Part 23 (2/2)
”What's this?” Caroline asked, standing in the foyer.
”This is Annabelle.”
I tried to lift the pup from a spot near my feet, but she tore into the kitchen.
”When did this happen?”
”This morning, when you gave her to me.”
”What?”
”Josh brought the pup by. His sister's dog had a litter. He thought I might like one. I'm hoping I can say you gave it to me so I don't have to explain to Trevor. Is that okay?”
”Sure, I guess. But are you sure you want to do that? Lies have a way of backfiring, you know.”
”Don't try and sound like my shrink. Better to lie than to listen to Trevor not talk to me for hours.”
”O-kay.”
”You working today?”
”Nope. Nope. Nope. Today I am shopping. You can join me if you like, though one of the presents I was going to shop for is yours.”
”No thanks. I don't feel like shopping, and I don't want to leave the pup alone right away.”
We walked into the kitchen where I'd already brewed coffee and warmed a pound cake.
”You planning to go to Linda's party?” I asked, slicing a piece of cake and lifting it onto a plate for Caroline.
”I guess.”
”Bringing anyone?”
”Okay, now I know why you wanted me over. Details.”
”No, but I am curious.”
”Nate and I have a date this weekend, and if it goes well, maybe I'll invite him to the party too.”
”Sounds like you and Nate are doing a lot of laundry lately.”
”Hah,” Caroline said with a laugh. ”I've got more clean clothes now than when my mom did my laundry.”
”The couple that scrubs together.... Oh, I don't know. What rhymes? Rubs together?”
”We're not doing any rubbing yet. But I have to say I wouldn't mind. G.o.d, he's cute.”
”What do you know about him?”
”Enough. He moved here four years ago, because they offered him a job. I guess he used to live in Crowley. He's not married. He let me know that right away. He doesn't have any kids either, and he's not moaning over some broken romance and boring me to death. He actually has some smarts.”
”I like him already.”
”Yeah, so do I. But I hate that giddy stuff, looking in the mirror every two seconds to see if I've left spinach in my teeth. I want to be past all that.” Caroline brought a fork full of cake to her mouth, then glanced toward the floor. ”Well, what's this? Annabelle wants to be one of the girls and eat too. She's chewing my shoelace.”
”I hope Trevor is okay about the dog. Normally, I'd give him some notice. Actually, he might think it's a good idea, think it's better for me to have some company during the day.”
”Yeah, he could. And she is a cutie.” Caroline lifted the puppy into her lap, and it immediately brought its paws up and tried to leap onto the table. ”No, no, Annabelle. Down you go. Bad Annabelle.” She placed the puppy back on the floor. ”She's a handful.” Caroline's smile quickly dissolved into a frown. ”Hey, what's that look you're giving me? What's wrong?”
”I've got something I need to show you. It's the real reason I asked you over here.”
”What?”
”I should have told you before. But ... this is so bad, I wasn't sure I wanted to involve you. I'm still not sure.”
”What is it? Is this about Sylvia?”
”No. Here.” I handed her Kelly's letter.
She read it, then looked up at me.
”Where did you get this?”
”I found it taped inside Kelly's dresser-hidden. I've had it since Halloween. I think Kelly must have written it right before she died. No one knows about it except Linda, my shrink, and now you.”
”G.o.d.”
”We've hired a private investigator-well-Linda hired one. I didn't know of a good one.”
”This is unbelievable. How did Linda react to it?”
”Not good. She's in denial. She wants to believe Kelly made it up. I think if it were up to her, she'd destroy the letter and pretend she never saw it. And I still haven't told her the rest. I haven't told her about Trevor, that he might be cheating on me. She'd blame him, say he's a cheat and a murderer. But he's not. If anyone's a murderer, it's Wolfgang. So far, all we've done is a background check. And Linda won't show me the report on Wolfgang. Says there's nothing in it. She's treating this whole thing like it's all going to blow over. They're even planning a trip to Hawaii over Christmas and New Year's. I can't talk Linda out of it.”
”Whoa. That doesn't sound like a good idea. Do you think Wolfgang suspects anything?”
”I don't know. G.o.d, you'd think Linda would have better sense than to tell him. But she's so stupidly in love with the guy, who knows what she'll do? I've warned her. I think she has an idea of how dangerous the man could be-for both of us.”
”And-I have to ask this. But what makes you so certain it's Wolfgang?”
I could feel my face warm at the question. ”Why? You don't think it's Trevor, do you?”
She shook her head. ”I'm totally-I have no idea. Was there anything that could implicate him in the background check?”
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