of drinking her usual herbal tea before bed, polished off an entire bottle of sauvignon blanc. See what you’re doing to me, she thought, drinking alone, which I never do! They were ruining her life. Around two o’clock, the bottle empty, Aubrey dialed Kate’s phone one last time, and got voicemail. But this time, she left a message.

  “I can’t believe you won’t pick up my calls,” she said, through wine-sodden tears. “I always loved you, Kate. You were my idol. I know you’re sleeping with my husband. You’re probably with him right now. You never cared about me, or my kids. We’re nothing to you. You don’t have the guts to face me, do you? You’re a coward. I want to die,” Aubrey said, and hung up.

  She threw the phone down on the counter, certain she’d just torpedoed her own brilliant plan. Kate would never call back now. She poured the dregs of the bottle into her glass and let the tears flow. It was three before she dragged herself to bed.

  At 7 A.M., the jangle of a ring tone pulled her to consciousness. She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and was shocked to see Kate’s number. Wouldn’t you know it, that self-pitying message did the trick. Kate loved Aubrey when she was down.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s Kate.”

  Aubrey looked at the clock. She was half an hour late getting up, her head was throbbing, and her eyes burned. “It’s seven in the morning,” she muttered.

  “I know, I just—I’m calling to say you don’t need to worry. Ethan and I ended it. Just a little while ago. It’s over, for real.”

  Aubrey remained silent, trying to breathe, the angry pounding of her own heart reverberating in her ears. If Kate thought she could fix things by admitting she’d spent the entire night with Aubrey’s husband and then claiming they’d ended the months-long affair in the light of the morning, she was stupider than she looked. There was no fixing this. The betrayal was too big.

  “Aubrey, are you there?” Kate asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I know what I did was wrong, but you have to understand, I’ve been in a really weird place. Griff’s dad going to jail turned my life upside down. I see now that my own unhappiness made me act selfishly. I need to take care of me—get out of Belle River, move on from Griff, find work I care about. If I can do that, I’ll stop messing up, and stop hurting my friends. I’m sorry for what I did, Aubrey, I really am.”

  Aubrey remained silent. Kate paused. “Aubrey?”

  “Now is not a good time to talk. We need to meet in person.”

  “What? Why?”

  “So you can apologize to my face. You owe me that much,” Aubrey said.

  “I already said I’m sorry. Is that really necessary?”

  “Yes, Kate, it is necessary. Let’s meet tonight, before the dinner,” Aubrey said.

  “The dinner, right. Ugh, I may not go to that. Things with Griff have gotten really bad. He showed up—oh, you don’t want to know. Anyway, I’m meeting my lawyer and filing for divorce this morning. There’s some money that—well, that’s beside the point. Anyway, I was thinking of leaving town for a couple of days, to give Griff a chance to clear out of the house. I’m not in the mood for celebrating.”

  “We plan a party for you, and arrange our schedules to be there, and you decide to ditch us at the last minute. Really, Kate?”

  If Aubrey’s plan worked, Kate would be dead by dinnertime, but Aubrey couldn’t resist needling her.

  “Won’t it be awkward?” Kate said. “Given the circumstances, I mean.”

  “That’s why I want to meet first, to clear the air. Just you and me, without Jenny,” Aubrey said.

  Kate sighed. “If that’s what you want, fine. Tell me where.”

  “I’ll text you the address for your GPS,” Aubrey said. Kate was an idiot with directions, and followed her nav blindly. She would drive right to the boat-launch lot and still not have a clue where she was.

  Aubrey got the kids off to school and went to the yoga studio to take care of some paperwork. She called Tim from the phone on the receptionist’s desk to let him know the meeting was on, and where. Anybody coming into the studio had access to that phone. Using it would give Aubrey plausible deniability about her role in the meeting if the cops ever started asking questions. (It turned out she’d actually learned something from her months of researching how to commit murder.)

