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The next morning, Saturday, Glenda calls Olivia and invites her to go for a walk. She wants to know what happened last night, when Olivia confronted Paul.
Glenda puts on a jacket and her walking shoes. It’s a cold, crisp day, but at least the sun is shining again after yesterday’s dreary rain. She closes the door behind her, and begins to walk toward Olivia’s house. Her mind is full. If only she could solve everybody’s problems. If only all this – stress – would go away.
Last night their son, Adam, had come home drunk, again. They’d given him a curfew, but he’d ignored it. They’d grounded him, and he’d snuck out of the house. Now, they don’t know what to do.
‘Maybe we just let him sow his wild oats,’ Keith had said this morning. ‘When he’s tired of barfing in the morning, he’ll straighten out.’
She’d glared at him angrily, with her arms folded across her chest. He hadn’t stayed awake all night keeping an eye on their son to make sure he didn’t choke to death. Keith slept just fine. Nothing seems to bother him; it’s like he’s coated with Teflon.
Sometimes she wishes she could make her husband understand all the things she does, all the things she’s done for their family. He doesn’t appreciate her enough. He never will. He’s oblivious.
And she’d had to clean up the mess in the bathroom.
‘Make him do it,’ Keith had said unhelpfully, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
She’d glanced in at Adam moaning in bed, realized that wasn’t going to happen, and did it herself. Now all she wants is to get out of the house, away from her husband and her son and the smell of barf and talk to someone reasonable. Someone who understands.
She sees Olivia approaching her on the sidewalk and waves. Soon they are face-to-face, and fall into step together. ‘Let’s head for the park,’ Glenda suggests. On the way, she tells Olivia about the latest problem with Adam. As they walk together along the edge of the pond, Glenda says, ‘Sorry to vent. So, what happened last night? Did you talk to Paul?’ She turns to look at Olivia and notices that she seems much less tense than she had the day before.
Olivia nods. ‘I did.’ She lets out a big exhale and stops, looking out over the water toward the trees beyond. ‘He wasn’t seeing Amanda. He caught her giving Larry a blow job in the office and warned her off so that Larry wouldn’t lose his job.’
‘Wow,’ Glenda says.
Olivia turns to her and laughs suddenly. ‘It’s crazy, isn’t it?’
Glenda shakes her head. ‘The things people do.’
‘I don’t think Paul and I have anything to worry about. But Becky – I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes.’ Olivia’s expression sobers. ‘If anyone was having an affair with Amanda, it’s most likely to be Larry, don’t you think?’
Glenda feels herself relaxing. The walk outside, airing her own complaints, and hearing Olivia’s news have all done Glenda good. She doesn’t know what she’d do if she didn’t have Olivia to talk to. Glenda says, ‘I don’t imagine that marriage is going to last much longer.’ They stand side by side, watching the swans. Finally Glenda asks, her voice hesitant, ‘Do you think Larry could have killed Amanda?’
‘No,’ Olivia says, shaking her head. ‘No way. Paul doesn’t think so either. My money’s on Robert Pierce.’
Chapter Twenty-two
OLIVIA LEAVES GLENDA at the corner and heads back home, head lowered. Glenda seems very distressed lately. She’s obviously worried sick about Adam. Olivia knows Keith isn’t a very proactive parent, or even a particularly supportive one. He seems to be leaving all the parenting to Glenda, and it’s a heavy weight to bear. Olivia is grateful that Paul isn’t like that. They make decisions together and they usually see things the same way – except for sending Raleigh for therapy, of course. And the apology letters.
As she approaches her own house, she sees a sedan parked outside. Her eyes go to her front door and she sees two people standing there, their backs to the street. Her heart begins to beat faster.
She hurries up the driveway as Paul opens the door. She sees the startled look on his face. Then his eyes meet hers, and it seems to ground him.
The man on the front step turns around and sees her. ‘Good morning,’ he says, as she approaches. He shows her his badge. ‘I’m Detective Webb, this is Detective Moen. Sorry to bother you on Saturday, but may we come in? We won’t be long.’
Olivia nods. ‘I’m Olivia,’ she says.
‘Come in,’ Paul says, and pulls the door open wide.
‘I was just out for a walk,’ Olivia says, taking their coats. ‘Can I get you anything? Coffee?’
‘No, thank you,’ Webb says, following her husband into the living room, Moen behind him.
Detective Moen smiles back at her. She has a kind face, Olivia thinks. She’s more likeable than her partner, who seems rather abrupt. Maybe that’s why they work together, Olivia thinks. She and Paul sit side by side rather stiffly on the sofa.
Detective Webb turns to her. ‘As you probably know,’ he says, glancing at her husband, ‘we’re investigating the murder of Amanda Pierce.’
Olivia tells herself to relax. They have nothing to hide. It’s good that the detectives are here – they can immediately clarify where Paul was on that Friday night.
‘Yes, I know,’ Olivia says.
‘We’ve already spoken to your husband and he’s been very cooperative,’ the detective says.
Olivia nods. She still feels slightly nervous, but who wouldn’t be nervous having police detectives in their living room?
‘I understand that he was home with you the evening of Friday, September twenty-ninth?’ Webb says.
Paul faces Detective Webb. ‘Actually, I was mistaken before. I completely forgot. I have an elderly aunt – my aunt Margaret, who lives alone and gets quite lonely. She calls me a lot, asking me to visit. She called me that day, particularly agitated, and asked me to come see her, and I did. I went right after work. I called Olivia first, to tell her.’ He glances at her.
Olivia nods. ‘That’s right,’ she says.
Webb studies her for a moment and then turns back to Paul. ‘Where does your aunt live?’ he asks.
Olivia sees Moen pull out her notebook, flip over a page.
‘She’s in Berwick.’
‘I see,’ Webb says.
Olivia feels uneasy. She knows what the cop is thinking. The small town where Paul’s aunt lives is in the direction of Canning, out where Amanda’s body was found. But Paul didn’t have anything to do with Amanda. What he says is true – quite often Margaret calls and begs him to visit. It’s a pain, really. Mostly he doesn’t, but sometimes he’ll make the trek out there. He’s not especially close to her, but there’s no other family to visit her and he feels guilty. She remembers that Friday. He told her that Margaret was being very demanding, that he hadn’t been to see her in a long time, and that he felt he couldn’t say no.
The detective says, ‘You say she lives alone?’
‘That’s right,’ Paul answers. ‘She’s on a list for assisted living, but her name hasn’t come up yet. So for now, she has people come in and help her.’
