by E. C. Diskin
CHAPTER 19 April 13 ON THURSDAY MORNING, KAT WENT downtown to the Chicago office for her morning meeting. As various hotel managers shared details and problems at their properties, hotel business—her business—began to creep back into the forefront of her mind, a welcome distraction after spending the last several days consumed with theories about who might have wanted to hurt Shea. Kat remained in the conference room after the meeting. As she created to-do lists and jotted down notes on how to address the staffing issues and reservation system hiccups, her usual work stress was missing. She didn’t second-guess the ideas as they came to her, and she wasn’t tormenting herself with worry that she might fail to fix what needed fixing. She knew how to do this job, and she could do it well. It was entirely different from dealing with Shea’s death. She wasn’t an investigator, she obviously didn’t know all the facts, and learning all that she had over the last week had only made her feel worse
CHAPTER 20 February 19 SHEA ROLLED UP THE SNOW-COVERED drive and pulled into their detached garage on Sunday. She cut the engine and sat in the darkened space. Looking at the wire shelves in front of her, the tears came quickly. The shelves were stacked with boxes of Christmas lights and holiday decorations, ski equipment, skateboards that hadn’t been touched in a decade, sand buckets filled with sidewalk chalk, a catcher’s mask, and those two folding chairs she and Ryan had used for years on the sidelines of the kids’ games. This was their life together. A family, two decades of adventure and memories, of laughs and triumphs, and they’d done it together. The shelves were a mess, just like their marriage, but the weekend had helped. After sharing everything with her sister—the swinging nonsense, the Charlie stuff, the text from Dee that caused her to run out on Friday night, Shea had realized there was no proof. She might have been jumping to conclusions when she stormed out. That was
CHAPTER 21 April 13 KAT AND TORI RETURNED TO Maple Park after lunch in the city. Kat could handle the remaining work crises from Lina’s dining table. Fortunately, Lina said she was enjoying Kat’s company, and Kat was happy to be there. The time for getting answers was slipping away quickly. She was supposed to leave tomorrow afternoon after her last meeting. As Tori turned off the expressway, Kat stared at the familiar Maple Park landmarks, the same ones she’d noticed just five days earlier. The historic homes she’d always admired, the ice cream shop she’d biked to with her son, the pool where he’d learned to swim, the parks, trees, shops. Everything had been softened by distance, perfected in memory. But, today, she noticed peeling paint on some of those beloved homes, lease signs in the windows of stores she’d loved, and patches of park grass that had been muddied to destruction from spring showers. You can never go home again, she thought, remembering the first time her mother had s
CHAPTER 22 March 29 SHEA WAS SITTING ON THE window seat in the living room, cradling her warm coffee. Ryan had just replaced the storm windows with screens, and the house could now breathe. She could finally enjoy the cool breeze and the sounds of birds gathering in the trees outside, their conversations filling the house with life. Living in Maple Park during winter felt like walking through an old movie—nothing but black and white and gray. In spring, it was as if someone hit the switch, as if she’d landed in Oz: green lawns, blue skies, tree buds, perennials breaking through the hard sod, magnolia blooms. It all seemed to happen overnight. It was enough to confirm the beginning of their fresh start. Things were finally turning around. When the doorbell rang an hour later, and Shea found Tori standing outside her door, she suddenly realized how long it had been since she’d seen her friend. Other than sitting with Lina at a chemo treatment a couple of weeks ago, she and Ryan had spent
CHAPTER 23 April 13 BACK AT LINA’S, KAT WAS making some dinner when the doorbell rang. Before Lina had the chance to get up, Kat answered the door. Tori came barreling into the house. She saw Lina on the couch and leaned in for a quick air kiss before collapsing onto the seat cushion beside her. Kat followed her into the living room. “What’s going on?” “I spoke to Dee,” Tori said. “Charlie was not in Maple Park when Shea went to Ohio. He’d been staying at their Michigan cottage a lot of the time, ever since asking for space. And guess what?” “What?” Kat and Lina asked in unison. “Charlie asked Dee for a divorce the day before Shea was found on Put-in-Bay.” “That doesn’t mean anything,” Lina said. “But Dee drove to their Michigan house to speak with him about it,” Tori continued. “That was April first. She was devastated and not ready to give up on them.” “And?” Lina asked. “He wasn’t there. She called his cell, and he didn’t answer. She sent texts, he didn’t answer. She sat around wait