  Driving down River Road that evening, as the light faded from the November sky, Aubrey felt calm and clearheaded. Her hangover was gone, her pulse was normal, and her palms were dry. The rain had just started, and the headlights illuminated the raindrops so they looked like diamonds falling. The National Weather Service said it would rain all night, which would help with washing away tire tracks and footprints and such. Her assistant Mikayla was picking up the girls from sports and babysitting till Aubrey got home. Logan was going to Jaden’s house for dinner, and getting a ride home from Jaden’s dad. She’d figured out which item would be most useful to frame her husband for his mistress’s death, and she had a plan for getting it. She wore gloves, which did not look out of place on this chilly night, so no fingerprints. Aubrey had thought of everything.

  Ten minutes later, Aubrey and Tim were sitting together in Aubrey’s car when Kate pulled into the deserted lot. Aubrey flashed her lights, and Kate parked nearby and got out of the car. Now came the tricky part.

  “Wait here,” Aubrey said to Tim. “There’s something I need to tell Kate first. Then I’ll wave to you, and you get out and escort her to the bridge. She’s going to confess everything, and say she’s sorry. She wants to do it there.”

  “All right. Thank you for arranging this, Aubrey. It’s very important to me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Aubrey got out, noting with disapproval that Kate wore a dress and cute flats, with some sort of silky evening coat on top. How inappropriate to the occasion. Then she remembered that Kate still thought they were going to dinner afterward. Hahaha, nope. Aubrey had already canceled the reservation, and told Jenny that Kate was sick. No birthday dinner for you.

  “Why are we meeting here?” Kate said. “It’s starting to rain, and it’s dark.”

  “Don’t worry. It’ll be quick.”

  “Who’s that in the car? Is it Ethan?” Kate said, and the eagerness in her voice was telling. Ethan was the one who’d ended it, then. Served Kate right. But Aubrey sensed an opportunity, a way to make sure that Kate would follow Tim to the bridge without balking.

  “Ethan needs to talk to you, Kate,” Aubrey said. “He’s right down that path.” She pointed to the trailhead.

  “Down the path? Why?”

  “He wants to speak to you privately about some arrangements. He wouldn’t explain it to me.”

  Kate nodded. “I understand. There’s … a complication. We left things up in the air.” She paused. “You’re okay with this, with me and Ethan talking?”

  “Not really, but I don’t have much choice, do I? He insists. Do me a favor, though. My phone is dying, and I need to call the kids. Can I borrow your phone?” Aubrey asked.

  “Sure.” Kate rummaged in her handbag.

  “Give me the bag, I’ll find the phone. It’ll be waiting right here when you get back. You’d better hurry. Tim will show you where Ethan is.”

  Aubrey signaled to Tim, who got out of her car.


  “Tim? What’s he doing here?”

  “Oh, he happened to be here, something to do with the crew team, I think. The path is confusing, so he’ll help you find Ethan. I probably shouldn’t go with you.”

  “No.”

  “Just follow Tim.”

  “All right,” Kate said, frowning, as she turned toward Tim.

  It’s amazing what people will fall for when they underestimate you. Kate thought Aubrey was too stupid and spineless to stick up for herself. Aubrey was a pathetic fly buzzing around Kate’s brilliance. It would never in a million years occur to Kate that Aubrey could outsmart her.

  Aubrey got back into her nice, warm car, and watched Kate march off to her death. It wasn’t until the day the police came to the yoga studio to interview her that Aubrey discovered Kate had been pregnant that night, with Ethan’s baby. That must have been the “complication” she so delicately referred to. Aubrey had to admit, the thought of the innocent baby made her sad. But with Kate for a mother and Ethan for a father, the poor thing was better off dead.

