The Arrangement

by Kiersten Modglin

  “How did he even find me, though? How did he learn my real name? I was so careful. I truly don’t think I would’ve slipped up that badly,” she insisted.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know… I mean, he was a cop. Maybe he ran your plates? Maybe he saw your ID when you ordered a drink. There are probably a million ways he could’ve found out who you were… We could try to look him up—”

  “No,” she said. “We can’t. We can’t give anyone any further reason to look into us. We need to forget about it.”

  “Should we delete the app?”

  “Not yet,” she said. “If the police were to come looking for me, it might seem suspicious. There’s nothing incriminating in our messages. If anything, there’s proof that he was stalking me. We’ll leave the app on our phones for now, but we’re both in agreement that we don’t connect with anyone else on there. We’re done with this…arrangement.”

  I nodded. “Okay, agreed.”

  She shivered. “I’m so sorry about all of this. I don’t understand how it happened. It all feels like a flash. I was so scared… I didn’t know what to do. I should’ve told you about him before, but I was nervous. I didn’t want to break any of our rules, and I didn’t want you to obsess over who he was. I never, in a million years, thought he could be dangerous. He seemed so sweet on our date. I never thought… How did I misread him so badly?”

  “I’d say he had a lot of practice hiding who he was.” I slid my hand from her arm to her waist, gripping it tightly. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

  “It wasn’t your fault you had to work,” she whispered.

  “Yeah.” I swallowed, the bitter truth sitting on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell her about Gina. I didn’t want to lie to her, but the truth at that moment wouldn’t do anyone any good. “Well, no more late nights. I want to fix us, Ainsley. I want us to be better than we’ve ever been. I almost lost you tonight… I never want to lose, or almost-lose, you again.”

  Her smile was small, her eyes exhausted. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” I swore to her, squeezing my eyes to hide the tears I felt preparing to fall. I tucked my face into my pillow and sucked in a breath. My mistakes, countless and longstanding, were what had brought us to this moment. If I hadn’t been distancing myself because I was cheating, we wouldn’t have needed the arrangement in the first place. If I hadn’t lied about my whereabouts tonight, I would’ve known what was going on and perhaps been able to prepare myself or call the police. Everything could’ve gone so much differently, if only I’d been a better man.

  But I was vowing then and there to become better. I’d put the night behind me and make myself the man my wife deserved.

  If only it were that easy.

  Chapter Seventeen

  AINSLEY

  As I headed into work that Saturday morning, leaving Peter at home with the kids, I checked the rearview mirror incessantly, my stomach going tight each and every time I passed a cop car. When I arrived downtown, it was still early, the streets slow and uncrowded, businesses just beginning their days. I drove through the familiar streets, searching for an unmanned dumpster. I spotted one, between a Subway and a coffee shop, and pulled my car to a stop in the alley. I’d brought a few random things from the garage to make it look less suspicious.

  I stepped from the car, pulling on a jacket and flipping up the hood. It wouldn’t look strange on the cool, crisp morning to be wearing a hood, so it was an added bonus that it could help to conceal my identity from any nearby cameras. I rubbed my hands together as I made my way toward the trunk, pulling out a bag of clothes the kids had outgrown, a box from an Amazon package that had arrived a few weeks ago—shipping label removed—a baby bath we’d had sitting in the garage for years, and the freshly bleached bat. I carried them all under my arms as I made my way toward the dumpster, checking my surroundings every few steps.

  A few people walked past, not paying me any attention as they made their way toward their destinations—some on phones, some sipping coffees, some with headphones on—oblivious to anything else happening around them.

  The alley was wide, littered with old, broken pallets and wet boxes. I scurried toward it, ignoring the sign that said it was for North End Property tenants only, and dumped the items in among black bags of garbage and empty boxes from soda syrup. I heaved a sigh, rubbing my hands together to warm them and adjusting the items so they covered the bat.

  When I turned around, to my relief, no one was there to see what I’d done. I walked away, trying to ease the worry that had grown in me. The second I left the bat, I knew, it would be out of my control. Anyone could find it. Anyone could turn it in. But to keep it at our house or in our cars seemed like even more of a risk. It was too dangerous. I continued to walk back to my car, feeling sick to my stomach. I cut off an elderly couple on their way down the sidewalk, arms locked together as they talked in hushed tones.

  “Sorry,” I apologized, holding up a hand. I tucked my chin to my chest and walked quicker, my hands trembling as I pulled out my keys, unlocked the doors, and started the car. I flipped on the heat, rubbing my hands together once more as I tried to still my tremor-ridden, adrenaline-filled body.

  As I pulled out onto the street, my phone began to ring, causing me to hold my breath as I waited for the caller’s name to fill the screen on my dashboard. When I saw it was only Glennon, I released the breath and pressed the button on my steering wheel to answer the call.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, love, what are you doing today?”

  “I’m on my way to work this morning. Why?”

  “I was just checking in on you. I thought maybe you could use some company. You’re off at noon, right?”

