‘Is that what you think?’
‘I don’t know what to think, but I suppose it’s a possibility. I mean, they haven’t found her car or anything. If something had happened to her around here, you’d think they’d have at least found her car. We’re into the third day now.’
‘So you think she just decided to drive away? To Florida or something?’
‘Laci, I don’t know, OK? I have no idea whatsoever.’
His tone stopped Laci for a second. ‘You don’t have to get angry with me.’
‘I’m going through a lot right now. I’m just trying to keep it together.’
‘How’s Melissa coping?’
‘Not so well.’
‘What about the man who got her pregnant? Is he still in the picture? Can he be there for Melissa at a time like this?’
‘She hasn’t heard from him. Honestly, I don’t think it would make things any easier for us if he was around.’
‘I was just— Oh my God, I just thought of something,’ she said.
‘What?’
‘The police aren’t tapping your phone, are they? They’re not listening in?’
He felt a chill run down his spine. Could they be? He could kick himself. It hadn’t even occurred to him until she mentioned it. He’d been doing such a good job, being the distraught husband. He hadn’t thought there was any reason for the police to be bugging his phone. Sure, he knew the cops would probably be looking at him sooner or later, but he didn’t believe he’d given any sign that he was in any way responsible for his wife’s disappearance.
‘I mean, if they hear us, and know we’ve been seeing each other, then—’
‘Hang up, Laci,’ he said.
‘—then they might think that you had something to do with it, you know, so that you could spend your life with me and—’
He slammed down the phone. If the police had been listening, the damage had been done. They’d know he’d been having an affair. They’d know he and Laci had been seeing each other for weeks now.
It was not good, not good at all.
Wendell was totally rattled. He tried to calm himself and tell himself he was going to get through this. He just needed to keep his wits about him. Even if the police found out he’d been sleeping with Laci, it didn’t have to mean he’d had anything to do with this business about his wife.
They hadn’t found a body or her car.
And he was as sure as he could be that they never would.
‘Pull yourself together,’ he told himself.
The doorbell rang.
Hell, he thought. The cops really were listening to his phone. Now they wanted to question him about Laci, about whether he killed his wife to be with another woman.
He took a couple of deep breaths, composed himself, and strode through the living room to the front door. He pulled the curtain back first, to see who it was.
It was not the police. It was a woman, with green parrot earrings.
Four
Keisha
Keisha Ceylon was ready with her ‘I feel your pain’ smile. First impressions were everything. You had to come across, first and foremost, as sincere. So you couldn’t overdo the smile. It had to be held back. You didn’t want to show any teeth. No empty-headed, sweet and sickly smile that looked as if it had been pasted on. You had to get into the moment. You had to believe you were on a mission. Most of all, you had to look as though you were sorry to even be here, and that this really was the last place on earth you wanted to be.
Yet you were compelled to be here. You simply had no choice.
She saw the man pull back the curtain to get a look at her and gave him the smile. It was almost regretful.
Then the door opened.
‘Yes?’ he said.
‘Mr Garfield?’
‘That’s right.’ He leaned out of the door, looking past her down to the street.
‘My name is Keisha Ceylon. I’m so sorry to trouble you at a time like this.’ She extended a hand. The man hesitated before he took it.
‘Yes, well, this is a very stressful time. Who are you … who are you with?’
Keisha guessed, with those parrots dangling from her earlobes, that Wendell wasn’t going to take her for some plainclothes detective.
‘I guess I’m what you’d call a consultant,’ she said.
‘For who?’
‘I work for people who find themselves in situations such as yours, Mr Garfield.’
‘You’re, what, a private detective?’
‘No. Perhaps, if I could come inside, I could explain it better to you?’
When you were still on the front step, they could slam the door in your face. However, once you were in the house, it was harder for them to get rid of you. She could see he was thinking about it.
After a moment’s hesitation, he opened the door wide. ‘Of course, come in.’
He led her into the living room and invited her to take one of the chairs across from the settee, which was where he sat.
‘What was your name again?’ he asked.