  That part of the plan—the killing-Kate part—went off without a hitch. It was a shame that Aubrey hadn’t been able to figure out a way to get Tim to kill Ethan, too, but of course, he had no motive to do that. She had to settle for framing Ethan for his girlfriend’s murder. That’s where the anonymous call to the tip line came in, and why a detective now stood at the front door, presumably with a search warrant in hand for Ethan’s car. Aubrey would get almost everything she wanted—Kate dead, full custody of the kids, the house, and all the money. Ethan wasn’t dead, but he was about to go to jail for the rest of his life, and that would be satisfying. She’d be sure to send him a Christmas card every year—Aubrey and the kids in matching outfits, with Griff smiling in Ethan’s place. That would feel very good.

  Aubrey kissed the top of Lilly’s head. “Finish your homework, honey. I’ll go talk to the lady.”

  She opened the front door to find the young detective who’d interviewed her at the yoga studio, along with an older officer she didn’t recognize.

  “Detective Charles,” Aubrey said. “What a surprise. Can I help you?”

  “Ma’am, apologies if I’m interrupting dinner. My colleague and I have a warrant to search your husband’s car in relation to the death of Katherine Eastman.”

  “Oh, my,” Aubrey said, her hand shooting to her throat in feigned shock. “Well, I guess you’d better come in.”

  34

  “People are gonna think we’re having an affair,” Robbie said, as he got into Jenny’s minivan, making the seat dip with his muscular bulk.

  It was nearly seven o’clock, and the town parking garage was empty and echoing. Jenny had waited around until everyone left, because Robbie made a big deal about keeping their meeting secret. He’d shown up to the garage in plain clothes, in the family car instead of his cruiser, when he’d always come to her office before, in broad daylight and in uniform. She found it odd.

  Jenny gave him side-eye in the dim light. “The spy stuff was your idea.”

  “Kidding, kidding,” Robbie said, tapping her on the arm good-naturedly enough that she relaxed. “How’re the kids?”

  “Good. T.J.’s excited for basketball. Reed’s got the robotics tournament next week. Yours?”

  “Keeping us on our toes,” Robbie said. “Maddie’s running for seventh-grade president.”

  “I heard. That’s wonderful. I told Val, I’m happy to help map out the campaign strategy.”

  “Oh, that’ll be a load off her mind. Posters and speeches and stuff are not Val’s thing. Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.” Jenny paused. “So you said you needed to talk in person, that what you had was too sensitive for the telephone. This is about Chief Rizzo, I assume?”

  Robbie’s face took on a pained expression. “Sort of. It’s about the Rothenberg case more generally, but—yeah. All right. Let’s start with Rizzo. Jenny, I need to know. Are you making any progress in moving him out of the chief’s job?”

  “Hard to say. Jake Goodwin getting hit by that TV truck has some folks on the town council questioning Rizzo’s priorities. But is it enough to get him voted out? Probably not without real proof of misconduct. Have you found anything we can use?” Jenny asked.

  “It’s possible that Rizzo raided the overtime fund to pay for his outside-expert reports,” Robbie said.

  “It’s possible, or he did?”

  “I have a strong suspicion, but I can’t prove it yet. I don’t have the password to the accounts,” Robbie said.

  “Who does?”

  “Pam Grimaldi used to. Now it’s just Rizzo and his personal secretary, and she’s loyal to him.”

  “Well, if we could prove Rizzo used overtime funds to pay for outside experts, and that’s why he didn’t have the money for traffic enforcement the day of Kate Eastman’s funeral, then yes, I could go to the council with that. People are upset enough about the impact on the soccer season that it could turn the tide. But if we can’t prove that? Do you have anything else?”

  “I may be able to document problems with his handling of the Eastman case. Detective Charles came to me with concerns that Rizzo is suppressing evidence, just like that lawyer said in the press conference. Rizzo knew that it was Rothenberg’s own blood on the shirt, and he kept it quiet because it didn’t jibe with his theory of the case. He also knew based on phone records that the victim was having an affair with Dr. Saxman, but he did nothing about it.”

  “A lot of people knew about that affair, Robbie. I knew, and I didn’t call the police.”

  “You’re not the one trying to lock up the victim’s husband for murder and throw away the key, are you?”

  “True,” Jenny said.