CHAPTER 24 March 29 SHEA PARKED THE CAR IN front of Georgia’s and found her and Tess outside, sitting on the sidewalk, drawing chalk animals on the concrete. “Hey, neighbor,” Georgia said. “What are you up to?” “Hey.” Shea looked at little Tess, oblivious and engrossed in her own drawing. “I’m sorry to interrupt. Tess, this is beautiful. Did you do this all by yourself?” “Mommy helped me,” she said. “Well, you’re both really talented. Georgia, can I talk to you for a minute?” “Sure,” Georgia said. “Wanna sit with us?” She patted the sidewalk beside her. “Actually, could we talk in private a minute?” Georgia looked at Tess before looking back at Shea. “Is this about Dee’s daughter? I already heard, and I just told Tess.” “What are you talking about?” Shea asked. “Gina’s peanut allergy. But she’s going to be okay,” Georgia said, patting Tess while she said it. “She used to babysit Tess, so Tess was a little worried. But they got there in time, and everything is going to be fine. Dee is l
CHAPTER 25 April 13 KAT WAS ON THE COUCH, finishing a glass of wine, when her phone lit up with a text from Tori. So, Tori wrote. So, what? Kat replied. Have you heard from Mary or the bartender? Are you crazy? I can’t stop thinking about it! Actually, Kat had stopped thinking about it. She and Lina had finished dinner, and after Lina went to bed, she’d allowed herself to get absorbed in a TV show for the last thirty minutes. Kat didn’t want Mary or the bartender to recognize Charlie’s picture. The idea of someone taking Shea’s life suddenly felt far more horrific now that they were looking sideways at their own friends. The fleeting concern that Shea could have intended an overdose was too painful to believe, both because of the despair that would mean she’d felt and because it would mean Kat had been so oblivious to her friend’s pain. The tragedy of an accidental death was not much easier. But now, the reality that someone could have killed her—robbing her family of a mother and wife
CHAPTER 26 March 30 SHEA WOKE TO A TEXT from Georgia suggesting they go for a walk. She quickly agreed and got dressed. “Listen,” Shea said as the women began to walk away from Georgia’s house, “I’ve been thinking about this nonstop. Blake was drunk. He was on his boat, and if he decided to go out into those rough waters after we left, it is not our fault.” “But I told you we needed to report what happened,” Georgia said. “Don’t you see, if we reported it, he’d be alive. Whatever happened to him after we left would not have happened if we had just called the police.” Georgia could barely get out those last words through the tears. “How am I supposed to live with this? What if he stumbled and fell into the water? What if he was so disoriented he untied the boat? Hitting him could have caused his death.” “It’s not your fault,” Shea said. “I can’t sleep. Do you know what I found out?” Georgia asked. “What?” “I could get in huge trouble because of this, not you. Me. Even if I didn’t mean t
CHAPTER 27 April 13 IT WAS ONLY ABOUT THIRTY minutes after Tori left when the doorbell rang. Kat jumped up to get it. She checked the peephole and saw Georgia, staring at the front door with a wide smile, like some Mary Kay solicitor, ready to pounce on whoever opened the door. “Hi, Georgia, what’s up?” Kat said. Georgia’s face seemed to drop when she saw Kat, but she regrouped quickly, widening her smile. “Hi, Kat! I thought you’d left town by now.” “Still here,” Kat said. “Come on in. I see you’ve come bearing gifts.” Kat stepped aside to let Georgia in. Georgia had
a foil-covered bread pan in one hand and a brown bag tied shut with a pink ribbon in the other. She barely resembled the woman Kat had visited Monday. Instead, Georgia’s hair was perfectly in place, her makeup flawless, her lipstick freshly applied. “I’ve got one more meeting in the morning and then I’ll be heading home,” Kat said. “Did you bake?” “Oh no,” Georgia said, looking down at the pan. “Meat loaf. It was my night
CHAPTER 28 April 14 KAT TOOK THE TRAIN INTO the city on Friday morning for her final meeting. She lingered in the conference room, gathering notes and files. Mack was right. Her own life was a mess. It was time to focus on that for a change. She waved at Martin on her way out. “We can do whatever remains via e-mail, okay?” “No problem,” he said. “Have a safe flight.” On the train heading west to Maple Park, her head against the window, she breathed deeply. It was that anxiety again. But it wasn’t about Shea’s death this time. It was about her own life. She was feeling rootless once more. Just like after college. Everything was different, and it was hard to know where she fit. Was that house she and Mack bought a mistake? Was the neighborhood? Was the job? All she knew was that despite everything else, she missed her husband. He was her best friend. The fighting was about loneliness. He was alone—so was she. She reviewed her e-mail and found the latest from Martin, with a subject line:
CHAPTER 29 April 1 8:00 a.m. SHEA ROSE EARLY, SHOWERED, AND was preparing omelets and bacon when Ryan came down to the kitchen. “Wow, what’s this?” Ryan asked. “Payback,” Shea said. “Coffee’s made.” “Great.” He headed to the cabinet for a mug. “You made such a nice dinner yesterday. Sorry I ran out on you.” Ryan stepped over to the stove with his coffee and kissed her neck. “Nothing turns me on more than the smell of bacon.” “I know.” She laughed. “Maybe I should look for some bacon perfume. Hey,” she said, handing him a plate, “I completely forgot about Susie’s play this weekend.” “What are you talking about?” He sat at the table to eat. Shea turned back to the stove to prepare her eggs. “Susie’s in a play. I told you about this.” “No, you didn’t.” “Seriously?” she replied sarcastically. Of course, she hadn’t told him, since there was no play, but for twenty years, they’d chided each other about forgetting plans the other had shared. And Ryan enjoyed children’s theater about as much a
CHAPTER 30 April 14 KAT WAS LOOKING UP THE flight options. If she didn’t get on the seven-thirty flight, there was nothing else open until three o’clock tomorrow. It was now four o’clock. The phone rang, and Kat looked over, hoping it wasn’t Mack. She wanted to be able to tell him which flight she’d booked before they spoke again. She really didn’t want to fight anymore. The call was from an unlisted number. “Hello?” Kat said. “Kat, hi, it’s Evelyn.” “Well, that’s a coincidence. I was just thinking about you.” “I just spoke with my brother. He said you and Tori came by looking for me?” Her voice rose then, like her day was brightened by the prospect of a visitor. Kat wondered if, with Shea gone, Evelyn was feeling lonely. “That’s right. Are you back in town?” “Not yet. What’s up?” “I’ve just been thinking about Shea a lot, and it seemed like you might know more than the rest of us. I was hoping we could talk before I left.” Evelyn fell silent for a moment, and when she spoke, Kat thoug
CHAPTER 31 April 1 11:30 a.m. THE CAR FELT QUIET DESPITE the radio. Shea couldn’t speak, and Evelyn seemed content to let her sort through the pain alone. Maybe she thought it was the best thing a friend could do. Dee had been with Ryan on February 18. The night Shea was out of town, crying to her sister all night about their problems, after pleading with Charlie to leave her alone. Ryan said he’d been drunk that night, sure that she’d run off with Charlie, and convinced their marriage was over. If Dee feared the same and they’d seen each other . . . could they . . . ? He’d sworn that he hadn’t been with her. But he lied. He’d lied about the affair three years ago. He lied about the job, the finances. Why did she trust him at all? She’d found that bra in his drawer right after their luau party last summer, and he’d never had an explanation. She’d feared cheating again but at the time had never in a million years considered one of her own friends. She began replaying every moment she co
CHAPTER 32 April 14 KAT HUNG UP THE PHONE with Evelyn and rubbed her eyes. Everyone was holding secrets, each of them making Kat feel worse. Evelyn had broken down almost immediately as she told Kat what happened. Evelyn was certain that her comments about Dee and Ryan must have pushed Shea over the edge. She said the car had become silent after she’d shared what she knew. Evelyn felt like she’d let down the one friend who’d been so good to her in the last year. Shea needed a friend for that trip, and Evelyn had failed her. It sounded as if Evelyn believed it might have been suicide, after all. It wasn’t Evelyn’s fault, getting so sick in the terminal, but Kat’s reassurance hadn’t eased her guilt. She said she’d felt sick for nearly forty-five minutes and couldn’t stomach the idea of getting on the ferry. She also admitted to being a little heartbroken that Shea was planning to move away. She didn’t much feel like browsing real estate. It wasn’t rational, she said, but she’d eventually