  “Around then, yeah,” I said, thinking quickly. I wished that the only secret I had to keep from my best friend was that Peter and I had tried an open marriage briefly. The newest secret was so much bigger and would be so much more difficult to keep. Glennon could read me like a book, she always had been able to, so I needed more time to get the lies in order before I could see her.

  “Great. Wanna meet for coffee after that?”

  “I’d love to, but I can’t. I’ve got something planned with Peter and the kids.”

  “Ooh, fun! What are you doing?”

  “We’re going to attempt family pictures,” I said with a forced laugh.

  “That’ll be so nice, babe! How long has it been since you had pictures? Maisy was a baby, right?”

  “Yeah, basically.” The genuine excitement for us in her tone was killing me. “I’m not sure how it’ll go, but that’s the plan.”

  “Are you doing a whole tripod-in-the-yard thing? Need a photographer? My rates are good,” she teased.

  “No, we’ve got one. But thanks for the offer.” I kept my tone cool and light. “One of Peter’s coworkers has a daughter who’s started her own photography company. We’re going to give her a shot, help her get some experience. She’s super affordable, so if it goes well, I’ll give you her info in case you and Seth want to try her out.”

  “Oh, fun. I love it. I can’t wait to see them.”

  “Thanks, yeah, you know I’ll send some your way.”

  “Thanks, love…” She was quiet. I knew there was something else she wanted to say.

  “You okay?”

  “Mhm, everything’s fine. Sorry, I zoned out there for a minute. Okay, well, I’ll see you later then. Have fun at work.”

  “Hey, wait!” I called, trying to stop her from hanging up.

  “Yeah?”

  “Are you sure you’re okay? Is something wrong?”

  “Nah,” she said, her voice a low growl, as if she’d recently woken up. “I’m fine. I just wanted to call and check in.”

  “I miss you,” I said, though I had no idea why. I needed to keep her away, not give her further reasons to come by.

  “I miss you, too. I’ll see you soon though, right?”


  “Maybe we can hang out after work one night this week.” Another cop car passed me, this one with its lights on, siren blaring. My throat felt tight as it flew past me. Moments later, I turned onto my branch’s street.

  “Yeah, sounds good.”

  “All right, well, I’m almost at work, so I guess I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Yep, later, love.” She ended the call before I’d had time to say goodbye.

  How strange.

  But I had no time for deciphering my best friend because at the moment, my hands were quite full concealing a murder. As I pulled into the parking lot, my blood went cold. I shook my head, though no one was there to see.

  No. No. No. No.

  The parking lot had two police cars in it, parked directly in front of the door, lights flashing.

  Had we been caught?

  Chapter Eighteen

  PETER

  After Ainsley left for work, I got out of bed and headed downstairs to make a pot of coffee. As much as I felt like lying in bed all day, I knew I needed to get outside and check the porch in the daylight to be sure we hadn’t missed anything the night before. Ainsley had left through the garage, and I hadn’t had the heart to put anything else on her; she was already in charge of disposing of the murder weapon. The least I could do was check to make sure we’d cleaned up the rest of the evidence.

  Though I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and pretend the day before hadn’t happened, I had to get up and moving. I knew the kids would all sleep past noon, but I didn’t want to take any chances on visitors or anything of the sort.

  Before I’d brushed my teeth or gotten dressed, I made my way through the house and opened the front door. I looked down, glad to see the paint hadn’t been removed by the massive amounts of bleach, but, like I’d feared, there was a definite ring of brighter paint just in front of the door. It was obvious we’d cleaned something there. I needed to wipe down the entire area. And fast.

  I rushed inside, filled the bucket with bleach and water, and headed back outside with a mop. I set to work, swiping from top to bottom, the smell of the bleach making me nauseous. It was a startling reminder of the night before, making me jittery and nervous again. I couldn't help looking through the razor-thin gaps in the porch, knowing what, or rather who, lay below.

  Once the entire porch had been cleaned, I stepped back, looking over my work. It looked much better. No longer could you see the circle where I'd scrubbed until it was two shades brighter than the rest of the dirty porch.

  As I heard a car pulling in the driveway, I looked up, surprised to see Glennon's SUV pulling in. I groaned, setting the mop back into the bucket and crossing my arms as she climbed from the vehicle and stepped out onto the drive, headed my way with two red coffee cups in her hand.

  "Got your favorite," she called.

  "Thanks. Ainsley isn't here," I told her, though I suspected she knew that because she'd only brought two drinks with her, and presumably one was for herself.

  "I know. I called her on the way to work, and she said she was at the office today. I wanted to come by and see if you needed any help preparing for the pictures."

  My brow furrowed. "Pictures?"

  She nodded. "Family pictures…today. Ainsley said you all were doing pictures, right?"

  I sucked in a breath, angry Ainsley hadn't prepared me for the lie, and nodded, scratching my temple. "Yeah, that's right. Shit. I almost forgot." I took the cup of coffee from her, its warmth spreading throughout my body.

  She studied me. "She said you're planning to use a tripod, so I thought I could come over and help you set up or help get the kids ready, or whatever you might need."

  "Yeah," I said, nodding as I tried to keep up. "Er, I mean, no. I think we're okay. Ainsley hasn't told me what we're even wearing yet. I assume she'll figure it out when she gets home."