  “Also, they got a call to the tip line days ago saying that evidence of the murder was hidden in Saxman’s car. Keisha wanted to get a warrant to follow up on that tip, and Rizzo’s been dragging his feet. She had to threaten to go over his head to you to get him to agree.”

  “What evidence is in Ethan’s car?” Jenny asked, shocked.

  “We don’t know yet. Because of the delay, they only got the warrant this afternoon.”

  “Jesus,” Jenny whispered, going pale in the half-light.

  Jenny had never believed that Griff would hurt Kate. But Ethan? That seemed more plausible given that the man was a known liar and cheat. How horrible for Aubrey if it was true, and for their children. And how dangerous for Jenny. Aubrey was unstable enough already. If things got worse for her, it was impossible to say how she might react, what she might say about Kate and their shared past, or to whom.

  “If I was running the department,” Robbie said, “I would have searched that car the minute the tip came in, and maybe we’d have a different guy locked up by now. It’s dereliction of duty on Rizzo’s part if you ask me.”

  “This case is such a minefield, Robbie. I don’t know what the answer is, but I’m not convinced that going after Dr. Saxman is a good idea, or even that it’s the right moment to get Rizzo fired.”

  “Indecisiveness doesn’t suit you, Jenny,” Robbie said, an edge to his voice.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You need to make up your mind. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you’re leaving me no choice. Wait here, I have to show you something.”

  Robbie got out and walked over to his own car, his footsteps echoing eerily in the empty garage. He came back carrying a bulky manila envelope, and placed it on the console between them. Something in his expression made her nervous.

  “What’s in it?” Jenny asked.

  “Open it and see,” he said.

  Jenny turned on the task light. She opened the bulky envelope, reached in, and pulled out a second envelope, this one clear plastic, sealed with evidence tape. The label on it said that the item had been recovered by Officer Robert Womack at 9:30 P.M. the night before at a location described as “fence near bridge over Belle River, approx. 1 mi from River Road boat-
launch parking lot.” Inside the plastic envelope was Tim’s favorite cap—the ratty, old Healy Construction cap that Jenny had been trying to get him to throw away for years. She turned the envelope over and examined the inside of the cap through the plastic to make sure. The initials “T.J.H.” were written on the label in faded permanent marker, right where she knew they would be.

  “Why do you have Tim’s hat?”

  “Because I found it, in a place it shouldn’t have been,” Robbie said.

  “This says you found it at the bridge. Are you trying to imply something from this?” Jenny asked. She was beginning to feel nauseous, because the implication was clear.

  “From the beginning I thought the victim probably went into the river from the bridge, not from the boat launch like Rizzo was saying. So I raised the idea with him, and he laughed me out of the room, which naturally pissed me off. I decided to prove him wrong. It was an ego thing on my part, frankly. Yesterday, on my own time, I went out to the bridge for a look-see. And I found Tim’s hat hooked on the fence, where you’d push it down to climb over. The ground had been disturbed there pretty recently.”

  “I’m not sure where you’re going with this, Robbie,” Jenny said, though of course she knew, and it terrified her.

  “When I first heard about this case—when I heard who the victim was, and how the body was found in the river—naturally I thought about Lucas Arsenault’s death and how the Arsenault family always blamed Kate. Look, Jen, I love Tim, and I can’t believe he would hurt anybody. I’m sure there’s some other explanation. But Tim had a motive. We both know he has anger-management issues. And this cap proves he was there recently. I’m not saying I think he did it. I’m just saying that somebody like Rizzo—who we know is capable of accusing someone on thin evidence, who has issues with you personally because he doesn’t like being told what to do—well, that’s not the guy you want in charge of the police department at a moment like this.”

  “The fact that you found this cap at the bridge—if that’s even true—means nothing,” Jenny began, her voice shaking. “Tim could have been there for a million reasons. It was just Lucas’s birthday, and Tim is sentimental. He was probably there to throw flowers in the water or something. If you’re implying Tim had anything to do with Kate’s death—”