CHAPTER 33 April 1 3:55 p.m. AFTER SHEA GOT TO THE island and checked in, she drove the inn’s complimentary golf cart through the winding streets to the far side of the island. Blake was right, she thought, pulling up toward the old redbrick lighthouse. It was different from any she had seen before. It looked like a stately, century-old home that just happened to have a lighthouse tower attached to it. A large expanse of green grass separated the house from the road, and it stood near the rocky edge of the island, the deep-blue lake surrounding all but one side of it. There were several cars and a few golf carts parked along the road leading to the lighthouse, and Shea watched a few mourners walking toward the building. The service was probably over, but she was obviously not the only one arriving late. What now? She suddenly panicked. Was she to eavesdrop on conversations? How would she introduce herself to these strangers? And how did you know Blake? someone might ask. Oh, he tried t
CHAPTER 34 April 14 KAT LEFT RYAN, RETURNED TO Lina’s, and called Mack. It was five thirty. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know this has taken too long. I’m coming home. I’ve stayed too long and I miss you. There’s a flight in a couple of hours. I’m going to try to get on it.” “I don’t think you should do that just yet,” Mack said. “What do you mean?” “I just bought a plane ticket. I’ll be in Maple Park by noon tomorrow. I’m going to pay my respects and take my wife out for a night on the town in one of our favorite cities. I happen to know someone who has an in with a luxury hotel downtown. I think I can get us a room.” Kat chuckled. “Then we’re going to invite some old friends to join us for brunch in Maple Park before we head home. Together.” Kat smiled and took another cleansing breath. At least she and Mack were going to be okay. They were a team again. “That sounds amazing, and I can’t wait to see you. But . . . I may have made it difficult for you to see all our old friends.” “What d
CHAPTER 35 April 1 4:20 p.m. “HI,” SHEA SAID. THERE WERE six of them, all men. They had all come out onto the platform, some from the left, the others from the right. She was surrounded with almost no room to move, and she stood with her back against the small metal railing. She recognized one of them now. The big one. He’d been the loudest of the bunch when they met last November. “Dave,” he said, putting his hand to his chest. He sounded annoyed, as if she should have remembered him. “I’m Shea,” she said, offering her hand. He didn’t take it. “I remember you, but we didn’t have your real name. Weren’t your friends calling you Chardonnay that night?” That silly nickname. She smiled, embarrassed. “Right,” she said, pulling her hand back. But Dave didn’t see the humor. He folded his arms across his chest. “What are you doing here?” “I just wanted to pay my respects. I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said carefully, trying to defuse the tension. She raised her arms to rest them on the rai
CHAPTER 36 April 15 KAT WOKE UP ON SATURDAY morning and checked the phone. It was before eight o’c
lock. Mack would be there soon. She couldn’t wait to wrap her arms around him. But he’d already sent a text: Flight delayed. Should be there by two. Kat rolled onto her back and opened her e-mails. Martin had gotten back to her. Here’s the security footage. Hope it helps. She couldn’t open the compressed file from her phone, so she jumped up and grabbed her laptop and waited impatiently for the computer to turn on. When she opened the mail again and clicked the attachment, she held her breath, waiting. Finally, her screen expanded into video, and she stared at an empty elevator bank. She fast-forwarded the footage, stopping each time the elevator doors opened—six times, strangers coming and going on the forty-fourth floor. When the door opened again, Kat’s breath caught in her throat. Feeling nauseated, almost light-headed from the evidence in front of her, she fast-forwarded past two more
CHAPTER 37 April 1 5:30 p.m. “ANOTHER CAPE COD?” THE BARTENDER asked. “Yes, please.” The first one had gone down too fast. Shea turned to check the front door behind her again. Still no sign of Evelyn. When she turned back toward the bar, a man was standing to her left. She looked into the mirror behind the liquor bottles and watched the man looking at her before he addressed the bartender. “I’ll have what she’s having.” Shea turned. “Hello, beautiful,” he said. “Hi,” she responded, turning away from his gaze. “May I?” he asked, nodding toward the open seat between them. She looked around the room at the bar, only a quarter filled with patrons. There were plenty of other empty seats to be had. “Actually, I’m meeting a friend,” she said. The man nodded but didn’t move. “Maybe I’ll just save her seat?” Shea didn’t want to be unkind, and there were open seats on both sides of her. “Sure.” “I’m Ted,” he said, extending his hand. Shea shook his hand and introduced herself. “That’s an intere