  Her eyes narrowed, jaw twisting to the side as if she were offended. "What are you doing out here anyway?" she asked, pressing her fist into her cocked hip.

  I looked behind me, where the mop rested against the wall in the bucket. She'd tracked footprints across the still-wet porch.

  "Just mopping. I think we may do some pictures up here, so I wanted to be sure the porch wasn't dirty or anything." I looked away from her, trying not to meet her eye.

  “I thought you’d forgotten about the pictures?”

  “Oh, right, well I…” I trailed off, unable to focus. Behind her head, I noticed a spatter of blood on the white, wooden column that connected the porch to the overhanging roof.

  “Everything okay, Peter?”

  I darted my gaze back to her. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

  “You seem…off.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “How are things between you two? I didn’t get a chance to check in with you the other night.”

  I looked in the house, checking to make sure the kids weren’t around. “Things are fine, Glennon.”

  “Have you told her?”

  I groaned, locking my jaw as I looked back out into the yard. “I can’t yet.”

  “You don’t have a choice, Peter.”

  “I do. We do. We don’t have to hurt her like this.”

  “She’s going to find out sooner or later. Isn’t it better if it comes from you than me?”

  “We’re going to break her heart, Glennon… How can that be what you want?”

  She stepped sideways, moving until I was looking at her, and I focused on the dangling golden moon earring hanging from her earlobe.

  “Of course it’s not what I want. She’s my best friend, Peter. I love her more than anything. But she deserves to know the truth. We owe her that much.”

  “I know,” I said, kicking the porch with my heel. It was the truth, but that didn’t make it sting any less badly. “I will tell her. I promised you I would. I just need time.”

  “I’ve given you time. But I’m not going to keep letting you off the hook. Tell her soon, or I will.” She tucked a piece of her caramel-colored hair behind her ears.

  I swallowed, looking down and squeezing my eyes shut. When I looked back up, I said, "I said okay, Glennon.”

  She tilted her head to the side, reaching out to touch my arm, but I jerked it back. “You should probably get going. I need to get the kids up and fed before she gets home."

  Glennon laughed without missing a beat. "Yeah. Good luck with that."

  "Thanks for the coffee."

  "Anytime." She turned to walk away, but it was hesitant. I knew she didn't want to.

  "Thanks for the offer, too," I called, feeling guilty for asking her to leave. I needed to keep things peaceful between us. She had the power to end my marriage, and if I didn’t keep her happy, she just might. “About the pictures, I mean.”

  She spun back around, meeting my eye. There was a sadness there I hadn't expected. "Anytime on that, too. You know I'm always here for you guys."

  "I know," I admitted, taking another sip of my coffee for good measure. “Give Seth my best, will ya?"

  "Sure thing." She skipped off down the porch back to her SUV in a flash, and the second she was out of the driveway, I let out a loud, exhausted sigh of relief, blinking back sudden tears. I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to live with such fear. It was terrifying, every minute of every day, having all my secrets weighing down on me.

  I reached for the mop, remembering the blood on the column beside Glennon’s head. I was too afraid to leave the blood for even the amount of time it would take to get a cloth, so I lifted the mop into the air, wiping it away vigorously. Rust-colored water dripped down the white, wooden board, and I continued to wipe and dip, wipe and dip, until it was all cleaned.

  Then, I looked around at the rest of the columns and back at the door, realizing how much I'd managed to miss. Everywhere I looked, there were specks of blood. Evidence. Proof of the horrible crime I'd committed. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

  How was I ever going to make this okay again?


  Chapter Nineteen

  AINSLEY

  I approached the officers standing outside the branch the way you'd approach a deranged man with a gun. Every step was cautious as I tried to keep my face still, no sudden movements.

  Brendan’s and Tara's cars were in the parking lot, though they were nowhere to be seen. Noticing me approaching, two male officers ended their conversation, looking up at me.

  "We're sorry, ma'am, you won't be able to enter the branch right now."

  "I…I work here." I glanced toward the building, realizing the all-clear hadn't gone up yet. Where were Brendan and Tara? "I'm the manager. Did something happen?" Maybe the cops weren't there for me, after all.

  "What's your name?" one of the officers asked, looking down at the pad of paper in his hands.

  "Ainsley Greenburg," I told him. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

  "There was a suspicious car here when your employees arrived. A woman driving a red Hyundai Santa Fe. Your employees were afraid she may have been plotting to rob them. They called us to check it out, but the SUV had left by the time we arrived. We are getting a good look around the building to make sure it's safe for you all to enter."

  "Where are my employees?" I asked, looking over toward their cars. "Why didn't they call me?"

  As soon as I'd asked, I noticed the shape of a head inside Brendan's car. Tara's too. They were okay.

  "They're waiting inside their cars until we give them the okay to get out. We'll have to ask you to do the same. The alarm wasn't set off, so once we've made sure the perimeter is secure, you'll be allowed to head inside. I think it was likely a case of someone parking here for a moment, maybe to answer a phone call or check their GPS, but we’d rather be safe than sorry. The employees did the right thing.”